Part I
NetSuite Basics
In this part . . .
NetSuite is the industry’s first and only online application that supports every aspect of your business, including customer relationship management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Management (ERP), accounting, e-commerce, customer support, partner/vendor portals, and much more.
In Part I we discuss high-level features and concepts about NetSuite to get you up and running quickly. Chapter 1 provides an overview of NetSuite’s fundamental record types, how they’re used in your business flows, and how to use them to monitor and analyze your business. But your business isn’t like anyone else’s exactly, so Chapter 2 explains how you can customize NetSuite to meet your company’s needs. We then take a quick tour of NetSuite so you can understand system navigation (Chapter 3) and personalize your workspace to maximize efficiency (Chapter 4). Onward and upward!
Chapter 1
Peeking Under the NetSuite Hood
In This Chapter
Understanding your most important data
Turning leads into profits
Examining NetSuite OneWorld
Why NetSuite?
The simple answer is that it’s a one-stop solution that combines most of your business needs into one application. NetSuite tracks the core operations of your business in real time. You don’t have to worry about piecing together different productivity programs for customer relationship management, accounting, e-commerce, and so on. NetSuite wraps all these functions into a single integrated application with an integrated database. It all works together right out of the box, with a customizable interface that is accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection.
NetSuite provides all the tools you need to do the following:
Market goods or services to your customers/clients
Deliver goods or services
Bill customers and get paid
Help customers or clients
Buy the goods or services you need to run your business
Account financially for all of the above
How can it do all these things? NetSuite stores information about these operations in a database that’s shared across your business. It runs in an online data center (instead of in your own data center), which is referred to as running in the cloud. This means that all users work on the latest version of software. This translates into instant, real-time access for all users, including employees, contractors, Web store shoppers, and partners.
Speaking NetSuite Lingo
This basic terminology shows up throughout the book, and knowing it beforehand can help. Basic NetSuite categories follow: Record: Entry of information related to a single business concept.
Form: Page through which you enter records and transactions. Forms contain fields and usually have tabs.
Field: Place on a record or transaction where you enter information.
Subtab: Section of a record or transaction that clusters fields by subcategory. This book uses tab versus subtab.
List: Menu of values that you can select in a field.
Script: SuiteScript JavaScript file that runs against a specific form or record type or that creates a custom portlet.
Role: Set of permissions assigned to a NetSuite user.
Center: Configuration of NetSuite created for a specific group of roles with similar tasks.
Center tab: Grouping of similar links and information. These may include Home, Reports, Documents, Activities, and Setup. You also can create custom center tabs.
Naming Your Most Important Data
NetSuite stores your data in three major categories: entities, items, and transactions.
Entity
Entity is a generic category that includes individual people or companies. Everything about a person or business can be found in a single place. A single place can be thought of like a file folder of information. In database parlance, that single place is called a record, like a row in a spreadsheet where the columns are things like name, address, and phone number.
Entities can be a lead/prospect/customer, a contact, a vendor, a partner, or an employee.
Leads, prospects, and customers
The same entity represents an individual or company from the moment they become a lead all the way through to when they pay you for goods or services.
Depending on what stage of the lifecycle it’s in, an entity may be called: A lead:...
