General Consultant Discussion

Have you all missed me? (Except @RobertWood and @JohnHoyt, of course.) Here's my irregular update on #NetSuite. 1. I haven't had to touch a server, install a service pack, or rebuild keys and sorts for nearly 8 months. (Until @MichelleBennion got me involved with an old Sage 100 client... It was too good to be true.) 2. #Scripting in Sage 100 is pretty cool. Scripting in NetSuite is awesome. 3. I haven't dealt with inventory at all since I started working for NetSuite. Not that it can't handle it, but I'm strictly working with software companies. 4. CRM and ERP are fully integrated. CRM is comparable to #SageCRM, but not as good as SalesForce. @PeterWolf (aka ""My Evil Twin"") may have different opinion. 5. Working with clients who are on the cutting edge -- my clients don't have very much of anything on-site, other than people and PCs. And dogs. It must be a Silicon Valley thing. It's not all peaches and cream -- it is software after all, and I've discovered my share of bugs and defects. The company is run by imperfect human beings (some with rather large egos, I might add), but all in all it's been a positive experience for me. I'm not selling it, and I haven't been doing anything in the way of support/troubleshooting, so I can't speak to those areas.

Welcome back to the dark side! Can you describe a little bit about your typical customer? # of users? Industry? ""Modules"" used. Also what's the ramp up time from contract signing to go live? Are these mostly brand new companies or are they switching from other software? Biggest disappointment about Netsuite? Greatest happiness?

Typical customer for me is a software company, but that's where I've been assigned in the NetSuite ecosystem. Anywhere from 5-100 users, with most falling under 20 users. Ramp time can be as little as 6 weeks (one client -- killed myself to get it done, and I won't do that again), with most between 3-6 months. Most of the companies I'm working with are switching from QB and Sage 50, with some switching off of GP, and one moving off of Lawson. Biggest disappointment: CSV import tool. VI can do more with a CSV file than NetSuite. NetSuite is just a straight import. If you want more than that, you have to write a program. Greatest happiness: It's a toss up between getting to work with some of the companies whose products I use every single day, and not having to deal with upgrades and servers.

You're not dealing with upgrades because your vendor is dealing with it. It also means you aren't able to charge for it. Once live, whats your long term recurring financial potential here?

Just to clarify - I think part of what you're referring to Aaron is the Netsuite White Label program where Netsuite essentially subcontracts you out to their existing projects. In that instanceI think Netsuite retains almost everything and you are providing the one time professional services?

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Have you run into the need for scripting/customization or custom reports? Or is everything out of the box?

@MarkChinsky -- As a reseller, Eide Bailly will get some percentage of annual renewal revenue from NetSuite sales. Not sure how much, but it seems like it was decent. As @WayneSchulz remembers, I am part of the White Label program right now, and I am working as a NetSuite employee. I have a NetSuite laptop, email, internal meetings, etc, as if I were employed by NetSuite's professional services group, so right now it's just a time and materials engagement. @BobKohlmeyer -- glad to share. @JimWoodhead -- Nearly everyone has some scripting/customization/custom report requirement. Mostly around purchasing and/or customized approvals with the NetSuite workflow engine.

I should add that I don't mind not charging for upgrades. For me (speaking personally), upgrades are low satisfaction/high risk/low reward engagements. Just me.