A NetSuite ERP system has the potential to be fantastic. Employed correctly, it’ll transform your business operations, offering seamless integration and second-to-none functionality. And yet, installing NetSuite efficiently can be much easier said than done. Despite its potential, organisations often need help to overcome hurdles and challenges that can lead to an inefficient installation or even complete failure.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common reasons behind these failures and – crucially – share our thoughts on how to avoid them.

Inadequate planning and unrealistic expectations

We start many blogs by addressing strategy. It might not feel like the most exciting part of your installation (and for most people, it isn’t). Still, some of the primary reasons why NetSuite deployments fail are inadequate planning and unrealistic expectations. Even though NetSuite offers a more straightforward approach than many competitors, implementing any ERP is still a complex, time-consuming process, requiring thorough preparation and a realistic timeline.

Many businesses underestimate the scope of an ERP implementation or veer beyond what’s relevant and essential to their operations. This often-encountered mistake, known as ‘scope creep’, refers to the continuous or uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope, which extends the project timeline, increases costs and leads to budget overruns and financial and operational headaches. Setting unrealistic expectations about what your ERP system needs to do and how quickly you’ll have it up and running could lead to disappointment and project abandonment.

For instance, expecting the ERP system to be fully operational within a few weeks or underestimating the resources and time required for data migration are common examples of unrealistic expectations.

Mitigation strategy

Your business leaders must first grasp that NetSuite ERP deployment isn’t a botch job or a quick fix. Installing one requires time, effort and patience. Putting the time in means reaping the rewards later on.

Invest in thorough planning from the get-go, setting realistic goals and timelines. Develop a detailed plan including all necessary steps, timelines and resources. Engage with an experienced NetSuite consultant like SuiteSparkle, who’ll help you with realistic estimates and achievable goals.

Lack of executive buy-in and change management

Any change to your existing setups or systems requires buy-in from leadership. Successful NetSuite ERP implementations are no exception. You’ll need executive and team leader support on your side. Without these, staff or end-user resistance to change and new processes could derail your entire project.

Of course, it all starts with the leadership teams, from those high up on the board to the departmental managers and team supervisors. If these individuals hesitate to switch to NetSuite, their uncertainty will filter down to others.

But you’ll also undoubtedly encounter resistance to change from your staff and other end-users. Change can be daunting for anyone. For example, employees might prefer their old systems, not because of their efficiency but because they prefer the comfort of familiar routines. Less tech-savvy individuals might face a real fear of being made redundant thanks to more efficient IT processes, and so on.

Mitigation strategy

Once again, the best way to counter resistance to change is to ensure buy-in from the beginning. This starts with executive leadership and works its way down. Communicate the benefits of the new NetSuite ERP clearly and regularly, reassuring individuals of their importance. Implement a clear change management strategy that addresses training, support and regular updates. Crucially, develop the ERP to meet end-user requirements and requests, ensuring it’s a system designed for those using it.

Poor data migration and cleansing

Data is the backbone of any ERP system (and any modern business as a whole). However, its accuracy and completeness are essential. These are necessary for executive leadership to make correct decisions, positively impacting its performance and efficiency. Poor data migration and cleansing can result in significant issues post-deployment.

Legacy data doesn’t always automatically mix into NetSuite. It’s likely to be in a different file format. It often contains duplicates, errors and outdated statistics. Without proper cleansing, this so-called ‘dirty’ data can contaminate the new system, throwing all sorts of spanners in the works and leading to incorrect report generation.

Transferring data from legacy systems to NetSuite is a critical step and far more than ‘copy and paste’. Improper processes lead to data corruption, inaccuracies or – in a worst-case scenario – complete, disastrous loss. This can have far-reaching consequences, affecting business operations and decision-making.

Mitigation strategy

So, what can you do to reduce errors from data or data migration? We suggest conducting a thorough data audit before you begin the migration process. Use tried and tested tools to cleanse and validate data. Then, use well-known data migration programs and expertise to facilitate a smooth transition. Contact our NetSuite experts to discuss which pieces of software work best for your business and its data.

Over-customisation and insufficient testing

Customisation is one of NetSuite’s most vital features. It allows businesses like yours to tailor their ERP to their specific needs. Wonderful. However, over-customisation creates long-term maintenance issues and system instability. In other words, it’s far more effort than it’s worth.

While customising each and every aspect of NetSuite might be tempting, excessive adjustments lead to problems. These usually crop up when it comes to future updates or integrations, where you might suddenly discover you’ve given yourself an excessive amount of otherwise unnecessary work. Other issues relate to dependency on individuals. For instance, if one or two staff members set up a highly customised interface and then leave your organisation, it’ll be very challenging for someone else to take on the maintenance.

Insufficient testing is another pitfall closely related to over-customisation. Skipping or blasting through the testing phase results in issues rearing their ugly heads after the system goes live, leading to far more damaging disruptions than nipping these problems in the bud beforehand.

Mitigation strategy

Once again, we come back to the planning phase. Customise your NetSuite ERP only where necessary to meet end-user and maintenance demands. Keep any changes as simple as possible and annotate code wherever possible to make easy for any professional to run. Develop a comprehensive testing plan (consulting with IT departments and NetSuite professionals). This should include scenario testing and user acceptance testing.

Importance of training and ongoing support

End-user training and ongoing support are critical. Without them, a NetSuite implementation is unlikely to succeed. You’ll very quickly encounter an obvious problem: staff don’t know how to use the system. Even if they figure out the basics through trial and error, they’ll miss out on some of the unique features NetSuite offers, meaning efficiency is significantly less than it could be. You might find that employees, contractors, clients and other end-users become frustrated at the lack of productivity.

Mitigation strategy

The mitigation strategy here is clear. Invest in thorough training programmes and support systems. Tailor training schedules to individual roles and levels of IT expertise. And implement support systems to include internal and external experts for ongoing assistance and optimisation.

Appoint SuiteSparkle for a flawless NetSuite installation

There are all sorts of reasons for NetSuite installations to fail. However, you’ll significantly mitigate these risks with proper planning, training and ongoing support. Strategising in advance can be challenging, especially if you’re yet to fully grasp the ins and outs of NetSuite. Partnering with an experienced NetSuite consultant like us at SuiteSparkle provides the guiding hand you need to navigate these challenges, leading to a successful ERP deployment.

Utilise our eight years of dedicated expertise and gentle hands-on approach to fully leverage NetSuite’s benefits and drive your business’s long-term success. To learn more, get in touch today.