Chapter 1, The Value Proposition – Doing More with Less, discusses the ERP Value Proposition and how NetSuite enhances the value from efficiency to automation to illustrate its strengths and how the administrator can maximize those strengths. NetSuite has solved a lot of the business challenges that companies have encountered and are yet to encounter, so there is no need to waste time and money to solve problems that have already been solved.
Chapter 2, Exploring NetSuite Tools, gives you because there is no need to reinvent the wheel. We shift to exploring the tools NetSuite gives you, breaking down the features that support the business, the administrator, and the user. This gives you a list of specific tools that you can use right away to make your job easier and effectively support your users.
Chapter 3, OneWorld, simplifies OneWorld by showing how it differs from the core NetSuite, thereby streamlining its implementation as some readers will be using NetSuite's flagship OneWorld product.
Chapter 4, Implementing, demonstrates NetSuite's core processes for an administrator to understand NetSuite core processes in order to support the users effectively. It will simultaneously demonstrate the tools that can be used to tweak a process.
Chapter 5, Security and Permissions, explores NetSuite's security options from providing access to the system and enhancing security using roles and permissions. We will also cover how NetSuite provides access to data and forms using roles and how to customize the existing role templates with specific recommendations of permissions to add and remove (such as the ability to export data).
Chapter 6, Customization, focuses on building fields to classify customers and vendors or specific details on invoices and Purchase Orders, whether it applies to the whole transaction or specific products purchased in the transaction. It also covers differentiating between one-to-one fields and one-to-many fields and its application in building forms that can be filled out by outsiders, such as a customer satisfaction survey.
Chapter 7, Imports, includes topics such as importing new leads and updating data, such as price increases. We will look at how to cleanse the source data, build an import template, and test the import. We also look at refining an existing template and troubleshoot error messages encountered in the test.
Chapter 8, Analytics – Searches, Reports, and the Dashboard, is devoted to Searches, Reports, and Dashboards, because analytics may be the most important task that an Administrator does. We look at best practices when using the build in the features of the dashboard and show specific dashboard tools to be used and the positive impact they can have on efficiency. NetSuite has two different reporting tools, namely Reports and Saved Searches. This can be extremely confusing for Administrators and users alike. We tackle that question head on, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
We look at building commonly used searches and reports demonstrating the filtering and formatting options available. After a lengthy discussion on using the filtering and formatting tools available in Reports and Saved Searches, we show how you can leverage that information by placing it on the dashboard.
Chapter 9, Workflows, provides an introduction to the Workflow Manager. What do you do when the built-in functions are not sufficient to automate a particular process? NetSuite includes a tool that can be used to achieve automation without the need for any coding. The Workflow Manager is a point-and-click tool that can be used to enter data and communicate with users performing actions, such as sending emails.
Chapter 10, Integration, outlines a framework that can be used to help make the decision on whether to use the legacy system for a module or to migrate it to NetSuite. An Administrator is often called upon to provide strategic direction on how NetSuite can automate the entire business.
Chapter 11, New Releases, explains the NetSuite release process and how to prepare for new releases as well as ensures that you have access to all the features that you paid for.
Chapter 12, Troubleshooting Tips, lists the steps to use when troubleshooting and steps to take to maintain the accuracy of the data as well as what to do when things go wrong, where to go to find answers, and a philosophy to use to find answers to these questions.
Chapter 13, An Ongoing Maintenance Checklist, summarizes the steps needed to be taken monthly to administer a NetSuite database.
There are many demands placed on a NetSuite Administrator, who is expected to be a product expert who can advise the management on the strategic uses of NetSuite as well as support users by training them on the tips and tricks they can use to work more effectively. Furthermore, the administrator is expected to tweak processes, automate actions, import and manipulate data, and ensure that the system is secure so that unauthorized users do not get access to sensitive data. Also, if that's not enough, the Administrator is also expected to fix anything that goes wrong in the system. That is no mean feat; however, I've designed the content in an attempt to transform a new NetSuite Administrator into someone who can tackle those tasks after reading this book.
Most of all, I want you to be excited about the challenge of administering NetSuite by seeing how you can have a huge impact on your company by leveraging NetSuite to its fullest. Armed with the knowledge in this book, you can really make a difference.
