If you found this blog post, there is a good chance you are facing a botched NetSuite Implementation and are working as quickly as possible to fix the situation. If that's the case skip the reading and contact our team right away, because time is precious in these situations. We have successfully stepped in and rescued NetSuite Implementations gone wrong, getting those businesses back on track and as close to their original timeframe and budget goals as possible. If somebody botched your business' NetSuite Implementation, we can rescue your project too! We have a quick response time on our contact form (linked above) but you don'thave to wait to hear back from our team. For immediate assistance you can call and speak directly with Caleb, one of our consultants, at (608) 575-9053.
Now, the rest of you are probably here because you're looking into NetSuite ERP, and you want to make sure all of your bases are covered before making such a big strategic decision for your business. Since you are not currently in the middle of a NetSuite Implementation crisis, we can take a little more time to go over the main problems that companies can face during a NetSuite Impelmentation.
1. Choosing the wrong NetSuite Partner
One of the biggest NetSuite implementation problems that companies encounter is choosing the wrong NetSuite Partner. There are many reasons why a NetSuite Partner might be the wrong one. Maybe they aren't as skilled or knowledgable as they said they were with regards to certain aspects of NetSuite. Maybe they are perfectly knowledgeable and skilled, but they are difficult to work with and they don't put you, the customer, first. Fortunately, choosing the wrong NetSuite Partner is avoidable.
How to avoid choosing the wrong NetSuite Partner
The best thing you can do to avoid this problem is to do your research on a NetSuite Partner. Spend some time on their website, then give them a call to get to know them better. Although the following list is not exhaustive, if you can answer "yes" to the following questions about a NetSuite Partner, you're in good hands!
- Do they truly put you, their customer, first?
- Do they have NetSuite add on module experience?
- Do they have the 6 major NetSuite certifications?
- Do they have in-house developers?
- Do they have senior functional consultants?
- Do they have the heart of a teacher?
- Do they provide high-quality and budget-friendly NetSuite Implementation?
What to do if you already chose the wrong NetSuite Partner
It happens. Everything is going to be okay. The best advice we can give you here is to switch NetSuite Partners. That might sound drastic if you are still in the middle of the implementation, but, if you know it's going to be a disaster, you might as well find a solution as quickly as possible. If you have a botched NetSuite implementation that needs fixing, our team of NetSuite consultants and developers can assess the damage, make repairs, and build the high-quality NetSuite experience that your company deserves.
2. Forgetting to clean up disorganized data
The second biggest problem that you might face is a data nightmare. NetSuite is a powerful ERP solution that can be tailored to fit your company's unique business needs. However, with great power comes great responsibility... in this case, it's the responsibility to clean up your company data, and to keep it clean. If you are working to implement NetSuite you likely outgrew or were dissatisfied with your previous ERP system. Regardless of your reason for switching to NetSuite, there is a good chance that data is disorganized somewhere. Unfortunately, you might not realize that your data is disorganized until you are in the middle of an implementation.
How to avoid disorganized data
The first thing you can do to prevent this situation is to switch to NetSuite when you realize that you will soon outgrow your current ERP program(s), rather than waiting until after you outgrow the system. While you might think that your current system will last you a few more years if you just purchase one more management tool, waiting until the last minute to switch can lead to messier data spread across multiple programs. While this data can be mapped and imported to NetSuite during implementation, the whole process is smoother if data is well organized in the first place.
The second thing you can do to avoid disorganized data is to check in with each department and inquire about their data management in the time leading up to your NetSuite implementation. Each department should spend time finding and resolving any missing or unsorted data. Not only does this make the implementation process go smoothly, but it can help each department learn what features they want available to them within NetSuite, and it can even increase employee buy-in once you go-live.
What to do if you didn't catch the disorganized data
Once again, it happens. Everything is going to be okay. Fortunately, NetSuite has safeguards against some of the consequences of messy data, so you don't have to lose sleep over things like sending a marketing email out in duplicate. If your data is messy when it is imported into NetSuite, you will just have to clean it within NetSuite rather than in your previous programs. We recommend cleaning the data beforehand because employees will find it easier to clean data in a program they know, rather than trying to clean data and learn a new program at the same time. As we said before, clean data also helps the data import part of the implementation process go smoothly.
Interested in learning how to keep your data clean once you have switched to NetSuite? Check out this NetSuite data integrity video!
Next Steps
Now that you know what NetSuite implementation problems to watch out for, you are ready to avoid them in the future or to repair any damage that is already done. If you have any questions about NetSuite implementation problems that you are currently facing, we would love to answer them!
Published June 9, 2021
Hopefully, this post gives you something to work with while trying to understand NetSuite and what it can do for your business. If you have any questions and want some free consulting advice, feel free to contact our team at Anchor Group.