Item: NetSuite ERP
Rating: 10
Author: Will Reckling

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

NetSuite ERP is our daily-use software - we use it for everything. Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, Revenue Recognition, financial reporting. NetSuite ERP allows us to manage our inventory across multiple locations, enter sales and keep track of customer data in a secure and one-stop platform. All of our payables and purchases are handled through NetSuite ERP - demand planning, forecasting, and merchandising are all run through the system. We have about 250 users and run north of $300mm in yearly revenue. We handle revenue recognition with real-time billing updates, automated emailing of invoices to customers, and have also integrated NetSuite ERP with our e-commerce platform to allow for seamless order updates and management. Our showrooms utilize NetSuite POS software to enter sales, update orders, receive payments, and fulfill customer pickups. Our warehouse and fulfillment teams use a host of features within the software to track inbound and outbound shipments, conduct physical inventory cycle counts, and maintain inventory accuracy.

Pros and Cons

General Ledger reporting
Sales Order entry and maintenance
Customization of forms/dashboards
Searches and reports for all different types of data
Integrate with other software systems - AR, AP, banking, WMS, logistics

Support is expensive
There aren't a lot of options for third-party financing in a retail space
the CRM module could be more robust.

Return on Investment

helped us increase market share
increased margin percentages across multiple product lines
reduce expenses with advanced G/L reporting

Alternatives Considered

STORIS and Tyler SIS

NetSuite ERP is a modern, cloud-based ERP that is accessible from any web browser. Fast, secure, stable, and scalable - these were key to us in our decision to use NetSuite ERP vs another provider. Other ERPs wanted to trend the other direction - on-premise hardware, minimal updates, antiquated systems profiles. NetSuite ERP allows our organization to grow and adapt to changing market conditions.

Key Insights

Do you think NetSuite ERP delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with NetSuite ERP's feature set?

Yes

Did NetSuite ERP live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of NetSuite ERP go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy NetSuite ERP again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365, DispatchTrack, YayPay, by Quadient, Webexpenses, AvidXchange, RingCentral MVP, VMware SD-WAN (VeloCloud)

Usability

Very user friendly, and from an administrative side it is easy to make updates and changes as needed to the platform. If someone is familiar with the internet and web browsing, NetSuite ERP is intuitive to use. We have configured our instance of it to work well in a retail environment and also to integrate with a number of different software platforms.

Support Rating

Support is good, but limited. If there are customizations and scripting involved with your instance, the level of help drops off. Having access to a developer (either in-house or third-party) is key. Support does respond quickly and is available as needed - if you pay for it. The gold level or premier tier gets you 24/7 support, but it is expensive.

Likelihood to Recommend

While not technically suited for a retail operation out of the box, it is possible to customize the system to work for retail. Additionally, we had to tailor the system to meet our needs as a white-goods retailer; in our industry it's not very common to stick product on a FedEx or UPS truck and send it out, but rather the goods are white-glove type deliveries with specialized skills needed for install. We had to customize the platform accordingly to account for these variances. Additionally, NetSuite ERP gave us the flexibility to "control the narrative" - we are able to set custom pricing and costing measures by item or by sales rep, we implemented a robust clearance item process, and we've integrated our pricing module with an e-tag solution at all of our stores. While the system may not be the best for retail without customization, it's the ability to mold the platform to fit your needs that really is its strong suit.

Users and Roles

250 - Sales, operations, accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, billing, fulfillment, receiving, inventory management, merchandising, marketing, human resources, payroll, and IT. All facets of our organization use NetSuite ERP daily to complete tasks, update orders, and maintain system data.

Support Headcount Required

5 - We have 2 main NetSuite administrators, 1 data warehouse engineer, and 2 business analysts on staff to help support NetSuite ERP. Knowledge of SQL, HTML customization, and Java are preferred, but not required. A strong financial background will be key in order to better understand the nature of NetSuite ERP's operation.

Business Processes Supported

Sales
Operations
Financials
Payables
Inventory
Receivables
Purchasing

Innovative Uses

Integrate with website
Use the system to integrate pricing across the website and all retail locations
Implement and control B2B pricing modules.

Future Planned Uses

Better integration with credit card processor
Fully automate the last-mile logistics scheduling portion
integrate with our VoIP solution

Likelihood to Renew

We are already on our second 5 year contract and are just getting dialed in with our use of the product. NetSuite ERP has helped us grow and we aren't about to go through another ERP implementation.

Products Replaced

Yes - We replaced TylerNet, Quick Books, and Sage. The three systems were antiquated, on-prem server based, and didn't talk to each other. Unifying them into a single, scalable, cloud-based platform like NetSuite has allowed us to take our business to new heights. TylerNet was a DOS-based system that was clunky and limited in scope. We've customized NetSuite to meet our needs.

Key Differentiators

Cloud Solutions
Scalability
Integration with Other Systems
Ease of Use

Scabaility and customization were key to our decision making process. We have unique pricing structures that affect margin, commissions, etc and NetSuite allows us to put those custom applications and processes in place on the line level of transactions. By having everything integrated into one system is also very beneficial in that there is one system of truth for reporting and auditing.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

We would evaluate other sales-facing ERP solutions that might be more retail-focused; NS is great, but it took a lot of work to get it set up to meet our needs for the appliance retail industry. Additionally, I would use a NetSuite partner to help with implemenation vs trying to do it in-house without a developer.

NetSuite ERP allows our business to grow and thrive.

Software Version

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with NetSuite ERP