The Transition From QuickBooks to NetSuite

For most businesses, resilience lies in stable cash flow and inventory management. But they can’t achieve those goals without complex accounting systems and strong financial and inventory controls. As a result, many contemplate a transition from QuickBooks to NetSuite.

This switch happens because several companies use QuickBooks to establish accounting systems but soon discover it lacks many of the functions growing businesses need. So instead, they use dangerously unreliable “spreadsheet hairballs” to support aging accounting systems. 

Unfortunately for small teams and operations, the low cost of maintaining systems like QuickBooks masks the high cost of inefficiencies. Consequently, many organizations start researching ERPs.

Since you’ve grown, your business may be limited by the manual processes, errors, and lack of real-time data that comes with adding systems and engineering quick fixes. So, at this point, business opportunities that could spur growth—like mergers, acquisitions, inter-company transactions, and international expansion—become challenges instead.

If you’ve felt these pains, you probably now face questions such as:

• How do we take advantage of technologies without overloading the business with cost?
• Can upgraded systems free up information producers to become decision advisors?
• Who can provide a platform for cost-saving that extends beyond the back office?

To overcome these challenges, use an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions and benefit from more efficient and effective business operations.

It Starts in the Cloud

Cloud-based solutions resolve many problems associated with on-premises software. For example, financial activities appear as soon as they’re triggered. And decision-makers can quickly act upon both adverse and favorable indicators from anywhere in the world. Leaders can also deliver outcomes faster, for less cost and with fewer resources. Thus, they eliminate the costly maintenance of on-premises hardware and software.

On the other hand, QuickBooks’ limitations force companies to add systems or applications. These additions might involve revenue management, fixed assets, procurement, order management, billing, inventory management, service delivery, and more. And if these systems aren’t integrated, your finance staff will have to maintain half a dozen applications. In doing so, they’ll risk entering errors while moving data between programs that each have their own configurations and end-to-end processes.

The suite approach does more with less, increasing productivity while saving money on hiring costs.

Yet, simply moving to the cloud isn’t the answer. When all financial management systems function in standalone silos, even cloud solutions can introduce inefficiencies, integration challenges, and IT and administrative overhead. So, you must integrate your cloud applications. Otherwise, you’ll still have to navigate multiple applications and data repositories while completing everyday activities. This can slow your processes and reduce the agility needed for growth.

Therefore, your accounting team could end up performing more work outside QuickBooks than within it if you move to the cloud without the right solution. You’ll just transform your spreadsheet hairball into an application hairball.

The Suite Approach

So, is your business experiencing any of these pains? Is QuickBooks limiting your growth? If your answer is “yes,” move to an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions and enjoy more efficient and effective business operations.

The integrated suite’s functionality spans an entire business, linking the back and front offices. Consequently, business processes easily flow from one application and department to another—from sales quote to purchase order and from procurement to final vendor payment. This fluidity is essential for organizational growth and lets employees react to client and company needs in real-time.

You can also position your business for efficiency, cost-effective growth, and improved competitiveness through a cloud-based suite of integrated applications. The suite approach does more with less, increasing productivity while saving money on hiring costs.

Simply put, NetSuite is a comprehensive business system that scales with your growth. So, say “goodbye” to investing capital, time, and resources in new software and integrations. Instead, choose what you need, and add functionality as you grow.

The suite also eliminates the need for piecing solutions together and makes data management much easier. The software connects all your business processes, so it’s easier to identify the factors driving profit and those that aren’t. Plus, NetSuite stores all information in a single, centralized data repository. This repository eliminates dual data entry and gives real-time reports on: 

• Revenue management
• Fixed assets
• Procurement
• Order management
• Billing
• Inventory management
• Services delivery 

These and many other benefits separate the old methods from the new ones. Yet, customers still need solid references from growing companies that have already journeyed to a single solution. In fact, an increasing number of forms have migrated from QuickBooks, spreadsheets, and others and shown demonstrable benefits as a result.

For example, Preferred Popcorn is a booming popcorn business that faced challenges from QuickBooks’ lack of CRM functionality, poor inventory tracking, and absence of customization options. In addition, the company had difficulty accessing real-time inventory data while using QuickBooks and spreadsheets.

As a result, it dealt with labor-intensive stock tracing processes and accuracy concerns. But after an acquisition and expansion into new sales channels, Preferred Popcorn switched to a comprehensive ERP platform that could truly power the business.