You're looking at a pile of invoices. Your team is frustrated. Your NetSuite system isn't working as promised, and you're wondering if this expensive software solution was the right choice.
Stop wondering. The problem isn't NetSuite—it's how your NetSuite is set up. Often, one strategic change makes all the difference.
When a growing tech company came to Stockton10, they faced similar challenges. Their invoice processing took 6 hours with no US transactions.
After implementing one critical NetSuite optimization, they handled US transactions across 10 states and still cut processing time to 4 hours—a 33% reduction.
When Good Software Performs Poorly
Even the best enterprise software can underperform when not properly configured. NetSuite is powerful, but power doesn't automatically equal performance. Understanding the warning signs is the first step toward improvement.
Common signs your NetSuite system needs optimization:
- Reports take minutes (not seconds) to generate
- Staff create workarounds rather than using the system as designed
- You've customized extensively, but performance has declined
- Invoice or order processing involves manual steps
- Integration with other platforms is glitchy or unreliable
- Your team avoids using certain NetSuite features due to complexity
- Month-end closing takes days instead of hours
- Data entry requires duplicate efforts across modules
For this tech company, the challenge was integrating a tax engine with NetSuite. Their internal implementation stalled when their specialist resigned, leaving them with misaligned tax codes and recurring tokenization errors.
Without expert help, they were stuck with a partially functioning system that couldn't support their growth plans.
Sound familiar? You're not alone. Most companies use only 50-60% of NetSuite's capabilities due to implementation and optimization challenges.
The Hidden Cost of Unoptimized NetSuite
Behind every inefficient system lies a substantial cost that extends far beyond what appears on financial statements. These hidden costs accumulate daily, affecting everything from staff morale to competitive positioning.
This company couldn't expand into US markets efficiently without solving their tax declaration and filing requirements. Their NetSuite system was holding them back—not because of NetSuite's limitations, but because of implementation gaps.
Consider what your unoptimized NetSuite system is costing you:
- Staff productivity lost to manual processes (averaging 5-10 hours per employee per week)
- Delayed financial insights affecting business decisions
- Customer satisfaction impacts from slower processing
- Growth limitations when systems can't scale
- Increased error rates from manual interventions
- Higher training costs for new employees
- Missed opportunities for process automation
- Decision-making delays due to report generation time
When quantified, these hidden costs often exceed the price of optimization services by 3-5 times within the first year alone.
The One Change That Made All The Difference: How We Cut Processing Time by 33%
Sometimes, the most powerful improvements come from a single, strategic change rather than dozens of small tweaks. This is the formula that most NetSuite accountants miss.
For this client, the transformative shift came from restructuring how their tax codes interacted with their integration layer. This one fundamental change cascaded through their entire system.
With this client, the Stockton10 team started with this key optimization and then built upon it:
- THE KEY CHANGE - Fixed the tax code foundation: The optimization specialists reorganized their tax code and tax group configuration to use a single, properly configured tax code that aligned with best practices for compliance. This one change eliminated cascading errors throughout their system.
- Created smarter financial reporting: Stockton10's consultants built custom reports to track tax liability across multiple states through a singular tax control account.
- Solved integration problems: The implementation team worked directly with third-party support teams to resolve persistent authentication and connection errors.
- Documented everything: The services team provided comprehensive guides for configuration, go-live, and troubleshooting.
- Streamlined approval workflows: Stockton10 eliminated redundant approval steps while maintaining proper controls.
- Optimized database queries: Stockton10 restructured saved searches to improve performance.
- Enhanced user interfaces: Stockton10 simplified key screens to speed up data entry.
The result? Invoice processing time cut from 6 hours to 4 hours while handling more transactions across 10 US states.
This wasn't just an incremental improvement; it was a transformation in how they used NetSuite.
Why Most NetSuite Accountants Miss This Simple Formula
Most NetSuite optimization attempts fail because they focus on the wrong things. They try to fix everything at once instead of identifying the one critical change that will trigger a cascade of improvements.
Many firms approach NetSuite optimization with a purely technical mindset. They focus on dozens of scripts and customizations without understanding your business processes or identifying the root cause.
Others prioritize out-of-the-box solutions that don't address your unique needs. Or they implement changes without proper testing, causing new problems. They miss the formula that delivers dramatic results.
The difference in the Stockton10 optimization approach:
- The Stockton10 process starts with your business processes, not the technology
- Their NetSuite experts bring financial expertise, not just technical knowledge
- The team focuses on measurable outcomes (like that 33% time reduction)
- Their specialists transfer knowledge so your team can maintain the improvements
- Stockton10 tests changes thoroughly in sandbox environments before going live
- Their approach prioritizes improvements that deliver the highest ROI
- Every project includes documentation of all changes for future reference and support
The NetSuite specialists at Stockton10 average 8+ years of experience with both accounting practices and NetSuite implementations, giving them the perspective needed to solve complex problems.
Is Your NetSuite Ready for Optimization?
Identifying optimization opportunities is the first step toward improvement. These diagnostic questions help you assess your current situation and potential for gain.
Ask yourself:
- Does your team spend more than 10% of their time on workarounds?
- Have you avoided adding new business processes because "NetSuite can't handle it"?
- Do you dread month-end or year-end closing because of system limitations?
- Are you paying for NetSuite features you don't use because they're too complicated?
- Do simple tasks take longer in NetSuite than they did in your previous system?
- Do you maintain data in spreadsheets outside of NetSuite?
- Has your company's growth outpaced your NetSuite configuration?
- Do your team members each use NetSuite differently to accomplish the same tasks?
If you answered yes to any of these, your NetSuite system has untapped potential. The good news? Most optimization projects deliver ROI within 3-6 months through time savings alone.
The Success Story: Beyond Time Savings
Real optimization delivers more than efficiency—it enables strategic growth and competitive advantage.
For this technology client, optimizing NetSuite wasn't just about processing invoices faster. It enabled:
- Expansion into 10 US states with proper tax compliance
- Handling 100-500 invoices per month efficiently
- Creating a foundation for future growth
- Empowering their team with proper documentation and training
- Reducing error rates in tax calculations and filings
- Improving cash flow through faster invoice processing
- Building confidence in financial reporting accuracy
More importantly, it turned NetSuite from a frustration into a competitive advantage. What would a 33% reduction in processing time mean for your business?
Find Your NetSuite's Critical Tipping Point
Every NetSuite implementation has that one change that can dramatically improve performance. Finding it is the key to transformation.
Taking action now can put you on the path to significantly improved performance within weeks. Here's how to uncover your formula:
- Schedule a free assessment: In 30 minutes, the Stockton10 team can identify your critical bottleneck and the one change that will make the biggest difference.
- Get your optimization formula: Their experts will outline the specific change that will drive the most significant improvement.
- See results within weeks: Most clients see dramatic improvements within the first month after implementing their key change.
Don't settle for mediocre NetSuite performance when you've invested in premium software. Let the NetSuite optimization experts at Stockton10 find your system's critical tipping point to unlock what your system can really do.
Contact Stockton10 today for your free NetSuite optimization assessment.
