Implementing an ERP like NetSuite brings promise of immense gains – from visibility to efficiency and everything between. But technology proves only as powerful as an organization’s ability to use it well. This makes user adoption key for unlocking that transformational value.
Yet most NetSuite customers get minimal formal training, instead relying on exploring live or through stale online documentation. Employees desperately need more substantial knowledge transfer equipping them to leverage NetSuite’s capabilities confidently from day one.
Walk through the ideal learning path we wish every NetSuite user got onboarded with upfront to optimize their proficiency. While targeted role-based training comes later, foundational insights empower anyone to better leverage the platform.
Get Your Bearings on Key Terminology
Like most sophisticated platforms, NetSuite employs extensive specialized vocabulary spanning features and functionalities. Getting familiar with these fundamental terms goes a long way toward grasping concepts during training while navigating the system daily.
Keep a running glossary covering essential lingo like:
- Roles – Predefined security profiles defining what a user sees and can access
- Centers – Modular sections grouping related tasks
- Records – Main database building blocks storing transactional and master data
- Workflows – Automation rules triggering actions on records
- Saved Searches – Reusable filters recalling custom data sets
- Dashboards – Homepages with graphical summaries of key metrics
- Sandboxes – Parallel non-production environments for testing
These constitute just a small sample of pivotal terminology permeating any NetSuite training. Compile a comprehensive reference guide for company-specific applications.
Understand the Main Modules & Their Connections
While 30,000 foot views have value, the most tactical training dives deep into core modules and workflow interconnections.
Review how critical business processes traverse the system starting with foundational transaction entry areas:
- Customer Relationship Management governs sales interactions from leads to opportunities to customer creation
- Commerce manages ecommerce sites, orders and fulfillment
- Financials enable invoicing, revenue recognition, accounting, and reporting
- Inventory encompasses goods receipt, warehousing and item control
- Purchasing handles supplier contracts, buying and payables
- Projects facilitates services delivery and billing
Map out upstream and downstream data flows linking these modules. For example, review how data from CRM feeds into order creation which finances, fulfills from inventory and pays suppliers accordingly.
Identify Your Most Impactful Features
Simply grasping terminology and modules provides incomplete context for maximizing productivity. Prioritize training on functionality delivering the highest magnitude user and business value.
For an average customer, some of these pivotal features include:
- Saved Searches – Extract any dataset for analysis without IT
- Custom Forms – Tailor screen layouts for each user’s workflow
- Workflows – Build business logic automating processes
- Schedulers – Set timed actions like data exports, billing, reminders etc
- Sandboxes – Create parallel testing environments with copied data
- Dashboard Content – Personalize metric charts and reports for any role
- Advanced PDF/Excel – Custom format templates exporting system data
Structure training specifically around innovating on 2-3 mature capabilities versus broadly surveying dozens of features. Apply the “learn a little, then build something” approach focusing time solely on breakthrough workflows.
Install the Mindset for Continuous Learning
Perhaps most critically, effective training must instill a mentality and method for ongoing education versus just arming with initial knowledge.
Establish these habits early in all users:
- Maintain a working list of questions, issues and enhancement ideas
- Allocate recurring self-training hours for sandbox tinkering
- Build step-by-step instructions for innovated use cases to share
- Identify subject matter experts to “apprentice” more advanced skills
- Tap user groups and online idea exchange forums
Cultivating these learning disciplines pays dividends enabling teams to not just operate, but to continually discover breakthrough value.
Why Choose SuiteRep for NetSuite Training?
With over 50 years combined NetSuite tenure, SuiteRep offers both breadth across platform functionalities and depth in specialized solution spaces tailored to your technical and industry needs.
From basic to advanced, SuiteRep’s training helps administrators to end users master both foundational and innovative uses of the tool driving maximum productivity.
Key training advantages include:
- Blended multi-modal delivery via videos, job aids, webinars and in-person
- Targeted “Ask the Experts” clinics answering live questions
- Hands-on sandboxes to practice concepts learned
- Contextual guides mapping platform capabilities to business processes
- Proprietary accelerator courseware shortening time-to-competency
NetSuite entrusts SuiteRep to train hundreds of their own NetSuite implementations yearly due to proven customer adoption outcomes. Contact our team today for a free personalized assessment.
