Audaxium Blog

If you’re an existing NetSuite user, you’ll know, because of the notification on your dashboard, that NetSuite 2009.2 is just around the corner.  If you’re new to NetSuite, 2009.2 is obviously the second release of 2009. Each year NetSuite is rolling out 2 releases, the .1 version seems to contain more major enhancement, and the .2 release some of the less sexy, but still worthwhile improvements.

To find your sneak peek documents, simply click the help button, and type Sneak Peek into the search tool.  But since it’s out there in the wild already, you can also link directly to it here.

While this version didn’t knock my socks off at first glance, there’s a few things in here that I think demonstrate how NetSuite is improving the product to better align with how businesses work, rather than rolling out flashy, but useless functionality.

Here’s a few of the things I think will make existing customers smile.

Attachment Support for Online Case Forms

Previously you could use a case form on your website that would create a case directly inside the system, but you couldn’t attach a file.  This lead some customers to create their own forms which would then send an email to NetSuite that included the attachment. NetSuite has a 5 mb file attachment limit on this method so some customers then would use a YouSendIt form as well.

Now you don’t have to worry, and can have customers attach files directly, saving a few extra steps for the support reps.

Trend Graph Support for all Dashboards

Previously you couldn’t add a “Trend Graph” to other tabs.  Now you can.  Yay!  It’ll make those other tabs that much more useful, especially when you want to keep your Home dashboard nice and light, and move certain information to the other tabs.

Additional Custom Search portlets

Today you can have one “Custom Search” on a dashboard.  Now you can have 3.  The work around was to use report snapshots but this will give end users that much more flexibility in dashboard setup.  It’s small but I love this enhancement.

CSV Import – Select Custom Form Option

“In previous releases, the user’s preferred form for an imported record was automatically used for validation and to display the set of fields available for import.”  Man was this ever annoying.  Now I’ll be able to select another form that doesn’t have restrictions when importing.  There’s nothing like importing 5000 records and then having it fail because your preferred form didn’t like what you did!

CSV Import – Purchase Order, Vendor Bill & Vendor Bill Payment Support

For those out there who didn’t want to code up complicated web services apps to import POs this could be huge.  If you’re a reseller and you’ve been hand keying in Purchase orders this will be one thing you’ll want to test ASAP.

Lead Qualification and Conversion

It’s been rather busy here at Audaxium but just as soon as were eager to look at the new Lead Qualification and conversion rules in depth.  NetSuite will now help with the capturing of critical information on the lead record, and attaching it to existing prospects, opportunities etc.  Don’t let your sales team keep processing leads the same way, check out these enhancements and see what they can do for you.

To turn on this part of this feature you’ll have to go to “Setup, Company, Enable Features”.  Then you’ll see a “Lead Conversion Mapping” setup in the sales section where you can define what information gets copied over to Contacts, Opportunities, and Tasks.

You’ll also see a “Convert” button on a lead.  If it’s an “Individual” you’ll be able to hit the convert button, and create a contact, company, opportunity, and task at the same time.  Neat.  I know a lot of companies create leads as companies only, and not individuals.  They’ll have to ponder this now.

Absolute Item Pricing per Customer

We all do it.  We tell a special customer that they can buy product X for a specific price.  But what happens when that doesn’t conform to one of your price levels?  Previously you’d have to remember every time you created a Sales Order. But now you’ll be able to set a custom price level right on the customer record.

Just make sure, when you are updating prices, that you have a search that shows you all those customers with custom price levels!

Period Close Process Enhancements

In 2009.2 you’ll be able to lock, check and update, then close periods.  And there will be a better audit trail on who has closed and opened periods.  Previously a period was either open or closed, and if an adjustment needed to be made, you couldn’t tell who opened the period. (Although you could tell who made the change to the transaction of course)

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It seems like a decent release for NetSuite.  If you’re a NetSuite user, head over to Beta and check it out. If you want to get a demo of NetSuite and it’s new functions, just let us know!