RSMUS.comWith the release of NetSuite Next, an ERP that puts AI at the core of the experience and integrates automation into key workflows, businesses are asking an important question: is it time to replace the existing ERP with a more powerful platform?
That question is important, but it’s a bit premature. Because before organizations can answer if they want a new ERP, they must assess if they’re equipped for a new ERP.
NetSuite Next was designed to be easily implemented by existing NetSuite users. Switching doesn’t require data migration or reimplementation. That sounds ideal initially, and it’s undeniably preferable to a long, complicated, expensive migration process. But there’s a hidden hazard: issues with the existing ERP environment may carry over to the new platform. And while they might have been minor issues before, AI can accelerate them into something larger.
NetSuite optimizations prevent that from happening by bringing your ERP environment up to peak performance first. They pave the way for a successful transition to NetSuite Next, but they also improve the performance of the current NetSuite deployment, improve the user experience, and remove myriad obstacles to productivity, efficiency, and innovation.
No matter what an organization’s AI timeline looks like, NetSuite optimizations should be on the agenda, starting sooner rather than later.
Common Signs that Optimization is Overdue
Some problems seem smaller than they really are. Others feel inevitable because a solution appears impossible or impractical. In both cases, they make the ERP deployment feel less than stellar even if the platform itself has a lot to offer. Examples of those problems include:
- Reporting that is slow, difficult, or underwhelming, resulting in imperfect visibility and incomplete understanding.
- Teams that rely heavily on spreadsheets because it feels complicated or risky to move the data elsewhere.
- Manual processes that drain time and effort even though there are automated tools available to do the same work in less time with fewer errors.
- Data inconsistencies that compromise decision-making unless someone spends hours cleaning things up.
- Users who struggle to adopt new tools, adapt to different processes, or work as efficiently as they want and need.
These issues often get accepted or ignored as “the cost of doing business,” especially when it comes to complicated software like ERP. The bad news is that they’re wasting more resources—time, money, opportunity—than anyone realizes. The good news is that the solution is simpler than it seems.
Unleash Innovation With Optimization
NetSuite optimizations identify any misalignment between the ERP environment and the business strategy. That includes technical issues, performance problems, underutilized features, and training gaps—anywhere the NetSuite isn’t working as well as it could or should. After diagnosing the problems, optimizations prescribe solutions that combine current best practices with advice tailored to a specific company. The end goal is to ensure NetSuite delivers as much value as possible, especially after migrating to NetSuite Next and adopting an AI-first strategy. Some of the tangible benefits include:
- More efficient operations within and across departments.
- Improved reporting accuracy for greater visibility and smarter decision-making.
- Stronger user adoption as individuals use more of the ERP more often.
- Better business insights to refine strategy and upgrade planning.
- Faster time to value to maximize investment in ERP and elsewhere.
ERP becomes even more important as we enter the AI era. So it only makes sense that by optimizing what the ERP and the people using it can accomplish, companies flourish in countless ways.
NetSuite Optimization Made Easy
Having seen how many companies could benefit from optimizations, RSM created the NetSuite Health Check to streamline the process. It’s based on a proven and proprietary methodology for finding room for improvement within a NetSuite environment. It draws on our years of experience working inside the NetSuite ecosystem. And it’s built to be quick, easy, and economical enough for any company.
Now that NetSuite Next is live, AI readiness and ERP optimization are top priorities. We have more information about all these topics available here.
Bharat Chandu
Bharat Chandu is a Consulting Partner at RSM US LLP. Bharat is a certified NetSuite ERP Consultant with over 13 years of experience with NetSuite and has worked on over 100 different NetSuite implementation/support/optimization projects for clients in various industries, including Warehouse/Distribution, Manufacturing, Retail, Not-for-Profit, and Software/Professional Services.