Are you moving from Microsoft Dynamics GP, Dynamics 365 Business Central, or any other ERP to Oracle NetSuite and need a little help with unfamiliar terms? Whether you are transitioning to NetSuite from Microsoft products or a different system, let us help you brush up on your NetSuite terminology.

In this blog, we will cover the following terms:

  • SuiteApps
  • SuiteAnalytics
  • NetSuite Analytics Warehouse
  • Forms
  • Saved search
  • Subsidiaries
  • Suitelets
  • SuiteScript
  • SuiteQL
  • Portlet
SuiteApps

“SuiteApps” is NetSuite’s app store. Within SuiteApps, you can purchase apps that expand your ability to accomplish what you want in NetSuite. Whether you need more functionalities or you are working with other SaaS products, you can find these in SuiteApps.

All apps within SuiteApps have been developed by Oracle NetSuite or their partners.

SuiteAnalytics

SuiteAnalytics is the overarching canopy that includes various capabilities and tools within NetSuite, such as Saved Search, Workbook, Reports, KPI, Dashboard, Connect, and NetSuite Analytics Warehouse.

If your company has more complex reporting needs, you can implement ODBC connectivity which allows third-party business intelligence (BI) tools to draw data from a single data repository (in this case, NetSuite) for consolidated analytics.

Basic NetSuite SuiteAnalytics is included with the NetSuite platform license. Unfortunately, it can be limited in its reporting capabilities unless you purchase its more robust reporting systems: SuiteAnalytics Connect or NetSuite Analytics Warehouse. These are available as an additional purchase.

NetSuite Analytics Warehouse

Combining a data warehouse and NetSuite in the same platform, NetSuite Analytics Warehouse (NSAW) is a cloud-based storage and analytics solution. NetSuite SuiteAnalytics provides real-time Saved Searches, Reporting, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Dashboard and Workbook features that are built into NetSuite.

Whether it is historical data from older systems, CSV files, or new data from NetSuite, Google Analytics, Shopify, Salesforce, etc., you can bring all your data together to build reports as needed on one dashboard.

NSAW is an extra tool that needs to be purchased in addition to a basic NetSuite license.

Forms

“Forms” provide an easy, streamlined, organized method of collecting and storing information in the NetSuite database. These are similar to a “customer form” in Microsoft GP and BC. You can customize these forms according to your needs by reorganizing subtabs, renaming fields, and much more to help improve your workflow. You can also set a custom form as your preferred or default form for a specific page.

“Saved Search” is a reusable search definition like “advanced find” in CRM. Once a search has been saved, designated users can access it by its title from the NetSuite Saved Search menus. You can also look up searches from the past 60 days, use advanced search filters, report, and track on saved search results.

The account administrator can give appropriate levels of access to users. If a user wants to export, email, or share results of saved searches, they will need the “publish search” permission to do so.

There are some limitations with Saved Search. If you are trying to search on objects that have more than 1,000 saved searches using a NetSuite Search activity saved search, it may appear as though there are not saved searches available in Cloud Studio.

To query your NetSuite data using the analytics data source, you can use SuiteAnalytics Workbook which offers advanced query capabilities.

Subsidiaries

“Subsidiaries” are legal entities within NetSuite. This is the same term used for companies in Microsoft GP and Business Central.

Within your organization, a subsidiary represents each individual company. These can include international or domestic companies.

You can manage data for a hierarchical structure of separate entities, or subsidiaries, through a NetSuite OneWorld account, which arranges the structure of the subsidiaries like a tree. The root of the tree is the highest-level subsidiary in your account.

Suitelet

“Suitelets” are extensions of the SuiteScript API, a server-side JavaScript code that allows developers to make custom web applications in NetSuite. Suitelets further your capabilities in NetSuite by allowing you to build customized pages, forms, and backend logic. You can design user interfaces, collect input from users, and more.

Because of all the flexibility Suitelets offer, they are important for businesses with specific needs and requirements that go beyond NetSuite’s basic offerings. These customizations integrate smoothly with NetSuite’s existing data and capabilities.

For developers and users, Suitelets offer flexibility, improve user experience, reduce manual tasks, and allow advanced data calculations and manipulations for customized reporting.

SuiteScript

NetSuite’s platform runs on “SuiteScript” which allows complete customization and automation of business processes. The scripting language requires experienced developers to build out and customize according to your needs.

If you want customizations made, you will want an experienced developer to build and customize your needs with JavaScript.

SuiteQL

“SuiteQL” is a query language that allows you to create advanced queries with your NetSuite data. It includes a list of supported SQL functions, but it will not allow unsupported SQL functions in your query. This helps prevent unauthorized access to your data.

This is currently only available to use with SuiteAnalytics Connect and the N/query module in SuiteScript.

Portlet

A NetSuite “Portlet” is a visual, built-in plug-in that allows you to add customization to your Netsuite user interface or dashboards. Portlets are used to embed widgets on the NetSuite dashboard for easy viewability of data information highlights.

For example, by adding a Popdock widget as a portlet, Popdock becomes accessible within its own center tab in your Netsuite menu or as a section on a customized dashboard.

For steps on how you can embed your Popdock widget into your NetSuite interface and dashboard, click here.

What is a custom portlet?

Sometimes the out-of-the-box functionality and standard and custom KPIs in NetSuite don’t cut it and you need more customization.

Whether you need to source external company information and feed it directly to NetSuite’s Dashboard or wish to create custom functionality that NetSuite does not offer out-of-the-box, NetSuite’s “custom portlets” can help.

The four types of custom portlet scripts include list, form, HTML, and links.

A List consists of user-defined column headers and rows such as a custom Saved Search result portlet.

Form is a basic data entry form that can be submitted to create/modify records in NetSuite.

An HTML-based portlet is the most flexible format used to display free-form HTML, such as images, Flash, and custom HTML.

The last type of custom portlet scripts is Links. It is the default portlet that consists of rows of simple formatted content, such as an RSS portlet. Any XML type of feed can be configured via the Links portlet.

Do you have questions about NetSuite and eOne tools?

As you make the transition from Microsoft to NetSuite, or you are beginning to utilize eOne Solutions tools with NetSuite, we are happy to help along the way. View our NetSuite ecosystem page here or reach out to us at sales@eonesolutions.com or 888-319-3663 ext. 1 for more personalized help answering your questions.