NetSuite Optimization: 6 Tips for Small & Busy Teams

Is your team struggling to keep up with NetSuite demands while juggling limited resources? 

Imagine starting your Monday with an urgent request from finance for custom reports, while your inbox fills with user complaints about slow processes, and your leadership asks why they're not seeing expected returns from their NetSuite investment.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. 

Companies typically lose up to 30% of their potential NetSuite value simply because they don't have the time, people, or budget to optimize their system properly. 

The good news? 

You don't need a massive IT department or unlimited resources to see significant improvements.

As NetSuite experts who work with businesses of all sizes, we've learned that strategic, targeted changes often deliver the biggest impact. 

The following tips come directly from our work with clients who faced the exact same constraints you're dealing with right now.
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6 Practical Ways to Optimize NetSuite with Limited Resources

These proven strategies help you get more from your NetSuite investment without requiring extensive technical knowledge or large teams.
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1. Conduct a workflow automation audit

Manual processes are often the biggest time-wasters in NetSuite. Start by tracking how much time your team spends on repetitive tasks like data entry, report generation, or approval processing.

Quick steps to identify automation opportunities:

• List all manual data entry tasks your team performs daily or weekly
• Track the average time spent on each task
• Multiply by frequency to find your biggest time drains
• Identify which tasks follow consistent, rule-based patterns (these are prime for automation)

One of our clients in precious metals trading discovered their sales team spent 5-30 minutes per customer manually converting website sign-ups into NetSuite leads. 

By automating this process with online marketing forms, they freed up their sales team to focus on relationship-building instead of data entry.

Try this today: List three manual processes your team handles regularly and estimate the time spent on each. These are your first automation candidates.
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2. Switch to role-based approvals

Is your team constantly chasing specific individuals for transaction approvals? This creates needless bottlenecks, especially when approvers are unavailable.

Benefits of role-based approvals:

• Eliminates dependency on specific individuals.
• Reduces wait times when primary approvers are unavailable.
• Simplifies coverage during vacations and sick leave.
• Reduces training issues when personnel changes occur.

A business process outsourcing client came to us with exactly this problem. By shifting from individual-specific approvals to role-based workflows, they reduced approval delays by 80%.

Implementation tip: Test this in the Release Preview environment to avoid sandbox subscription costs of $300-$1,000.
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3. Focus on essential reports and dashboards

Many NetSuite users waste hours exporting data to Excel because they don't have the right reports configured in the system.

5 Steps to streamline your reporting:

1. Identify the top 5 metrics each department checks regularly.
2. Create purpose-built dashboards for these key metrics.
3. Add scheduled delivery to stakeholders' inboxes.
4. Gradually expand based on actual usage data.
5. Remove or consolidate reports that aren't being used.

An automotive retail client eliminated nearly half of their purchasing department's daily workload by creating targeted supply planning dashboards that replaced manual Excel reports.

Start small: Create one dashboard with the top five metrics your leadership checks most frequently. Perfect this before moving on to the next one.
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4. Use available NetSuite resources

NetSuite offers several free or low-cost resources many users don't know about.

Underutilized NetSuite resources:

• Release Preview environment: Test changes without paying for a sandbox.
• SuiteAnswers: Detailed guides for most common challenges.
• User community forums: Solutions from other NetSuite users.
• Saved search library: Pre-built searches you can modify.
• Standard report templates: Customizable starting points.

When a telecommunication client needed to update their PDF templates, we used the Release Preview environment to test changes before implementing them in production, saving both time and subscription costs.
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5. Prioritize your integrations

You don't need to connect everything at once. Focus on integrations that eliminate the most manual work.

How to choose your first integration:

1. Identify systems that cause duplicate data entry.
2. Calculate time spent on manual data transfer between systems.
3. Evaluate complexity vs. return for each potential integration.
4. Start with high-return, lower-complexity options.

A client selling precious metals wanted to streamline their lead-to-order process. By focusing solely on integrating DocuSign with NetSuite, they eliminated hours of manual contract processing while improving the customer experience.

Ask yourself: Which systems cause the most duplicate data entry? Start there.
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6. Take a phased approach to improvements

Trying to fix everything at once leads to overwhelm and abandoned projects. Break your optimization into manageable phases based on immediate pain points.

Sample phased approach:

• Phase 1: Fix most painful manual processes (first 30 days).
• Phase 2: Improve reporting for key stakeholders (30-60 days).
• Phase 3: Implement critical integrations (60-90 days).
• Phase 4: Optimize approval workflows (90-120 days).

A healthcare client struggling with invoice processing decided to focus first on PDF template customization before tackling revenue recognition. This approach reduced manual invoice tasks by 70%, creating immediate relief while building momentum for the next phase.

Try this approach: Fix one problem completely before moving to the next. This creates visible wins that build support for further improvements.
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Getting Started Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

NetSuite optimization isn't about doing everything at once. It's about identifying the changes that will give your team the biggest relief with the smallest investment of time and resources.

Remember that optimization is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. 

Each small improvement builds on the last, gradually transforming your NetSuite experience without overwhelming your team.
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Industry-Specific Benefits

Different industries see unique benefits from NetSuite optimization. Here's how these strategies translate to real results in your specific sector:

• Wholesale Distribution: Optimized NetSuite workflows can drastically reduce order processing time and improve inventory accuracy, helping you deliver faster with fewer errors.
• Manufacturing: Streamlined approval processes and better reporting help production teams respond quickly to changing demands without administrative delays.
• Technology Companies: Automated lead-to-order processes help you scale operations without adding administrative overhead, keeping your focus on innovation.
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What If Your NetSuite Performance Could Double in 90 Days?

Our clients reduced manual workloads by 70% and slashed approval times by 80%. 

Want the same results? 

We'll analyze your NetSuite setup, identify your biggest opportunities, and build you a custom optimization plan in just one 30-minute session.

Unlike other consultants, Stockton10 delivers vetted NetSuite specialists within 72 hours and maintains 91% staff retention, meaning you'll never lose momentum to consultant turnover or retraining.

[Get My Free NetSuite Performance Plan]

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