Switching to a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can feel like a high-risk, high-reward situation. Between 50% and 75% of ERP implementations fail to meet objectives, with 41% of surveyed executives considering the project an outright failure. However, the promise of streamlined processes, increased revenue, and a fast ROI on implementation costs is driving more and more companies to upgrade to a better ERP.
One of the biggest factors that can lower the risk of failure and improve your overall return is choosing the right NetSuite implementation services. Unless you already specialize in big software implementation projects or have an in-house team of NetSuite experts, knowing what the right services look like can seem impossible and make the project feel like more of a gamble.
To move forward, companies should start with a clear understanding of why NetSuite services from an implementation team are so essential. Then key stakeholders can assess which elements are most essential and how to guarantee you get them.
How NetSuite Implementation Services Maximize the Potential of Your ERP
The more complex or comprehensive a business software solution is, the greater the impact it has on your organization. Even rolling out a specialty marketing platform or new customer support desk can be a complex project that requires weeks of testing, integration, and experimentation.
Robust ERP software often touches every aspect of your business, so it requires more modifications, fine-tuning, and testing than any other software implementation project. Take a look at why the most successful NetSuite implementations involve services at every stage of the project:
- Data requires technical prep work: Businesses can’t simply start using NetSuite the second they purchase the licenses. Instead, your organization’s historical data and current operational data must be transferred over. This includes customer profiles, invoicing systems, service records, inventory data, and dozens of other data sets. Using their expertise, implementation specialists ensure this data is transferred over correctly.
- Your ERP needs to fit your business (not the other way around): NetSuite offers thousands of different features, fields, and functions. While your business may end up using many of the features, it won’t need all of them. There may be options you’d like that the standard NetSuite software doesn’t include. NetSuite implementation services focus on modifying the ERP to suit your business’s needs by integrating it with third-party platforms, adding custom functions, and bringing essential tools to the forefront.
- Implementation rollout can be a bumpy process: Even once you’ve built your NetSuite ERP just right, transitioning can disrupt your operations. 51% of businesses experience this problem. Implementation specialists can develop a plan to transition to the new software, be ready to resolve problems that arise along the way, and provide support and training.
Related: Strategies for Outsourcing NetSuite Implementation for SMBs
The role of NetSuite implementation services changes from the discovery stage through the execution and post-implementation phases, but the objective stays the same: making sure your organization has an ERP that does exactly what it’s supposed to with minimal negative business disruption.
6 Essential Elements to Look for in Your NetSuite Implementation Services
By tapping into the expertise of a NetSuite implementation team, you can gain all the benefits a new ERP has to offer: more automation, better data integrity, and greater business efficiency. Finding a company that offers high-quality, reliable services can be challenging, especially if you aren’t quite sure what to look for. Start by identifying NetSuite implementation services with these six must-have elements.
Element #1: A Detailed Rollout Plan That Removes Guesswork
If you’ve never headed an ERP implementation, the entire process may be a mystery. Even if you have been involved in one before, there are a lot of uncertainties. One of the core benefits of hiring NetSuite implementation experts is that they can create very detailed project scopes, timelines, and rollout plans that shed light on the entire project.
NetSuite implementation consultants should always start projects with a thorough discovery phase in which they learn how your business operates, the workflows that make up your operations, your current and long-term business goals, and the difficulties you’re experiencing in your current setup. This level of insight lets them craft a detailed plan of how they can customize NetSuite to fit your business.
Without this phase, your plans may be vague, generic, and more likely to result in project creep and unexpected costs. With detailed rollout plans, both the implementation team and your internal stakeholders gain a clear idea of the price, schedule, and changes that will be made to the ERP system.
Element #2: In-Depth Understanding of Coding and Customization Options
A significant portion of every NetSuite implementation project is devoted to customizing the software to better fit your operations. As a result, hiring a team with a lot of experience in development and coding is critical. However, good implementation practices should never default to custom code. Instead, it should efficiently use all of the customization options that NetSuite offers, including:
- Modules: NetSuite provides advanced modules of industry-specific features and in-depth functions. These supplemental software options can often take an ERP from “halfway there” to “nearly there” without the added expense and complication of custom code work. The more standardized your ERP is, even as you personalize it to suit your unique operations, the better it can withstand upgrades and development projects over time.
- Integrations: While NetSuite will be the core of your organization’s tech stack, you’ll likely use other platforms for day-to-day operations, from communication tools like Slack to marketing platforms like Marketo. By properly integrating every part of your tech stack with NetSuite to create a seamless architecture, you can benefit from the unique capabilities of each platform.
- Custom Code: NetSuite’s SuiteScript allows developers to create custom functions and data fields. This is an excellent option for truly unique functionality that integrations and modules cannot accurately capture.
The ideal NetSuite implementation services partner will work in that order: modules, integrations, and custom coding as needed. This results in a stronger overall ERP that makes efficient use of your resources.
Element #3: Training on Daily NetSuite Operations
NetSuite implementation isn’t just about preparing your software. It’s also about preparing your teams. First, communicate with your teams about upcoming changes well in advance to eliminate surprises and so you can incorporate their feature requests and operational needs as much as possible.
Next, make sure your teams have the training and resources they need to succeed with the software. Many employees may not have encountered NetSuite before, and others may only be slightly familiar. Your implementation partner should have the resources to prepare your staff for rollout. This might include helpful training videos and overviews, sit-down sessions where they walk through your NetSuite iteration with key personnel, and recorded workflow sequences. These resources can go a long way in minimizing frustration and disruption during the process.
Element #4: A Backup Plan
While it’s important that your business prepares itself for the chance of project delays, changes, and extra costs, your implementation team should be even more prepared. No service is complete without a backup plan at the ready. This includes building extra time into the project timeline, informing you of likely challenges and potential interruptions, and having the expertise to respond to problems.
Related: Choosing the Right NetSuite Implementation Companies for Success
If your implementation plan isn’t tempered by cautious backup suggestions and recovery options, that’s a red flag.
Element #5: Expertise in Your Industry
While every company is different, most businesses within the same core industry have overlapping operational needs and similar workflows. That’s why it’s best to work with an implementation team with years of experience providing NetSuite services within your industry. This gives you advantages like:
- Consultants who have a clear understanding of trends shaping your industry’s use of ERPs and automation technology
- More compact discovery phases, as implementation specialists are walking in with a clear understanding of how your industry works
- Developers that likely already know most of the platforms in your tech stack, allowing them to efficiently integrate the software and map data fields correctly
Element #6: Complete Project Management
Above all else, NetSuite implementation services should be comprehensive. By outsourcing project management, you can stay focused on your business’s operations and preparing your employees for the transition. You also benefit from project managers who specialize in NetSuite implementation projects, as they spend their entire time keeping projects moving forward, identifying signs of problems, and developing in-depth plans that account for every factor. The most essential element is that they incorporate every aspect, from initial discovery and planning to execution and post-implementation wrapups.
Find a NetSuite Implementation Services Team That Goes Beyond the Essentials
Implementing NetSuite is a process that takes months or even years to complete. By researching what NetSuite implementation services should include and what good services look like, you’re already taking steps to ensure that the long journey has a successful ending. At Limebox, we’re dedicated to helping you reach that finish line. We specialize in comprehensive NetSuite implementation services, development projects, and ongoing support. Get in touch today to learn more about which essential elements your NetSuite implementation project needs.