How to Simplify NetSuite Workflows for Your Operations Team?

NetSuite gives operations leaders an invaluable system of record and intelligence to manage complex supply chain, inventory, manufacturing and fulfillment processes. But that power can quickly overwhelm frontline users with overly complex workflows that sap productivity instead of enhancing it.

The key is not dumbing down functionality but deliberately simplifying how people interact with the system day to day. Though NetSuite offers endless configuration options, following core best practices can help you tune NetSuite workflows to be clean, intuitive and user-friendly.

In this post, we’ll explore tips on simplifying key operations workflows to ensure high employee adoption and efficiency gains.

Pare Down Navigation and Dashboards

NetSuite menus, dashboard reminders, saved searches and custom records can quickly overload users with superfluous options irrelevant to their specific role. Finance managers may rely on 30 different custom searches while order processors need just a streamlined order workflow.

• Evaluate the full spectrum of forms, records and tools each user role leverages day-to-day
• Hide or remove access to extraneous menus and screens
• Define a clear, succinct home dashboard with the key data points and quick links they need

The goal is to reveal just the right level of tools and insights tailored to an employee’s responsibilities – not the full firehose of capabilities. Crisp navigation and a focused personal homepage keep them on task.

Use One Primary Data Entry Form

Data entry forms are the worker bees of any ERP system. But easy-to-use forms with clear data flows remain surprisingly elusive in many NetSuite instances! Too often, we see configurations with fragmented workflows demanding users toggle between different forms and interface styles to enter order details.

• Identify the single, primary form where all essential order/transaction attributes must be captured for downstream processes to work properly
• Standardize interface styles and flows across transactional forms • Add subordinate inline forms/subtabs if supplemental data sets are needed
• Link to secondary interface pages rather than constantly toggling screens

The mantra is simplify, standardize and consolidate. This prevents users from getting lost toggling between disparate interfaces.

Leverage Saved Searches Over Free-Form Lookup Saved searches act like a library of predefined “queries” giving users access to authorized records matching specific criteria vs. enabling free-form record lookup.

For example, rather than granting open access to all customer records, provide a saved search showing just customers assigned to that employee. Or give order management staff a saved search limited to open sales orders rather than full order history.

Saved searches add structure, ensuring users only access relevant records while keeping sensitive data secure.

Automate with Triggered Workflows One challenge with manual business systems is employees forget to do crucial tasks on time from updating inventory to submitting approvals. NetSuite workflow automation eliminates those gaps.

Process triggers can launch cascading actions based on a record change or scheduled time. For example:

• A sales order marked closed prompts a fulfillment workflow
• Customers added as lead triggers assignment to a sales rep
• Order age triggers escalation reminder to manager

Built-in NetSuite workflows handle many common process steps while custom workflows automate nuanced business policies. Either way, leaning on automation simplifies what employees have to actively remember and do manually.

Why Choose SuiteRep for NetSuite Implementation?

The tips above are just a sampling of ways to tailor NetSuite configurations to make workflows intuitive rather than overwhelming for your team. But putting those simplification principles into practice takes knowledge and care.

SuiteRep goes beyond basic NetSuite competence to deliver solutions with operations efficiency and adoption built in from the start. Other reasons intelligent businesses choose SuiteRep include:

Guiding 600+ Successful NetSuite Deployments With hundreds of diverse NetSuite implementations under our belt, SuiteRep brings proven experience designing user-friendly workflows tailored to all types of business roles – from shop floor to back office. We understand how to translate process complexity into simplicity.

NetSuite Builders Not Just Configurators The technical knowledge to create triggered actions, custom forms, saved searches and simplified workflows in NetSuite requires certified developers and administrators. Our team receives ongoing technical training achieving the highest solution-building accreditations to deliver the ideal blend of simplicity and capability.

User Experience Obsession At each stage, we evaluate solution designs through the lens of the employee experience – not just technical requirements or isolated department needs. Our solutions promote cross-functional alignment and cooperation reflective of how people actually work. Intuitive design, proactive training and change management support drive user adoption critical to realizing NetSuite’s full benefits long term.

Ready to Simplify Workflows with NetSuite?

If overly complex business systems are starting to constrain your operations productivity and scale, NetSuite may be the answer…when implemented thoughtfully. SuiteRep can guide your transition to process simplification reaching from optimized software configurations to transformed ways of working.

Contact SuiteRep to explore crafting intuitive, adoption-friendly NetSuite workflows tailored to your unique operational landscape. Our team stands ready to simplify instead of overwhelm.