This article is relevant if you desire individuals/users to be able to import data into NetSuite without requiring access licenses or logins.
Background
There are numerous situations where business data needs to get into the NetSuite system, but it originates from parties that are not licensed. Consider a third-party logistics company that receives and ships inventory on behalf of a distribution-based organization — these parties run systems independent of NetSuite — yet they participate in the day-to-day inventory operations outside of NetSuite. Consider individuals that are responsible for a product catalog for an eCommerce-oriented business. These users are active in their eCommerce system, but they do not directly participate in the NetSuite system for order management and fulfillment.
The general business pattern is as follows:
- Non-NetSuite User: individuals who are taking care of business data meaningful for the organization but are not licensed to use NetSuite need to act.
- NetSuite Updates: information needs to get to NetSuite in a controlled manner from users that are not authorized for access.
- Data Import Monitoring: information that is being pushed into NetSuite needs to be regularly reviewed to confirm it conforms to specifications and meets the expected operational practices.
- Update Confirmations: information crafted to be pushed into NetSuite should notify respective business users of the results of their requests to close the loop between intent and actual results.
In 2022, in my article, Contrast Platform vs NetSuite Point-to-Point Integration Options, I offered considerations for methods to produce system integration. Yet, there are many times that we want to produce data integrations that are fast to stand up and low cost to adopt. It is in these situations having a scalable alternative is desired.
File-Based NetSuite Integration
The timeless approach to data integration is to use files as a manner of holding bulk data (a batch) to push into a business application. NetSuite offers a CSV data importer tool. Yet, it is a) designed for authorized users and b) reasonably flexible, yet too often rigid for complex hands-free data import requirements.
However, file-based integration is considered an elementary and acceptable approach to moving data between people and systems. Thus, it is reasonable to expect business users to have the minimal competency to work computer files in this data batch manner; said another way, the market standard for minimal competency is high enough that end-users will accept the responsibility for the production of relevant data sets. This minimal standard thus opens the possibility for non-licensed end-users to participate in NetSuite data update operations.
File Distribution Techniques
Once we have an agreement that external non-licensed users will work with files to generate data, we can now concern ourselves with data distribution. As of 2023, there are two minimum standards for which we can expect all end-users to be able to perform where training costs should be next to nothing:
- Email Attachments: we expect end-users to know how to use email and work with file attachments.
- Web Page File Uploads: we expect end-users to know how to use web pages that offer a technique to upload a local file to the website.
One might ask about sFTP file distribution. These technical techniques are not (as of yet) in the general end-user community mindset.
With an agreement that we can work with files and their distribution, we have the basis of creating an approach where we can have non-licensed NetSuite users participate in business operations. While the setup of such an operation is completely within the general capacity of the NetSuite platform, it will take some crafting with scripts to get a solution working. Hence, it is helpful to have some building blocks to produce a solution that is both scalable and rapid for delivery with minimal scripting demands.
Data Update Confirmation
Given the nature of data importing, a file with a large data set will take some time to process. As users send in data via Email or File Upload, they should be free to take care of other non-related concerns while the NetSuite system works behind the scenes updating the database. Meaning the user should not have to wait for the system to process. The data import work behind the scenes is effectively a batch-oriented job that is running within NetSuite’s processing queues. To produce a full solution, it is important to close the loop to notify non-licensed business users of the progress and final status of their file import job. Thus, with good communications about batch file import status, strong business coordination is effectively between a fundamental promise to act (file import) and satisfactory fulfillment (database is updated).
Solving the Non-NetSuite Licensed User File Distribution Update Challenge
As my firm has been a NetSuite Systems Integration since 2008, we have seen hundreds of clients in various situations need additional capabilities beyond what NetSuite offers out of the box. Accordingly, in our commitment to drive value to our client situations, we have developed a large set of business accelerators that act like templates to accelerate the production of a software-driven solution. To solve this external NetSuite end-user data update opportunity, we bring together two popular frameworks for the situation:
- Record Import Export Manager (RIEM): we have a highly scalable framework built right on top of NetSuite that is designed to help organizations produce hands-free data imports (and exports). See my 2020 article, Fully Automate Complex NetSuite Data Imports, for background. These tools currently help organizations that process well over $1B USD of annual order revenue take care of their third-party logistics inventory movements.
- Content Renderer Engine (CRE): while NetSuite offers basic Saved Search notifications with Workflow technologies to drive Advanced PDF and HTML messaging, the tools are weak when it comes to reaching complex data relationships, data summarization and aggregation requirements, and notification output of this information. See my 2020 article, Join Multiple NetSuite Saved Searches to Build a Data Universe, and my 2022 article, Get License Free Tools to Link NetSuite Saved Search / SQL to Extend Data Reach. Here, we can produce notification status reports to end-users against the data importing work under the Record Import Export Manager control.
Both of these tools fundamentally use the NetSuite platform to produce a solution. Yet, they accelerate and supercharge the manner in which an implementor will get the job done.
Use NetSuite User Access Licenses for Greatest Values
The idea is that it completely makes sense to purchase NetSuite User Access Licenses when those users can take advantage of the wide array of built-in capacities offered by the ERP application. Yet, it does not make sense to purchase licenses in highly specific and narrow use cases. Instead, the NetSuite platform was designed to help extend reach to those non-licensed users with some investment in customization and enhancement. Our license-free tools and accelerators are all built on top of the NetSuite platform and reduce the conventional investment required to address frequently encountered business patterns.
Consider the following premise: The NetSuite philosophy is to have a single system drive the entire business. Given the nature of the software industry and the evolution of the multitude of business applications, the idea of a single system to drive the entire business is only realized if there is a commitment to the single-system philosophy. My firm, Prolecto Resources, advocates the philosophy and sees the NetSuite Platform as a capacity for which ambitious organizations can realize the promise when coupled with experience and competence. We are different because we add the essential and often missing valuable ingredients to realizing the vision: competency and leadership. These license-free algorithms are an illustration of our rich experience coupled with our ability to assemble software elements together that demonstrates our leadership capacity to listen and deliver.
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 tackle your NetSuite update requirements and wish to have the updates initiated by non-NetSuite users, 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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