If your NetSuite setup were a vehicle, how long would you drive it without a service?
Most people wouldn’t wait for smoke to pour out from the bonnet before checking the engine.
Yet, many organisations do exactly that with their ERP system. They set it up, run it for years, and only review it when something breaks.
At SuiteSparkle, our clients often tell us they sensed something wasn’t quite right with their NetSuite setup, but they couldn’t figure out precisely what.
In many cases, the issue comes down to time. These systems may have worked well in the past, but they haven’t evolved to keep up with your changing business needs.
This post explores when and why your NetSuite system needs a review and how to make that part of your regular operations, rather than a last resort.
Why your original NetSuite setup stops working as planned
Every NetSuite implementation reflects a business snapshot. It captures how things worked at a particular moment in time. The thing is, all businesses change. People leave. Teams restructure. You pivot in changing markets. Technological advances are implemented into ageing systems. Over time, what once felt efficient begins to creak.
As your team grows and changes, so do the ways people use your system. Your new hires don’t always follow the same habits. They might introduce their own shortcuts or build workarounds instead of refining the process. It’s not wrong! It’s just different. And over time, those differences add up.
Then there’s growth. It affects your data. More customers and more products equal more transactions. While this is good news, it puts pressure on your original setup. You’ll notice that saved searches are slowing down, and reports start needing more filters. Approval flows that made sense a year ago will all of a sudden feel clunky or outdated. It’s all because of that extra system strain.
Process changes add another layer. Maybe you’ve rolled out a new pricing model or warehouse system separate from your ERP. If those changes aren’t reflected in NetSuite in some (efficient) way, things start slipping. Not in dramatic ways – you probably won’t see big red flashing error messages popping up. But you’ll feel it on a micro level and in background drag. For instance, reports get harder to trust and take longer to compile. Manual workarounds spread quietly through your organisation. User satisfaction drops.
When these symptoms show up, your NetSuite setup isn’t broken. It’s just struggling, running inefficiently. And that’s the signal that it’s time to reassess and realign.
Signs it’s time to take a closer look
There’s no fixed calendar date for a system review, but the symptoms tend to follow familiar patterns.
One of the most obvious? Spreadsheets. If your team is regularly exporting data just to do basic analysis or complete everyday tasks, something’s off. NetSuite is powerful enough that you shouldn’t ever have to rely on Excel, Sheets, or other spreadsheet software. It should be able to handle everything itself with ease.
Another red flag is declining user adoption. When people stop using dashboards, revert to email for workflows, or bypass automation, it’s rarely because users are lazy. More often, it means the system no longer fits the way people actually work. Usage usually drops before performance catches up.
Rising support needs are another clue. If your IT team or admins are constantly patching integrations or troubleshooting odd behaviours, the system likely isn’t keeping pace with how your business runs today. It’s a sign that your NetSuite no longer matches your current business logic.
And then there’s year-end. That’s when small cracks in your financial modules tend to show up as bigger problems like revenue misalignment, confusing audit trails or unexpected cost variances. These hiccups often trace back to structural changes in your business that never made it into your NetSuite configuration.
All these are symptoms of the same thing: system drift. That’s when business and system diverge just enough to make everything harder without fully breaking down.
Making NetSuite reviews part of business rhythm
Not every review needs to be a full audit. In fact, we advise a regular NetSuite Health Check every six months, supported by more comprehensive reviews every 18 to 24 months. This proactive approach helps keep your NetSuite current without disruption. Like car maintenance, regular servicing keeps you from needing an expensive engine rebuild.
The smaller check-ins are quick and relatively time efficient. Are saved searches still being used? Have custom fields quietly multiplied? Are user roles still aligned with what people do? These sorts of queries and questions lead to small ‘quick fixes’ – minor changes that can save your business surprising amounts of time and money.
For those deeper reviews (every 18 to 24 months), having them coincide with important moments in your business, like a system upgrade or a fresh round of strategic planning, makes sense. It’s the perfect opportunity to assess everything, from workflow design and automation to integration logic and reporting structure. Here, a NetSuite health check spots and implements real strategic change instead of those ‘quick fixes’.
Timing matters, too. Launching a new product? That’s a great time to check your order-to-cash workflows. Adjusting pricing? Review revenue recognition while you’re at it. Merging departments? Take a fresh look at user roles and access controls.
How often you need reviews depends on your pace. High-growth companies typically require more frequent health checks. Stable businesses can get away with fewer (but deeper) reviews. What matters isn’t how often you check, but whether your current NetSuite setup still fits the needs of your business.
And yes, there’s a clear return. We encourage clients to measure review costs against gains in reporting speed, reduced manual work and fewer support hours. The impact is usually immediate. It comes from timing the review well. Wait too long, and the fixes cost more than they should. Review regularly, and you prevent build-up before it becomes expensive.
Don’t wait for warning lights
Your business has evolved, maybe faster than your setup. Left unchecked, that gap creates drag. Think slower reports, duplicated effort, growing reliance on spreadsheets and a creeping sense that things’ just don’t work like they used to.’
At SuiteSparkle, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all reviews. We help growing companies like yours, especially if you’re scaling fast or navigating structural change, to build a review rhythm that’s practical, light-touch, ROI-focused and designed for you.
Our approach is grounded in NetSuite expertise, strategic thinking and a sharp eye for where value hides in your configuration. We’ve helped clients cut fulfilment errors and streamline operations, all to speed things up and drive down costs.
If your NetSuite setup hasn’t had a professional take a proper look under the bonnet in over a year, it’s time. Book a health check with SuiteSparkle today.