NetSuite is a powerful platform for financial management and enterprise resource planning (ERP) used by medium-sized companies that are scaling operations, up to multinational enterprise-level organizations.
As a company grows, its needs can change. Often, the platforms that served well in the past are no longer adequate. Whether it’s the need for new features or specific integrations, a NetSuite ERP consultant can help large companies properly manage the process when they make changes to their platform.
Understanding NetSuite Consultants
NetSuite consultants manage a wide range of services for organizations, and every project is likely to be unique from the last. Below, we define the consultant’s role in platform implementation, discuss how they help organizations scale, and suggest qualities you should look for when choosing the right consultant for your company.
What Is a NetSuite Consultant?
A NetSuite consultant is an expert in NetSuite and its functions, integrations, and customization options. They work alongside organizations to assess their:
- Needs
- Goals
- Greatest hurdles in accomplishing those goals
They are experts in financial management and ERP platforms and processes. This is important for their NetSuite work, but these consultants also have a deep knowledge of QuickBooks and other platforms. When a company migrates from one platform to another, it is vital to retain a consultant capable of maneuvering through the right settings and steps on both platforms.
NetSuite consultants advise on the best path forward to optimize their systems, protect data, and provide companies with the right long-term solutions to help them overcome challenges in order to scale.
The Role of a NetSuite Consultant in Large or Enterprise Businesses
NetSuite consulting is about partnering with large-sized organizations to implement the right upgrades and changes to their system while accounting for company vision, goals, challenges, and most vital needs.
Those needs are transformed into an actionable plan that includes future-proofing and training to ensure a long-term path to success.
Customizing NetSuite to Meet Business Needs
A consultant analyzes your current setup, including your main platform and any existing add-ons, apps, customizations, and integrations. Taking your input about challenges and limitations, they map out an ideal system that addresses your challenges and configures the right solutions.
This means pausing or removing unused features that distract from productivity while adding precise functionality to help you scale.
Advising on Best Practices and Optimization
A NetSuite consultant gets into the weeds with clients to help address industry-specific challenges and optimizations. They analyze the key pain points a company faces so their system can be designed around solutions. This covers the entire spectrum of features and tools, from visibility to reporting and analytics.
Providing Ongoing Support and Training
NetSuite consultants openly communicate with clients throughout the process, explaining where their work is in the project timeline, what changes are being implemented, and what is left to be accomplished. Beyond a successful implementation, consultants train staff on how to take full advantage of the features.
If questions arise, consultants are available to answer them. If there is system maintenance to perform, they continue to assist, optimizing features and configurations as needed.
How NetSuite Consultants Drive Business Growth and Efficiency
NetSuite consultants partner with you throughout the implementation process and well beyond to ensure alignment between available options and your specific operational needs. They understand the importance of unifying all your processes to help you grow your business.
These are some of the ways consultants ensure your systems aren’t holding you back from maximum scalability.
Maximizing Return on Investment (ROI)
NetSuite consultants help make sure the platform is implemented based on your company’s specific systems and requirements.
Your needs call for individualized configurations, settings, and features that help you reduce costs, increase efficiency, and harness powerful new insights. You’re investing time, workforce resources, and money into your NetSuite-based systems. Your consultant understands you need to reap the maximum ROI as a result.
Accelerating Implementation Timelines
Complex implementation processes can take weeks or even months. A NetSuite implementation consultant knows how to cut those hours down using a predefined methodology, expert project management processes, and the tools and expertise necessary to successfully manage complex migrations.
Ensuring Smooth Integration and Transition Processes
Providing you with the best assistance means a consultant requires a deep understanding of systems and how they all play a role in helping you get the most out of your processes. They have an expansive knowledge of other tools and integrations that help eliminate redundancy and inaccurate results while streamlining all of these processes to provide a single central point of operations in NetSuite.
Throughout the process, consultants configure, test, and retest as they carry out integration, making sure no errors or system-wide issues will arise post-implementation.
Leveraging Specialized Knowledge and Experience
NetSuite consultants are certified experts in its software, integrations, and implementation. But they also take the time to understand your business, how you operate, and what processes need to be changed and optimized.
They have the knowledge to troubleshoot and problem-solve for complex systems, remaining up-to-date on the latest features and upgrades, so you can rely on their expertise to be certain your setup is always current. If there are new features that can enhance your effectiveness, NetSuite consultants can help to implement them.
Streamlining Business Processes
Pulling in information from multiple sources is a challenging process consultants can ensure is done correctly, so you aren’t gathering multiple streams of overlapping data that could get incorrectly formatted or calculated.
Consultants leverage further customizations to help you streamline your processes and optimize redundant tasks with automation, replacing ineffective processes with maximum efficiency.
Enhancing Data Visibility and Reporting Capabilities
Businesses can be more effective when their data is consolidated into one main source. Consultants help make sure each unique integration and feature provides easy access and visibility to the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most.
Their knowledge about settings and features empowers consultants to help you be certain about the reliability of your reports and analytics.
Improving Decision-Making and Strategic Planning
NetSuite consultants help companies make difficult decisions that can change their future course. NetSuite provides a powerful solution—but you need to know how to access the metrics that matter most for your business.
Decisions based on reliable data are more sure-footed, and consultants make sure teams have the ability to identify trends and track the real-time data that impacts their decisions without the distraction of features that go unused.
If market conditions change or companies need to adjust their processes to accomplish strategic milestones, consultants are there to help identify what needs to be adjusted with any integrations or feature settings.
Supporting Scalability and Adaptability to Business Changes
Large companies have to focus on scaling operations in multiple simultaneous dimensions. It requires a never-ending process of measuring performance across all departments and using that data to identify processes that can be optimized.
Scalability and adaptability go hand in hand, and NetSuite consultants ensure your platform continues to be optimized for your company’s needs. They will assist with updates and upgrades, changes to integrations, and any beneficial tweaks to your system to improve your operational flow.
Their continuous commitment to partnering with your company means they are available to offer input about adapting to industry changes and trends, helping you maximize your ROI and streamline operations.
Qualities to Look for in NetSuite Consulting Services
Use the following as a guide to ensure you partner with a consultant who has all the qualifications you need.
Certified NetSuite Professionals
You want to partner with a certified NetSuite professional advisor with the proper credentials and experience working with companies dealing with a wide range of needs, from integrations to migrations and customization.
Extensive Industry Experience
Choose a NetSuite consultant who has worked with numerous organizations in your field. The right consultant will not only be able to understand the challenges you face but will also have experience providing the best solutions in your industry.
Strong Communication and Collaboration Skills
A great NetSuite consultant will be a stellar listener. Successful implementation relies on the firm foundation of hearing the client’s needs, goals, problems, and concerns, as well as gaining a clear understanding of how the company structure, size, and current climate all factor in helping them make the right decisions.
Your consultant partners with you through the whole process, so they have to align well with your schedule and be able to connect with your team all the way through training and future optimizations.
Proven Track Record of Successful Implementations
The right consultant will be able to share real-world examples of the work they have done. Look for client reviews, case studies, and other data that prove they have a long history of doing well for others.
Consider Fourlane
Fourlane is proud to be a Certified NetSuite Solution Provider, having served over 5,000 clients with system design, inventory cleanup, business processes, workflows, data conversion, migration, integration, and optimization. We’re there every step of the way, from initial analysis to long-term training and maintenance.
Don’t go it alone. Get in touch with one of our NetSuite experts today!
