Advanced AP for NetSuite lets you set up one-stage, two-stage, and three-stages for vendor onboarding! This article will cover what this staged onboarding looks like and how to set it up.
Serial vs. Parallel Staged Onboarding
When setting up a staged onboarding process within Advanced AP for NetSuite, you can choose that one particular stage is only initiated after all previous stages have been completed (serial), or you can provide all the questionnaires to the vendor at once and let the vendor answer questions for all of these stages (parallel). Still, they require separate, separate approval and separate onboarding.
Setting Up Staged Onboarding
Navigate to Vendor-Management > Configurations > Sub-Segment Questionnaires.
This will open up a page where you can configure the staged onboarding process for different sub-segments.
From this window, you will choose the Number of Stages you want in the onboarding process for each sub-segment. You can set this to 1, 2, or 3 stages.
Next, you will select a Trigger Type, either auto or manual. If you choose Auto, all the questionnaires get sent out based on the approval order. If you select Manual, your team must manually send the subsequent questionnaires.
Another setting to establish on this page is the Approval Order. If it's parallel, every stage of the onboarding process gets sent out together; if the approval order is serial, the process will require approval on the previous stage before the following stage can be sent out.
Configuring Questionnaires
You can also set up and configure each stage's questionnaire and approval settings.
First, select which Questionnaire should be sent out at each stage of the onboarding process. If you have not created your vendor onboarding questionnaires yet, you will need to do that first.
Need help setting up a questionnaire in Advanced AP for NetSuite? The process is the same as in Advanced Entity Portals. Check out our article on Creating Vendor Onboarding Questionnaires in Advanced Entity Portals to learn how to build questionnaires for Advanced AP!
Next, you can default the Relationship Manager from the vendor account.
Next, you can select the Employees or Roles to which each questionnaire gets sent.
Once you set up all of this, click Submit, and Advanced AP for NetSuite triggers a workflow according to these rules.
A Flexible Solution
Staged onboarding in Advanced AP for NetSuite can be fully customized based on your business needs!
You also don't need to set up staged onboarding for the vendor onboarding process in Advanced AP for NetSuite. Staged onboarding is a more sophisticated way of onboarding a vendor that can fit certain use cases well. At the same time, it may add unnecessary complexity for certain companies that don't need this staged onboarding functionality.
You can choose to implement a single staged onboarding if you prefer. Check out our article Intro to Advanced AP for NetSuite to learn more about onboarding vendors with this solution!
Don't have Advanced AP for NetSuite?
The functionality outlined in this article is made available through the Advanced AP solution for NetSuite. Interested in learning more about the solution, including OCR functionality for vendor bill creation? Check it out!
About Advanced AP for NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite Alliance Partner
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 about this solution or NetSuite in general, feel free to contact our team at Anchor Group! As a Certified Oracle NetSuite Alliance Partner, we're equipped and ready to help with any NetSuite Project or Question you might have!
