When and how to reassess your needs for NetSuite

Many businesses implement NetSuite to address a specific business need. It might start with accounting. It might start with inventory. Over time, though, your company grows. Processes evolve. Teams change. When that happens, NetSuite needs to evolve, too.

From time to time, it’s good to reassess your needs to make sure you’re getting the most out of NetSuite.

When to reassess your NetSuite setup

When teams build workarounds, it often means that your NetSuite instance is outdated. Here are some signs it’s time to reassess NetSuite:

• Reports still take too long and require manual effort to produce. Staff are depending too much on spreadsheets.
• You’re not using dashboards or real-time KPIs to monitor performance.
• Different departments still operate on different tools.
• Add-ons or integrations haven’t been reviewed or updated in years.

Another time to reassess is when business conditions shift. We often work with our clients to update their NetSuite features and configuration in these situations:

• A recent acquisition or period of rapid growth: Acquisitions or expansion into new markets add complexity, including more entities, products, and locations. NetSuite must adapt to support consolidated reporting, intercompany transactions, and new workflows.
• New product lines: Adding products often means new SKUs, pricing models, production methods, or fulfillment processes. NetSuite may need updated inventory, order management, or demand planning features to handle the shift efficiently.
• Updated go-to-market models: Shifting from direct sales to ecommerce or channel sales changes how you track leads, manage orders, and fulfill customer expectations. NetSuite should be aligned to support new workflows, customer engagement strategies, and performance metrics.
• Leadership changes or internal turnover: New leaders often bring new priorities or operating approaches. If tribal knowledge is lost or processes are restructured, a fresh look at NetSuite ensures the system supports those evolving goals.
• ERP becoming a “set it and forget it” tool: When systems go untouched for years, they stop delivering value. Businesses change, but workflows, reports, and dashboards often don’t. A reassessment can identify areas where NetSuite could automate manual tasks or provide clearer insights.

Here are some real-life examples:

• A Midwest-based manufacturer adds a third warehouse to support new retail contracts. They need to reconfigure inventory management and fulfillment rules across all locations.
• A professional services firm moves to subscription-based pricing. The finance team has never activated revenue recognition features in NetSuite and is tracking renewals in spreadsheets.
• A food and beverage distributor expands into e-commerce and begins receiving more direct-to-consumer orders. Their legacy pick-and-pack process creates delays and spurs customer complaints.
• A healthcare device company acquires a smaller competitor and needs to align data structures across systems. They also have to rebuild approval paths to reflect the new organizational structure.

Your company evolves. NetSuite can evolve with it. But only if you actively and regularly reassess how the platform supports your goals.

Where NetSuite often goes underused

Here are six common areas to consider upgrading:

Workflow automation: solution = SuiteFlow

If your team still routes approvals through email or manually tracks approvals in spreadsheets, SuiteFlow can bring structure to the process.

Approval workflows can be configured to follow defined rules and enforce required actions at each step, whether approvals occur directly in NetSuite or through email for users who don’t need full system access.

For example, a business can set up a purchase approval flow that flags orders over a defined collar amount. The system routes the request to the appropriate approver, holds the transaction until approval is received, and records the outcome automatically. This reduces backlogs, limits manual follow-up, and maintains a clear audit trail.

Dynamic reporting: solution = SuiteAnalytics

Static reports limit visibility and slow decision-making. SuiteAnalytics enables users to create saved searches and configure dashboards that update in real-time. A manufacturing company, for instance, can track production delays by setting up a dashboard that highlights late work orders by facility. This visibility enables operations teams to respond more quickly and resolve issues before they affect delivery schedules.

Syncing sales and marketing: solution = integrated CRM

Relying on separate tools for customer outreach and sales tracking can lead to duplicate work and missed opportunities. NetSuite’s CRM connects marketing activities with real-time financial and sales data. A SaaS provider, for example, can automate email campaigns based on billing status or product usage.

Project management: solution = advanced costing and planning tools

Many companies miss the opportunity to use NetSuite’s built-in tools for project tracking and demand planning. A consulting firm can track hours against budgets and flag projects that approach scope limits. A product-based business can forecast reorder points and align purchasing with seasonal demand. These capabilities support better control and reduce overreliance on spreadsheets.

Industry-specific customization: solution = SuiteApps

SuiteApps add targeted functionality for challenges that are specific to certain industries. Rather than relying on custom development, organizations can extend NetSuite with prebuilt applications designed to support common operational requirements. 

For example, a medical device manufacturer managing lot-controlled inventory may use a SuiteApp, such as TotalLot, a FEFO-focused lot and serial selector, to assist with selecting inventory based on expiration dates during fulfillment or internal transfers. This supports first-expired, first-out practices, reduces manual lot selection effort, and helps teams manage inventory more consistently within regulated workflows.

SuiteApps are built to operate within the NetSuite platform, allowing organizations to address industry-specific needs while keeping the core system standardized and easier to maintain over time. 

Access control: solution = role-based access and UX customization

NetSuite allows teams to configure role-specific dashboards and control access to data. Administrators can also adjust navigation menus to match the workflow of each team. A medical device supplier, for example, can give procurement staff access to vendor records and open POs, while limiting visibility into financial reports. This setup prevents users from wasting time on irrelevant data or workflows, enabling them to focus on tasks most relevant to their role.

When each team has what it needs, NetSuite becomes easier to use and more aligned with how work gets done.

How AI fits into your NetSuite setup

AI is beginning to shape how NetSuite reads information and supports everyday decisions. These tools work best when the data inside the system is current, and the integrations match how the business operates now. If NetSuite has not been reviewed in years, the AI features in newer releases may not have a solid foundation to work from. 

The Model Context Protocol shows why this matters. It’s a new standard that gives AI tools a consistent way to pull and use information from NetSuite. When records are clean and integrations are current, the AI can return clearer insights and lighten the manual work that usually sits on teams. When the environment is outdated, those benefits are harder to capture. A reassessment confirms the system is structured in a way these newer tools can rely on. 

As NetSuite moves further into AI-driven capabilities, keeping the environment current becomes part of being ready for what the platform will deliver next. 

How Sikich helps

You don’t need to start from scratch. Sikich offers Annual System Optimization services that evaluate how well your NetSuite setup supports your goals. We help you find areas for improvement, including:

• Automations that replace manual tasks and save time
• Faster, more accurate reporting options
• Configurations to support new product or service offerings
• Integration cleanup that improves performance by resolving data mismatches and broken connections between systems

Most clients see improvements within weeks. You can recover lost time and reduce overhead simply by fully using the capabilities already built into the platform.

If NetSuite feels like something your team works around instead of something that works for them, it’s time to take a closer look. You’ve invested in a powerful system. Let’s make sure it fits your business.

Schedule your NetSuite optimization.