This article is relevant if you are seeking to take NetSuite’s ERP Consultant Certification Exam.

Background

NetSuite developed an ERP certification program in October 2013.  I see this program as an illustration of maturity within the space.  NetSuite is recognized as a serious ERP system and much of its growth has been because there are many successful implementations.  Customers can work with different professionals for their implementation.  It’s helpful to have certification programs to make market distinctions between individuals with competency and knowledge.

I decided to take the exam before suggesting that my team members take the test.  This would allow me to check the standards and assess what would be required for successful completion for each member of my staff.

Exam Logistics

I had some missteps when I took the exam.  I first planned to take the exam in late December 2013 during the slow holiday season.  I didn’t realize that I would need an external camera to take the online proctored exam.  My laptop had an internal camera which allowed me to produce a “biometric”.  A biometric is effectively a snapshot of your face as well as some typing patterns to make sure the exam administrators know who you are.  Since I was able to produce the biometric with my laptop computer, I incorrectly assumed I could take the test with the same computer.  I was incorrect.  At the time to take the scheduled exam, I was not allowed.

Joanne Coleman leads NetSuite’s training programs.  She was kind enough to give me a voucher to take the exam over at a later date.  Sure enough, as it is demanding to run a NetSuite Systems Integration practice, my voucher expired and I needed to request another.  Joanne was kind enough to extend another but I was pretty embarrassed — I consider myself organized and  I do not want to over extend any favors she has offered.

The certification requires passing two exams:

1. SuiteFoundation Exam: the basics of the application.
2. NetSuite ERP Consultant Exam: the experienced based questionnaire.

NetSuite ERP Consultant Exam Impressions

The exam is scheduled for two hours. I finished the exam in about 90 minutes.  I found the exam to be demanding in the sense that the questions were a bit tricky and they pushed my understanding of how NetSuite works.  Since I rarely do exams with the last one being the 19 hour Certified Public Accounting exam, it brought back some old memories. In some respects, I felt humbled.  Having worked with the application now since 2008, the questions revealed areas where I would like to sharpen my knowledge.  Without revealing anything specific about the exam, I recommend you be comfortable with the following topics:

1. One World Subsidiary, Consolidations, and Currency concepts
2. Item Management and Inventory Fulfillment practices
3. Suiteflow capacities
4. Application Setup Options
5. Advanced Reporting
6. Data Management

Updates Post Passing Exam

I just finished taking the SuiteFoundation exam. Indeed, it followed a similar format and had some tricky elements. It was less demanding as I suspected — yet don’t let that tranquilize you into preparing for the exam. I assess that the SuiteFoundation exam is good in the sense that it touches NetSuite fundamentals. I believe my strategy was a good one: take the more demanding ERP Consultant Exam first and return to the SuiteFoundations exam thereafter.

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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