Are you Considering a NetSuite Implementation? 3 Things to Know First!
3 Things to Know Before Your NetSuite Implementation I have eight years of experience working as a NetSuite consultant, with the past year and a half...
4 min read
Just because NetSuite is going to save your business tons of money in the long run, does not mean that you should try to save money every step of the way. NetSuite is a robust cloud solution that is packed to the brim with value. It was designed specifically to help businesses run more efficiently. The main feature of this product is strategic in nature: By implementing NetSuite, your business will naturally reduce high capital expenditures that traditionally accompany legacy in-house solutions. Because it is a cloud-based solution, NetSuite always comes equipped with access to real-time data, so your business can make decisions based on the most current information.
All of these features are going to save your business significant money, though the implementation is going to initially require an investment. Accepting this from the start is going to make or break the transition. By reading the following post, you will come to understand that switching to NetSuite does come with one-time, upfront expenses for purchase and implementation. But don’t be tempted to cut costs by selecting an implementation partner that offers the lowest price, without considering credentials or implementation methodology.
That would be a big mistake.
Here are 3 Questions to Ask when Condidering Using a NetSuite Implementation Consultant
1. What is at Risk in an Ineffective Implementation?
If you’re paying cut-rate prices for your NetSuite implementation, what you may actually be getting is a shared implementation, the kind where you do most of the work yourself. Yes, the implementation consultant will be there to answer questions, but the advice you get won’t be specific to your business.
A low NetSuite implementation price may also indicate an outdated, tactical approach to implementation. Face it: This process is going to be expensive. Simply configuring NetSuite—setting it up and getting it to work—won’t allow you to extract the most value from your NetSuite investment. In order to truly benefit from the implementation, it is going to take more than what discount implementation consultants offer.
These guys make money by churning through implementations quickly. Rather than taking the time to understand your business needs and configuring NetSuite in a way that makes the most sense for your business, they just run through a punch list and check off tasks as they’re completed, devoid of any insight into NetSuite best practices. Ultimately, you may find yourself locked into a NetSuite configuration that doesn’t actually work with the way you conduct business.
2. What Makes Business-First The Best Approach?
In contrast, an implementation partner that takes a business-first approach will gather information about your current business practices and any existing pain points, because NetSuite truly shines when it’s used as a tool to improve and streamline your business processes.
NetSuite’s ERP has multiple configurations, and the ideal configuration for your business depends wholly on what activities your business is involved in now, and how you see those activities changing or developing in the future. With a business-first approach to implementation, NetSuite can be configured to meet your current and future business needs.
In addition to a business-first approach, your business can benefit from working with a consultant that implements solutions based on agile, iterative techniques. The old “waterfall” approach to implementation, where a consultant comes in to gather and document requirements, write the design specs, and implement from there, may have been applicable in the past but it just isn’t effective with a cloud-based solution such as NetSuite. What does work is an agile approach in which the system is refined to suit your actual usage. In other words, as you begin working with NetSuite, your business practices are documented as you use the solution. As you interact with NetSuite’s functionality, your implementation partner will make a series of refinements that are directly based on your use. This process of tailoring your usage is the key to ensuring that NetSuite is customized for your business needs.
3. What About Certification?
The best way to get the most value out of your NetSuite investment is to work with an implementation partner that takes a business-first approach and uses an agile implementation methodology. A shared implementation or an old-fashioned punch list-based, tactical approach is unlikely to provide effective results.
There is one distinguishable marker of quality that should be mentioned: NetSuite certification. NetSuite began its certification program in late 2013 as a way to distinguish expert consultants from those with less experience. How does choosing an implementation partner with NetSuite certification ensure you have chosen the most dedicated professional? The exam is challenging and there is a relatively high fee associated with certification, so only those consultants dedicated to mastering NetSuite’s complexities become certified.
At Demand Solutions Group, we’re proud to demonstrate our NetSuite expertise by participating in the certification program.
Don’t skimp on quality by cutting corners on your implementation. Look for an implementation partner that will assess your business needs and customize the NetSuite configuration to work for you. And be sure to ask about certification.
If you’ve already implemented NetSuite but it’s no longer aligned with the way you do business, consider DSG’s Revitalize option as a way to close the business value gap.
DSG builds long-term relationships with our clients, and we’re 100 percent committed to the success of your project. Learn more about our approach to NetSuite implementation and discover the DSG difference.
Call us at 866.486.4064 or fill out our contact us form.
About DSG:
DSG delivers cloud accelerated business solutions based on leading ERP, CRM, and CPM applications NetSuite, Salesforce™, and Adaptive Insights. With our deep business and technology expertise and the experience gained from hundreds of successful projects, DSG is acknowledged as one of the leading cloud business solutions providers by our major business partner, NetSuite, and by cloud media and analysts such as IDC and CRN.
Since 2005, hundreds of companies—from startups to the Fortune 500—have worked with DSG and benefited from our proven Realize, Optimize and Revitalize methodologies.
The DSG experts are proud to implement tailored NetSuite, Salesforce™, and Adaptive Insights solutions that deliver value, insight and business acceleration, starting on day one.
Another version of this blog was posted by Todd Fitzwater on July 6, 2015 on DSG Solutions Blog: http://www.demandsolutionsgroup.com/avoiding-the-biggest-mistake-when-choosing-a-netsuite-implementation-consultant/
5 Ways a NetSuite ERP Implementation Consultant Helps Ensure Success
Staff Author : Apr 13, 2021 10:49:09 AM
What to Expect from a NetSuite ERP Implementation Consultant Industry analysts at the Gartner Group warn that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)...
ERP Consultant Reviews: NetSuite Implementation Best Practices Part 3
In this series of blogs we will share some NetSuite implementation best practices that our ERP consultant team has developed over the years to...