High quality NetSuite scripts can save a company from stressful situations, financial constraints, and painful setbacks in the long-term.
Introduction
As NetSuite developers, we have seen what few see. Sometimes, urgent situations demand that we dig into complicated scripts to implement a system-critical bugfix. Other times, a company’s change in requirements might mean that a script needs to be significantly reinvented.
In every situation, we seek to enter the mind of a developer who has gone before us. We have been pleasantly surprised at times by the genius of these minds, and have even had a few chuckles by a silly comment in the code here and there. We treasure these moments and seek to continue the legacy of a script well-made.
But sometimes entering a developer’s mind is not so easy a task.
We want to help you understand why hiring a developer you trust is so important. We want to explain why immediate results are not the only thing that matters in a script. SuiteRep’s aim is indeed to become a development team that can be trusted, but our greater desire is to help our NetSuite community to customize NetSuite in a truly responsible and sustainable way.
“The Tortoise and the Hare”
You may recognize this heading from the classic children’s story. There was once a race between a tortoise and a hare. The hare initially hopped miles ahead. The hare, however, had a fatal flaw—he stopped to rest in his success. The tortoise, on the other hand, was not quite as exciting at first. But his perseverance, consistency, and sustainability won him the race.
Poor Quality Scripts: The Hare
The problem with poor quality scripts is that they work, at least for now. They get the job done, and often no one really understands how it happens. Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before something must be changed in that script. NetSuite and your company’s processes are always in a state of continuous improvement. Your scripts should be too.
If a script is not made well or written in an understandable way, it simply can’t be modified or improved without significant effort. The hare might be off to a great start, but it won’t win a race.
High Quality Scripts: The Tortoise
It is rather disappointing to us that the most beautiful scripts can really only be appreciated by developers. Yet at the same time, this is exactly why a company should invest in high quality NetSuite scripts. Your code needs future developers to understand and maintain it. A well-made vintage car can still be modified and restored to its former beauty and usefulness. A well-crafted script can be too.
“The Tortoise Wins the Race”
Why the Story is True
Over the past few years, SuiteRep has helped many clients repair old automations. Sadly, many of those scripts needed to be recreated from scratch. Such a process usually takes a significant amount of time and effort. And when the requirements for a script are not clear and the script is deeply integrated with other automations in NetSuite, this redesign can take even longer.
In some cases, a simple adjustment to a script is almost impossible and necessitates a complete redesign. What could have been a 10-minute adjustment to an excellent script sometimes turns into an extensive recreation project that can take multiple hours.
Applying the Ancient Principle
We want to help change this reality in the NetSuite community. We are constantly striving to improve our own development patterns and processes to make our scripts more sustainable in the long-term.
If you are a NetSuite developer, we ask that you join us on this journey to create clearer and more maintainable SuiteScripts.
If you are someone looking for a development team, we urge you to find developers in the community who are pursuing this principle. It will save your company a great deal of future stress, money, and company setbacks.
Conclusion
The ancient principle still holds true. What’s made well lasts, though it may have a higher upfront-cost in time and resources. You and your company will not regret choosing to invest in high quality NetSuite scripts. For more in-depth scripting advice, check out our NetSuite Scripting blog page. And if you find this article helpful, we would be thrilled if you shared it with someone you know in the community. Let’s work together to create a better NetSuite future. Thanks for reading!