This article is relevant if you are contemplating options to integrate the Magento eCommerce platform to NetSuite.

Background

At the time of this writing, Magento eCommerce is arguably the most popular open source online store platform.  For companies considering NetSuite and Magento, I have written about platform differences and considerations.

1. How to Solve the Magento versus NetSuite Puzzle
2. Solving B2B and B2C Sales on Magento versus NetSuite

NetSuite’s new SuiteCommerce Ecommerce platform represents a breakthrough relative to the NetSuite Site Builder (legacy) offering.  However, the new platform is not, as of yet, widely available to systems integration partners, like Prolecto Resources, for implementation.    In due course, this will change. We have a client going through an implementation and we are gearing up for understanding how to enhance and optimize in the environment.

Answer Questions to Make Good Decisions

In the meantime, many customers have elected to go with Magento to take care of their electronic retail concerns.  Once you embark on that journey, your experience will be shaped by the choices you make in how you get the systems to talk to each other.  We have helped clients work with third party and custom tools between these environments.  This article will help you think through some of the questions to consider when evaluating your options:

1. Data Scope: Determine what specific elements are integrated between the environments.  Consider products (items), pricing, discount codes, campaign codes, customers, orders and payment information.
2. Customer Center: Are you going to use the Magento customer center or NetSuite’s?  Determine if order status information, returns and credits are integrated.  If you use NetSuite’s customer center, is there a Single Sign On option?  We have helped clients use NetSuite’s customer center to avoid integration work post order capture.
3. Item Types: NetSuite’s item type structure is different from Magento’s.  Determine the differences and consider where there may be issues with Matrix Items, Kits, Item Groups, Assemblies and Non-Inventory methods.  Determine considerations for gift certificates and other non-physical items.
4. Other Order Information: Understand how to synchronize tax calculations, shipping methods, handling options, and other order header elements.  If you use NetSuite’s OneWorld,  can you map different web sites to different subsidiaries?  What do you do with order and customer information if there are multiple web properties all mapping to a single subsidiary?
5.  Latency: determine the amount of time that may pass between synchronizing data between environments.  Learn if there are differences between data element classes and synchronization schedules.   What control do you have over frequency and the timing of data synchronization?
6. Customizations: Understand the capacity to enhance your data structures within Magento or NetSuite and what it takes to synchronize those elements.
7. Business Rules: Learn what options you have to refine your business rules for synchronization and update.  For example, if orders meet a certain criteria, can they be imported in an approved state?
8. Control Structures: How do you know that all your orders came over?  How do you know if the order amount on Magento is the order amount when it gets to NetSuite?
9. Exception Management: What happens when something goes wrong?   How do you learn about issues and what do you need to do to resolve them?
10. Product Support:  What does product support look like?  If you need help, what kind of response can you expect to get?
11. Product Roadmap:  Where is the organization going with this service?  What are the features that are expected to come out?  How do you influence the product’s development?
12. NetSuite Upgrades:  How is the product tested relative to NetSuite rollouts?  What is required of you during the upgrade period?
13. Vendor Reliability:  How long has the vendor been around offering this service?  How many implementations are active?
14. Other Requirements: Does the integration require purchase of additional modules or services activated?  Do you need to have special skills in house?
15. Financial: What is the upfront, one-time, investment required?  What are the ongoing costs?

Integration Options

There are a number of tool providers that you can call on.  While we have our favorites, it may depend on your specific requirements and there are merits to each solution.  In addition, each provider is evolving their capacities at different rates.

1. Do it Yourself: If budget is real tight, you can export and import data between systems and build scripts to help the situation.
2. Liaison: General purpose integration platform.
3. Celigo: Magento Connector point to point.
4. FarApp: Magneto Integration Service.
5. True Cloud Solutions: TCS  Magento Connector for NetSuite point to point.
6. Oz Link: Magento Integration Service.
7. Mulesoft: CloudHub general purpose integration platform.
8. Jitterbit: General purpose integration platform.

Get Help

You can shape the way your integration comes together.  Develop a vision for how you want the architecture to work.   Consider that there may be other services in the mix, such as Amazon, which must be evaluated to keep matters simple and low cost. If you need help evaluating your options and suggestions on the best approach to your specific situation, contact us.

Marty Zigman

Holding all three official certifications, Marty is regarded as the top NetSuite expert and leads a team of senior professionals at Prolecto Resources, Inc. He is a former Deloitte & Touche CPA and has held CTO roles. For over 30 years, Marty has produced leadership in ERP, CRM and eCommerce business systems. Contact Marty to set up a conversation.

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