This article is relevant if you want to build custom web applications using NetSuite yet do not want to use the built-in NetSuite user interface.

Background

The NetSuite platform is quite extensible for adapting to business requirements. The NetSuite user interface is the starting place to envision how to lay out an experience. However, there are times when the NetSuite user interface is too restrictive. If we are willing to extend our thinking, we can bypass the provided NetSuite prescribed method for producing enhancements or applications and drive a complete experience.

Before you embark on such a journey, it is important to consider an approach.  Our NetSuite Systems Integration firm holds the following philosophy, which offers sound judgment for NetSuite-powered organizations:

1. Business First: we ground all client requests with business purposes. We must understand the commercial reason behind any required software capacity to help us ask the right questions, shape the approach, and determine the least investment required in time and resources.
2. Leverage Built-In Capacities: utilize everything NetSuite offers to address requirements. Assess where requirements will not be addressed to consider limitations and gaps.
3. Plan for Requirement Gaps: when NetSuite’s built-in configurable features will not address requirements, we assess what we can do.  Sometimes, a manual workaround will be sufficient. Other times, our strong technical capacity working with the platform and our pre-existing free-of-license-charge accelerator bundles will close requirement gaps. We hold that the software’s most powerful purpose is to be a malleable capacity to fit information and process modeling to enhance users’ capacity to create, hold and fulfill competitive promises.

Ultimately, we journey with our clients to conceive, design, produce and deploy custom NetSuite applications that drive our clients’ appreciation for being heard and solve challenges.

Illustration: Custom Grid-Based NetSuite Scheduling Application

With that background, we developed many custom applications for a client in the mortuary business to drive their cemetery and end-of-life services business. In 2018, I discussed a custom NetSuite application to drive graphical image maps over the cemetery park.  Nearly 5 years later, that application is still meaningful today.  Another area of their business included servicing two appointment-related offerings:

1. Planning Service: when family members pass away, remaining living members need to be in discussion with service professionals to make arrangements to conduct a family-based mortuary service.
2. Mortuary Service: the actual mortuary service demands that a service professional, and related staff, receive family members and other community members to pay their respect for the loss of the loved one.

Thus, we are presented with a classic scheduling challenge.  Our client traditionally used a spreadsheet to help them organize the schedule, the type of service, and the staff to lead the service. The cut-and-pasting of information between NetSuite and the scheduling spreadsheet was error-prone and slow. Our client wanted to preserve the spreadsheet feel for editing, updating and viewing. As we explored the range of NetSuite’s built-in platform tools, we recognized that the desired experience would not work. In collaboration with our client, we offered to unshackle ourselves with the restricted development approach and target the user experience directly.

SuiteLet Driven HTML Application

Once you free yourself from the way NetSuite wants to present information, a world opens up to craft a web application any way you would like. As such, we built a straightforward grid-based service application that allows for scheduling services, resources, and staff members. Click the images to see the experience.

In this application, we leveraged all the authentication, permission and logic-driven database structures built into NetSuite.  Functionally, we produced a new “skin” on top of NetSuite to drive the application. This application used common web-driven user interface techniques in a grid layout. Here we used selection dropdowns to help pick the service staff, room, family, and date/time. We could quickly drive a calendar-based dropdown to make it easy to see future availability slots.  Effectively, we enjoyed the freedom required to solve the challenge.

As the user modifies each grid cell, the application automatically updates the NetSuite application without needing to save the data as a separate action. Indeed, the application is simple to understand and, more importantly, to use.  Click the images to see the full experience.

Other NetSuite-Driven Custom Prolecto User Experiences

This very easy-to-understand application primarily helps existing NetSuite users consider that they have many more choices than perceived when driving an end-user experience. I have written about other places where we have built NetSuite-driven applications that break out of the built-in platform restrictions. I invite readers who would like to explore possibilities to review the following articles:

1. 2019: Simplifying NetSuite Transaction Entry Interfaces
2. 2020: See How to Craft Fast and Flexible NetSuite Bulk Record Generators
3. 2021: Watch NetSuite Drive Fast Tablet (iPad) Based Order Entry
4. 2022: Take Control: Watch How NetSuite can be Amazingly High-Performance!
5. 2022: NetSuite Customer Facing HTML Based Order Viewer Demonstration

Innovate with NetSuite Professionals

This article illustrated that it is indeed possible to tackle a NetSuite-driven application. To succeed in such an endeavor, the elements required will include creativity, NetSuite technical know-how, and project leadership to drive a satisfactory outcome. Value is produced when combining those skills offered at a competitive price and a commitment to a schedule.  As a practice committed to responsible and ethical standards of care, we work ongoing to deepen our skills, sharpen our wisdom, and listen to our clients’ concerns.

If you found this article relevant, feel free to sign up for notifications to new articles as I post them. If you are ready to unshackle yourself from a NetSuite user interface, let’s have a conversation.

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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