SuiteScript and Workflows: How These Managed Services Keep Your NetSuite ERP Relevant
Business needs change over time. With the right Managed Services, your NetSuite ERP system can keep up.
Most enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems need adjustments after go-live. Some users plan those changes from the beginning, choosing to implement a basic system and customize it over time. Others may discover new needs as their companies evolve. Either way, most ERP software will probably require modifications those businesses can’t make with internal resources.
Your business will suffer significantly if you’re forced to operate with a system that doesn't perform as needed, and we don’t want that to happen. That’s why SuiteDynamics offers SuiteScript and Workflow services that expand upon a NetSuite ERP platform’s native functions. You can request them during the implementation phase or after go-live with a Managed Service Plan.
Our company works with NetSuite to customize and implement NetSuite ERP systems. As an Alliance Partner, we know the software down to its code and can mold it to fit your most unique processes.
Schedule a consultation with our team to learn more about how our experts can make NetSuite work for you.
Key Takeaways
- SuiteScript is a JavaScript-based programming tool in NetSuite that allows developers to create automated processes. Workflows are low-code tools meant for non-technical users who want to automate tasks.
- Both SuiteScript and workflows require specialized knowledge and have a significant learning curve. Most companies lack the necessary in-house expertise and rely on external help for proper customization.
- Even after going live, companies often need SuiteScript and Workflow services to meet evolving business needs or enhance the NetSuite platform over time.
- SuiteDynamics follows a clear process—consultation, solution design, coding, approval, and implementation—to deliver tailored SuiteScript and Workflow solutions.
What Are SuiteScripts and Workflows?
Essentially, SuiteScripts and workflows expand NetSuite’s native functions, but they do so with varying degrees of user interaction.
SuiteScript is a NetSuite programming language written in JavaScript. Developers can use it to write scripts that trigger different automations. For example, a SuiteDynamics client may want their NetSuite platform to place holds on delinquent customer accounts automatically. In this case, SuiteDynamics developers will write a piece of SuiteScript code to accomplish the task.
Several different types of SuiteScripts exist, including the following.
- Client Script—Runs on the client’s web browser and is triggered by the client’s actions. For instance, the script will send an alert if the user forgets to complete a form.
- Scheduled Script – Operates at a specific time or reoccurring basis.
- Map/Reduce Script – Handles large workloads at once.
- User Event Script – Runs on the NetSuite server and is triggered when users perform actions on records, such as creating, deleting, and loading.
- Suitelet – Allows you to customize the look and feel of data and decide how users can interact with it.
- Restlet – Acts as an entry point into the NetSuite system. You use it to call up information in NetSuite when using an integrated third-party application.
Workflows, however, are far less technical. They’re tools built into NetSuite that allow users to invoke some automations in a low-code framework.
“The big difference is largely the technical aspects, coding versus non-coding,” SuiteDynamics CEO Jake Kleiner explains. “You can invoke SuiteScript within workflows to leverage both, but it's not required.”
SuiteDynamics experts can explain more about the differences between SuiteScript and workflows during your free consultation. Schedule today, and we’ll help you experience a NetSuite ERP system that meets your company’s every need.
Why Do Companies Need Expert Help with SuiteScript and Workflows?
Kleiner explains that each tool requires special training, and most businesses lack the right tech experts to write scripts or train coworkers to use workflows. Or, if they do employ experts, those staff members are usually juggling too many tasks to handle the extra customization.
“So, let's say I've done web development, I know how to write JavaScript,” he says. “It still can be a challenge to use that type of framework within NetSuite, know intuitively what those records would be called or labeled, and invoke those types of functions. That's usually why people need help. On the workflow side, I would say similar reasons. It's more of a learning curve.”
Why Might a Company Still Need SuiteScript and Workflow Services After Go-Live?
Implementation partners complete most of an ERP system’s configuration and customization on the road to go-live, so you might wonder why SuiteDynamics offers it as a managed service.
Clients often alter their platforms long after launching the software. They frequently go live with a minimum viable product and modify that system in phases, either for time or budget reasons. Or their needs simply change.
“Oftentimes, there just are new needs that are either exposed, learned, or come up throughout the course of operating a business that people learn over time—areas that they could improve that they might not have even thought of during their initial implementation,” Kleiner says.
The SuiteDynamics team can explain phased implementation during your free consultation, offering a better idea of how the implementation and/or managed services fit into your budget.
How Is This Service Different from Solution Design?
SuiteScript and Workflow services share a few similarities with our Solution Design work—namely that they alter a NetSuite ERP’s native functions. However, these services tackle different aspects of the customization process.
Solution Design refers to the visualization and—well—design of a NetSuite ERP solution. SuiteScript and Workflow services cover the technical work necessary to make that customization happen.
What’s the SuiteDynamics Process for Offering This Service?
The service, more or less, follows the same trajectory as other SuiteDynamics offerings.
- Once you request a SuiteScript and Workflow project, we schedule a meeting with one of our principal consultants along with a technical lead if the project requires significant coding.
- Our team works with your company to determine the issues to be addressed, the solution parameters, and the project’s timeline.
- SuiteDynamics gets to work, creating the scripts and workflows you need to operate efficiently.
- We send the completed project to your company for approval.
- You can either approve the solution for immediate launch or request changes.
- Our team moves the approved solution to your production environment.
Of course, it all starts with a scheduled consultation. Contact our team today to learn more about your customization options and to begin fine-tuning your NetSuite ERP system. With our help, this platform will become the digital engine driving your company’s success.
Get the Results You Want from NetSuite
As you know, a NetSuite ERP system isn’t software you can install and forget about. It often requires multiple implementation phases and adjustments to maintain a healthy ROI as your business grows.
If you don’t update your ERP platform, the system could fall out of step with your organization, slowing operations and wasting resources. Fortunately, Kleiner says, even subtle changes using SuiteScript and Workflow services can boost the software’s efficiency when a knowledgeable NetSuite partner makes them.
“It's worthwhile to become familiar with these types of solutions and also interact with a trusted consultant or a trusted partner who can really lead and guide some of that process,” he explains. “In many cases, this service might alleviate a lot of pain for end users at scale with a relatively small investment.”
We want your company to feel comfortable with NetSuite. SuiteDynamics Managed Service Plans exist to help companies just like yours tailor their NetSuite ERP systems to cover every need. Schedule a consultation with our team to discuss what custom solutions will help your business experience next-level efficiency and productivity.
We pull information from NetSuite material, SuiteDynamics experts, and other reliable sources to compose our blog posts and educational pieces. We ensure they are as accurate as possible at the time of writing. However, software evolves quickly, and although we work to maintain these posts, some details may fall out of date. Contact SuiteDynamics experts for the latest information on NetSuite ERP systems.
Part of this text was generated using GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. After generating the draft language, our team edited, revised, and fact-checked it to ensure readability and accuracy. SuiteDynamics is ultimately responsible for the content of this blog post.
