How to achieve long-term success with NetSuite Cloud ERP

Go - live is just the beginning

Introduction

You’ve successfully implemented NetSuite Cloud ERP—congratulations! But what happens next? The true value of NetSuite unfolds over time, as you refine your processes, align your finance system with other systems and adapt your overall tech stack to simplify organisational change.

The world is dynamic, and your cloud software should accommodate change easily. Continuously improving and leveraging NetSuite’s full potential allows you to maximise efficiency, empower your team, and unlock new growth opportunities.

Empower your team to self-serve and reduce reliance on IT

A successful NetSuite implementation doesn’t mean much if your team isn’t confident in using the system. Many businesses find themselves relying too heavily on IT or external consultants to perform simple tasks within NetSuite.

The key to long-term success lies in empowering your team to self-serve and take full advantage of the system. But that is easier said than done.

How can you pragmatically build your internal capacity to self serve?

Invest in a finance lead, system accountant approach to ERP implementation and support. In our blog The Right Accounting Software? They All Work we consider the differences between a systems accountant and a standard accountant. Any external consultancy work should have a system accountant led approach that goes beyond IT help desk style implementation and support.
Ongoing learning academy. A modern cloud based system should have academy style support available for upskilling as far as a client wants to go. Whilst you would naturally expect a modern system to be user friendly, there will always be higher levels of knowledge attainable with any system. That knowledge base should be available.
Included AI Expert. Ideally, your finance system will come with an included ‘AI finance system expert’ that will answer natural language questions. The old fashioned manual based approach is being phased out over time, as AI becomes more and more powerful.
Encourage User Adoption: in any implementation or support contract, get comfortable with the actual named individuals that will be dealing with your finance team. User Adoption is a personal, contact activity, not a production line. A strong implementation partner will have a culture of user adoption. This can be credentialled by finding organisations with embedded HR certifications (eg Chartered Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) in the same way that accountants are chartered.

Empowering your workforce with internal capacity building not only improves efficiency but also ensures that your organisation fully capitalises on NetSuite’s capabilities, cost effectively.

Leverage NetSuite’s full potential by integrating additional systems

NetSuite is a powerful ERP, but its real potential is unlocked when integrated with other essential business tools. By connecting NetSuite with your CRM, eCommerce, or marketing automation platforms, you can create a seamless, end-to-end business management solution.

Connect your CRM: integrating NetSuite with platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot enables a 360-degree view of customer data, improving sales forecasting and customer relationship management.
Enhance Financial Reporting with BI tools: ising analytics and business intelligence tools such as Tableau or Power BI can provide deeper insights into financial performance.
Streamline supply chain management: integration with third-party logistics (3PL) providers ensures real-time visibility into inventory and order fulfillment processes.

The more you integrate and customize NetSuite to fit your specific needs, the more value you will derive from the system.

Avoiding common pitfalls: keeping NetSuite a strategic asset

While NetSuite offers a wide array of functionalities, many organisations fail to optimize their usage over time. Common pitfalls include:

Letting the system become static: without continuous updates and refinements, NetSuite can become outdated, limiting efficiency and effectiveness.
Ignoring new features and upgrades: NetSuite regularly releases updates with new features and enhancements—staying informed and implementing these changes can improve your system’s performance.
Lack of executive Buy-In: ensuring leadership remains engaged with NetSuite helps maintain alignment between business goals and system capabilities.

By actively managing and evolving your NetSuite implementation, you ensure that it remains a valuable asset that drives business growth.

Conclusion:continuous improvement is key

Your NetSuite journey doesn’t end at go-live—it’s an ongoing process of optimisation, learning, and adaptation. Maximising efficiency by empowering your team, and leveraging integrations, allows you to transform NetSuite from just another system into a powerful tool for sustainable growth.

At Cloud Doing Good, we specialize in helping businesses unlock the full potential of NetSuite. Want to learn more? Quick introductory consultation call with us.