This article is relevant if you need NetSuite to have specialized rules for order and item configurations.

Background

One of our clients recently launched a new product line. The product can be delivered in a branded fashion and can be configured with various options. The options demand specific relationships between various product attributes and thus certain combinations may be valid or invalid. In our client’s situation, they needed a sales and quoting tool to gather information for their prospective customers’ requirements and produce an end product that was valid and which could actually be manufactured. The quoting tool would help determine the cost of the product configuration and become a specification sheet for a purchase order to a contract manufacturer.

In general, tools that help you “configure, price and quote” (CPQ) are available for the NetSuite platform. These tools are powerful in that they allow you to define configuration relationships and rules that ultimately help you build valid combinations to drive something that can be manufactured. Third party NetSuite based tools, such as eXtend Orders, Configure One, and Verenia, are good general purpose frameworks. The challenge with these frameworks is that they take a somewhat considerable implementation effort.

In our client’s case, they wanted to get the job done quickly and they only have one new product line that needs configuration capacities. Thus, it was quicker to use the power of the NetSuite solution to get it done.

NetSuite Platform Based Order Configurator Pattern

The great news is that the NetSuite platform is a natural for producing an order configurator. The point-and-click customization features, workflows and SuiteScript provide all the power to make a NetSuite order configurator come together. Fundamentally, the order configurator pattern is as follows:

1. Item attributes: define the various item elements that represent options and relationships that are possible. Both custom fields and records can be used to model the potential connections between information elements.
2. Order Line Options: by letting go of NetSuite’s native Item sublist and in favor of creating your own item configuration sublist, you gain the freedom to drive the item build. The custom-line record can read all the relevant item attributes and with some workflow or SuiteScript logic, the record can respond and guide the user to a solution set. If done well, the application will produce good price information.
3. Order Commitment: once the order is committed, it needs to be delivered. This may mean a real NetSuite item needs to be constituted with a possible work order with specific build configuration elements. Or it may mean that a purchase order can be produced to a supplier.

Demonstration (6:37) of Custom NetSuite Order Configurator

The following video (6:37) is an illustration of how Sean, a senior consultant on our team, worked with our client to build their order configurator. My intention is to help you witness that the NetSuite platform can indeed be used to drive specific order requirements.

Get Expert NetSuite Assistance

The discussion and video demonstration illustrate the power of the outcomes of going to work to listen to business requirements and then applying NetSuite capacities in a creative manner. Perhaps you are a NetSuite power user and wish to be part of a professional team offering superior solutions to clients? Or maybe you are a business manager that seeks to work with professionals that have demonstrated meaningful NetSuite accomplishments? In any case, let’s have a conversation to explore how we can help you realize a better future.

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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