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Piracle brings Automated Check Printing to NetSuite

The NetSuite ecosystem continues to enhance the core product and the user experience with functionality that make the user’s jobs easier and their business run better.

The latest enhancement is a NetSuite integration that’s helping to take the time, hassle and expense out of check writing. For consumers familiar with online banking, automatic payments and deposits, writing checks by hand may seem quaint, but for most businesses it’s the way things are still done.

And business that have advanced past hand-written checks still have to worry about security of check stock, dedicated printers and keeping the check numbers sequential.

Piracle Systems, an SDN partner and a NetSuite user itself since 2007, has created a Piracle Payment System (PPS) integration for NetSuite, that allows a business to issue checks directly from within the NetSuite system to a dedicated check printer.

Currently, NetSuite users send to a pre-printed check form. The Piracle Systems offering spares a business from having to worry about the security of the pre-printed forms, both the fraud risk and the handling requirements, and print personalized checks directly from NetSuite.

“That usually requires two or three people to run the process,” said Dan Parker, Marketing Director at Piracle. “We’re offering a streamlined capability to use blank stock for their process.”

The integration provides an enhancement that a number of NetSuite customers have requested for check printing capabilities.

Instead of pulling the preprinted check forms out of storage, counting out the right number for the bills at hand and ensuring they match the sequential numbers match the NetSuite system, users can simply send the requested checks to a dedicated printer.

Additionally, companies can customize the checks to match company branding, add additional reference or memo fields and adjust the style.

The functionality is currently available with all U.S. and Canadian banks with some Australian and European banks to come.

It’s just another example of how NetSuite is turning to partners to expand the product, one of many more to come.

-Raghu Gnanasekaran, Senior Director Business Development, NetSuite

NetSuite in the Twittersphere: Acquisitions, Media Coverage, and Toolkits

NetSuite has an active and engaged community of followers, customers and fans on Twitter. Today we’re highlighting some of the feedback, comments and shout outs we saw in the last quarter. To keep up to date with the NetSuite Twitter community, be sure to follow us @NetSuite.

NetSuite’s acquisition of Retail Anywhere got some positive reaction at the National Retail Federation 2013 Conference.

Netsuite's purchase of Retail Anywhere shows tech vendors beginning to catch up with the omnichannel aspirations of retailers. #nrf13

— Geoffrey Barraclough (@GeoffreyB) January 14, 2013

NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson’s appearance on Bloomberg West and his thoughts on enterprise software found some fans.

The rise of the enterprise with @netsuite's @zachnelson and @boxhq's @levie on a special @bloombergwest

— Emily Chang (@emilychangtv) January 16, 2013

The volunteer work of NetSuite employees and its commitment to service grabbed the attention of SmartRecruiters.

Congrats @netsuite you've been named among the elite of Facebook Employer Branding for highlighting social good! bit.ly/WWg1n9

— SmartRecruiters (@SmartRecruiters) January 25, 2013

The combination of NetSuite, OzLink and SPS Commerce was a winning formula for Lionel NASCAR Collectibles.

"@netsuite, @ozedge and SPS Commerce are fundamental to our operation." -R.Gemereth VP of IT @lionelnascar #TF13 #TFNY bit.ly/WblDg3

— SPS Commerce (@SPS_Commerce) January 28, 2013

The new NetSuite toolkit also found some fans.

Taking my first look at the new @netsuite #phpToolkit. Way slick, and a huge improvement over previous versions.

— Dave Weiss (@DaveWeissDotNet) January 25, 2013

Some Practice Fusion folks were happy to be part of the NetSuite billboard.

Billboard love! @practicefusion @netsuite #NetSuite twitter.com/PF_Kev/status/…

— Kevin (@PF_Kev) January 31, 2013

10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of SuiteWorld 2013

With a new location, a new slate of sessions and a wealth of new NetSuite partners and customers, SuiteWorld 2013 promises to be the best one yet.

The NetSuite conference is moving from San Francisco to the San Jose Convention Center this year to accommodate the roughly 5,000 attendees expected to be at the show May 13-16. And a show with that kind of turnout with more than 180 breakout sessions requires a little preparation. Here are 10 ways SuiteWorld attendees can ensure they get the most out of the conference.

1. Research.  SuiteWorld offers a wealth of information for getting the most out of your NetSuite deployment with sessions that cover every facet of the suite. Factor in some free time, but be sure to spend the time up front figuring out your business needs and the schedule that makes the most sense for you. Then you’ll be better positioned to come home with actionable information.
2. Go Early. SuiteWorld’s preconference in-depth training workshops offer a deep dive into all areas of the solution for intermediate to advanced NetSuite users, spanning reporting, OneWorld, workflows and more.
3. Take Note of the Keynotes. NetSuite leadership (CEO Zach Nelson, CTO and founder Evan Goldberg, and COO Jim McGeever) will open each day with a keynote session providing entertaining, informative insight into NetSuite’s progress, product roadmap and vision for the future of the cloud.
4. Learn at Lunch. SuiteWorld has three ways to make your lunch more than just a break from the show to scarf down some food.  Tuesday offers a chance to sit down with show sponsors to get answers to your questions about the cloud, integration or simply network. Wednesday offers the chance to meet with the user group community and share best practices across multiple roles. Wednesday also presents the chance to have lunch with SuiteWorld bloggers and NetSuite product experts. Just sit down at the table with the topic you’re interested in.
5. Brainstorm. If the excitement of the show and the energy of progressive companies executing on their vision has you inspired, wander over to the SUITEideas area to whiteboard your ideas and get insight from NetSuite product experts on how to execute on your own vision.
6. Network. There’s perhaps no better way to learn and grow at SuiteWorld than by talking and sharing with fellow customers and partners. In the session rooms, the hallways, the coffee area, it’s a chance not only to learn how to get the most out of your NetSuite implementation, but potentially find the right partner or business opportunity. Better yet, chill out in the SuiteLife lounge where you can rest, recharge and network in comfort.
7. Meet the SuiteGuru. Sit down with our technical experts and get your specific questions about CRM, Ecommerce, ERP, OneWorld, OpenAir, the SuiteCloud platform or Web design answered in 30-minute meetings. But be sure to schedule them, pre-registration is required and seating is limited.
8. Tour the Floor. Wander the show floor, pick up some schwag and find the solution your business needs to accomplish its vision. It’s all on display. When you’re done, wander over to the SuiteStore to pick up your official SuiteWorld gift from customers such as Incipio (iPhone 4 or 5 case), Nakajima (Hello Kitty swag), Philz Coffee (lb of coffee), Liberty Water Bottle (official SW water bottle) or School of Rock (t-shirt). 
9. Get Out. You’ve traveled to San Jose, now take some time to get outside. Take a walk, go out to eat at one of the area’s signature restaurants, soak up Silicon Valley.
10. Get Down.  After all the contacts are made, the questions answered and your mission accomplished, be sure to grab a cold drink and have a suite time at Wednesday night’s SuiteCelebration Gala.

We look forward to seeing you. Be sure to follow @NetSuite and #NSW13 on Twitter to keep up to date on the show. If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out the scene
from last year:

 

For more information on SuiteWorld 2013, please visit: http://www.netsuite.com/portal/press/events/nsw2013/main.shtml

SuiteCloud Developer Tools Offer Multiple Ways to Deliver Solutions

We wanted to ensure that NetSuite would empower software developers to deliver sophisticated solutions for their customers. That's why SuiteCloud developer tools are designed to provide a wide range of capabilities, from graphical form editing and workflow design to low-level scripting, as well as a complete packaging and distribution system that makes it easy to publish and sell new capabilities to NetSuite users. Many of our developers are able to post integrated applications to the NetSuite ecosystem less than a month after joining the SuiteCloud Developer Network.

When a solution calls for a more hands-on approach than the graphical development tools found in NetSuite, SuiteScript stands ready to develop new business rules, processes, and entire applications. The Javascript-based language provides comprehensive and detailed access to all NetSuite data sources and processes, including custom records and third-party logic.

Additionally, SuiteTalk extends NetSuite's capabilities to other cloud and even on-premise systems and services. Based on SOAP web services, SuiteTalk offers pre-built connectors to several popular business systems as well as EDI links that make it easier for clients to participate in international trading hubs. Integrated applications benefit from NetSuite's robust security and user authentication services, protecting data on a field-by-field basis while making it easy to extend the NetSuite cloud to every aspect of a client's operation.

Finally, when the time comes to deploy a customized solution, SuiteBundler makes it easy to roll out all changes, scripts and new business logic to clients, whether privately or in the public SuiteApp marketplace. SuiteBuilder's graphical interface makes it straightforward to select and package everything from new dashboards to intricate scripting logic in a single, easily installable form. Once bundles are created they can be flagged as strictly private (good for custom client work), public for general sale or distribution, or shared only with a limited list of customers, development and testing partners you designate. SuiteBuilder offers version and revision control, making it easy to track changes and improvements.

NetSuite is dedicated to developer productivity, and our free Community membership to the SuiteCloud Developer Network is an excellent way to experiment with the power of our solution. See how your business can be publishing its own SuiteApps in no time.

-Raghu Gnanasekaran, Senior Director Business Development, NetSuite

The False Dawn of the Fake Cloud

True cloud solutions are designed from the ground up as web-based, multi-tenant, scalable and flexible solutions. In practical terms, that means they are built to ensure that customers do not have to worry about additional fees or labor in maintaining servers or applying upgrades and patches. Enterprise-class cloud solutions are backed by uptime guarantees and are delivered from secure data centers that adhere to stringent compliance standards.

Because so many companies are moving to cloud solutions and threatening the business model of on-premise software developers, some on-premise vendors and resellers have started to sneakily offer "fake cloud" packages. The fake cloud shows up in many forms, but the real fool's gold rush is happening as vendors and third parties take existing
on-premise software, establish a hosted server, and present it to customers as a "cloud-based solution." This repackaging of the old, failed application service provider (ASP) model is an attempt to fool the marketplace into doubling down on costly implementations, painful upgrades and inflexible software by locking in long-term hosting contracts that are even more difficult to deal with than the on-premise product was.

Simply establishing a remote, dedicated server or virtual server does not automatically turn an on-premise product into a cloud solution. In fact, the multi-tenancy approach taken by NetSuite and other true cloud providers is a core benefit because it ensures continuous and instantaneous access to the latest product upgrades, with the vendor taking full responsibility for deploying those upgrades. And only solutions designed from the ground up for cloud deployment can offer key features such as easy customization and automatic migration of customizations to new versions.

Fake cloud systems often impose an additional fee for the privilege of being hosted in the fake cloud. We've heard of proposals as high as 30 percent or more of the annual cost. These hosting fees mean that the system is even more costly than it would be to maintain internally, without most of the benefits a true cloud solution would offer.

The bottom line? If the details of a so-called "cloud solution" seem confusing because the system is also available as an on-premise product, or the product requires separate licensing and maintenance fees even though it is hosted off-site, chances are it is the "fake cloud" at work. For speedy and predictable upgrades, reliable performance, flexibility and service, the true cloud consistently beats the pretenders.

-Vishrut Parikh, Director, Product Marketing at NetSuite

Boosting Productivity With SuiteCloud Developer Tools

Without the right tools, system integrators and developers can find enterprise platforms more of a hindrance than an asset. When we built SuiteCloud, we listened to the frustrations SIs and developers had encountered with other enterprise systems and made developer productivity a priority. That means providing powerful and accessible interfaces which can be learned quickly, visual interfaces to manage complex processes, and ensuring that the complete power of NetSuite is available to all our third-party development partners.

The NetSuite experience is a browser-based, point-and-click interface, so why shouldn't our developer tools follow the same paradigm? With SuiteBuilder, form customization is an intuitive and visual process, giving developers the ability to quickly tailor screens and tabs to their unique needs without requiring complex database coding. We believe in customization without arbitrary constraints, so there is no limit to the number of custom fields that can be added to a form. Creating custom, role-based tab groupings and role-based permissions is equally simple. The Point-and-click form customization means that you can see your application concepts take shape as you work.

Deploying efficient, managed workflows to meet a client or vertical's unique requirements is one of the most significant opportunities for SuiteCloud developers. Our SuiteFlow workflow management tool makes it easy to build trigger events, apply business rules and enforce approval processes to satisfy any customer's needs. Once again, we designed SuiteFlow with a point-and-click interface that takes the guesswork out of translating business requirements into valuable action.

It used to be the case that developing additional functionality and customizations for a business system also meant mastering a third-party analytics and reporting package such as Crystal Reports. But relying on outside systems is inefficient and often meant worrying about multiple codebases. Because SuiteCloud gives our developers complete access to the underlying power of NetSuite, the powerful business intelligence engine built into our solution is available for SuiteApps in the form of SuiteAnalytics. By providing a graphical toolset that accesses the analytical power in NetSuite, we help developers bring powerful insights to market more quickly than they could with separate reporting tools, data integration and data warehousing.

In my next blog, I will talk in detail about the deeper levels of cloud development, including our SuiteScript coding language and SuiteTalk Web Services, as well as the packaging and distribution process in SuiteBundler. In the meantime, explore some of the success stories from developers already thriving in the SuiteCloud ecosystem.

-Raghu Gnanasekaran, Senior Director Business Development, NetSuite

The SuiteCloud Developer Network: The First Multi Vertical Ecosystem in the Cloud Part 2

More than 12,000 companies and divisions run NetSuite solutions for their integrated, enterprise-grade ERP, CRM and Ecommerce operations, but the real power of NetSuite isn't only found in a customer record or an inventory screen, but also found in the flexible, extensible and eminently accessible SuiteCloud cloud platform that powers our solution and NetSuite’s growing roster of SuiteApps partners. NetSuite brings the power and potential of SuiteCloud, NetSuite’s customization platform, to ISVs worldwide through the SuiteCloud Developer Network, NetSuite's dedicated developer program.

Being part of the SDN means having access to the gold standard in enterprise cloud development. We don't simply hand you a bare-bones IDE and a couple of sample objects. The SuiteCloud toolset is a fully integrated aspect of the NetSuite solution. SDN offers a point-and-click IDE, workflow management, a comprehensive toolset and extensive objects. Unlike some systems which limit API access to pre-defined, standard data records, our web services API provides complete access to all data records, including unlimited custom fields and custom records. Similarly, SuiteFlow action scripts can call other third-party SuiteApps, making your modules more valuable to customers and more integrated with the overall NetSuite experience.

We don't believe in forcing anybody to reinvent the wheel, so we offer pre-built connectors to major cloud and on-premise business applications. That lets you focus on your core specialty and speeds your time to market. Our workflow engine is the most powerful in the cloud, making it an ideal platform for micro-vertical customization that solves crucial business challenges for small but valuable business niches.

We emphasize quality, not quantity in our SuiteCloud Developer Network. That doesn't mean being an SDN partner is complicated or burdensome. Many of our developers are able to post their first SuiteApps to the NetSuite ecosystem within three to four weeks. All SDN members have access to online technical content, webinars and the SDN newsletter. Select and Premier partners gain additional benefits, including early beta access, integration guidance, referrals and other development and sales.

In addition to development support, NetSuite provides sales and marketing assistance, particularly through the SuiteApp.com portal. Once you package your SuiteApp for distribution with our SuiteBundler tool, our joint customers can browse for add-on capabilities by vertical or by business need, and adoption for most SuiteApps is a simple point-and-click process for NetSuite administrative users.

The SuiteCloud Developer Network opens NetSuite's always-on enterprise architecture to the ISV's vertical expertise, making it possible to create new business solutions quickly and bring them to market through a proven channel. Take part in one of our monthly SDN webinars and find out how NetSuite helps innovative ISVs reach today's high-growth customers.

-Raghu Gnanasekaran, Senior Director Business Development, NetSuite

The SuiteCloud Developer Network: The First Multi Vertical Ecosystem in the Cloud – Part 1

As proud as we are of the comprehensive capabilities found in NetSuite, we knew from the beginning that our users would surprise us with specific feature requests and business process needs particular to their own respective businesses. Within each enterprise exists a galaxy of choices that makes each company unique, and thus requires a flexible platform that offers enhancements to meet specialized business requirements. That's why as hard as we work to make NetSuite the world's most complete enterprise solution, we have worked just as hard to create an even more comprehensive partner ecosystem, the SuiteCloud Developer Network (SDN). The SuiteCloud Developer Network is an incubator for innovative third-party Developers, Independent Software Vendors (ISV), Systems Integrators (SI), and Solution Providers to build products (SuiteApps ) using the SuiteCloud platform.

The SuiteCloud platform empowers our partners to build innovative solutions that extend NetSuite across horizontals and industry specific verticals and micro verticals. The SDN is the only true multi vertical business network in the cloud, and SuiteApps run the entire gamut of industries from manufacturing to commerce to social media. Some SuiteApps provide capabilities for specific micro-verticals, such as enhanced bills of materials (BOM) management or live event promotion. Others link NetSuite with valuable, cutting-edge services, such as cloud file storage and sharing. Still others address emerging business concerns, such as complete supply chain carbon emissions tracking.

SuiteCloud thrives because of the various services and innovation that our partners offer to customers. Our SDN program emphasizes quality, and as you would expect from NetSuite we ensure that customizations and enhancements are carried forward with NetSuite version upgrades.

Following are just a few points highlighting the value of the SuiteCloud Developer Network:

• Innovation:
  All SuiteApps have access to the full range of NetSuite functionality. This makes
  it easier for developers to extend business process and brings applications to
  market much quicker by focusing on their core competencies, rather than trying
  to reinvent the wheel.
• Expertise
  NetSuite’s network of solution providers and system integrators have deep
  industry-specific knowledge, and are experts at delivering business process in
  the cloud.
• Abundance:
  SDN delivers a plethora of applications to our customers, across various
  industries and verticals. This means that as your company grows and scales, the
  partnership network offers a wider range of solutions.

 

-Raghu Gnanasekaran, Senior Director Business Development, NetSuite

Recurring Revenue: Best Practices to Overcome Common Challenges

From home video to enterprise software, global business is shifting to subscription models in a growing number of categories. According to research from IDC, 57 percent of the top 100 global software vendors will collect subscription revenue this year, and over 80 percent of new software firms will be service-based. Those who ignore the opportunities created by recurring revenue models may quickly find themselves in an "adapt or die" situation. NetSuite, as the industry’s leading cloud ERP vendor, is in a unique position to share insights on what it takes to successfully grow a recurring revenue business.

The critical success factor for a subscription-based company is to build, retain and grow the recurring revenue stream. Because the subscription model spreads revenue out over a long customer relationship, hence customer satisfaction at every touch point is critical. Companies that are unable to step back and take a 360-degree view of their clients may be leaving money on the table because information from marketing channels is inaccessible to sales and service personnel, and vice versa.

Recurring revenue also forces many companies to take a hard look at customer profitability and lifetime value. It’s not unusual for it to take one to two years, for a subscription customer to get into the black. Comprehensive solutions built for subscription-based businesses can accurately account for the costs and revenues at the individual customer level, and provide every department with the insight and tools to ensure that the customer remains in the fold.

And not all subscription models are created equal. Flat rate, flat rate-plus-usage, and full usage-based plans each require a slightly different approach to launch and optimize. Many companies will supplement subscription revenue with one-time fees for installation, configuration or termination. These income streams need to be recognized separately from ongoing subscription revenue, which introduces even more complexity for the finance organization.

The challenges are even more pronounced for businesses that attempt to migrate from a one-time revenue model to a recurring revenue model. Too often, the quick-fix approach is to add point solutions to manage individual pieces of the subscription lifecycle and attempt to integrate them with existing CRM and ERP systems. Unfortunately, the nuances of subscription billing on both the front-end and back-end of the business can turn this into a costly nightmare, without solving any of the underlying business issues.

More than anything, subscription-based companies need their processes, and the systems that support them, to be extremely flexible. If your business cannot easily offer free trials, or support multiple pricing plans or quickly change usage components of existing pricing plans, more nimble competitors will find ways to trump you. Once your business is subscription based, these changes happen more frequently than you might imagine and the last thing you want to be spending resources on is adjunct, manual processes because you don't have flexibility built in to your systems.

Fortunately, enterprise solutions built for today's software companies can answer the call. Want to know more about best practices for optimizing your recurring-revenue business? Check out this replay of a recent NetSuite webinar with guest experts from IDC and Eloqua.

-Kimberly Odom - Director of Vertical Marketing, Software

Real-Time Analytics: What High-Tech Firms Need to Know, Right Now

Recent research calls the business intelligence (BI) market one of the fastest-growing sectors in today's tech industry, which means more and more organizations are realizing the value of deep insight into performance. We consistently hear from our software and high-tech customers that real-time analytics, is a particularly high priority. For example, no sector consistently demands and embraces our dashboards more than our software clients. So I gave some thought to why real-time visibility is so important for the software industry.

High-tech businesses are most likely to be technology-driven themselves—they want to know everything that can be known, and they want to consume that data from anywhere in real-time. That's why NetSuite's comprehensive mobile access is so highly prized: we don't dumb down our capabilities just because you're using a smaller device. Static, offline reports simply won't do the job for companies with rapidly changing business models and very competitive markets. Your customer insights cannot be constrained by your location or choice of computing device. So we don't ask you to make those kinds of compromises.

High tech executives understand the value in knowing how the business is performing MTD, QTD and YTD. They need to know how that performance compares to forecast/plan, as well as to the same time period last year. Real-time pipeline data is hugely important because tech companies need to know not only when sales will close, but also how quickly revenue is growing as that will impact professional services and support organizations. Ask any executive at an emerging tech company and they will tell you that one of the keys to their success is a laser-focus on the metrics that are critical to the success of their business.

Real-time analytics also make it possible to create powerful benchmarks about your customers. Since the early days of CRM, vendors have touted the importance of being forewarned and forearmed with key facts about clients before an important call or visit—if they are past due on payments, if they have any outstanding critical support tickets, and so forth. By pairing a powerful and comprehensive real-time analytics engine with flexible, customizable dashboards, you can present a consistent, rules-based and easily understood value to client-facing personnel. Some companies use color-coding, others a star rating or a numerical value. Whatever your approach, these benchmarks give your organization a consistent voice when dealing with customers, making it easier for employees to make good decisions about highly strategic interactions.

Real-time dashboards that deliver critical information on your business performance as well as actionable insight into the value of each customer – that’s the real value of a real-time analytics engine.

Kimberly Odom - Director of Vertical Marketing, Software