Remember group projects in school? If you have any experiences with group projects, some of those experiences were probably negative due to problems like miscommunication. In a way, running a company is like coordinating a massive group project. So, how can you avoid “group-project” frustrations while running your business? One way that NetSuite eliminates these frustrations is by providing visibility into who has done what to each record and when they did it. You can access all this information directly through the record system notes.

Navigation

Where can you find the system notes on a record? Accessing these notes is fairly simple. First, navigate to the record you need to learn more about. On that record, scroll down to the subtabs and select System Information. The first tab under that subtab (can we call it a sub-subtab?) is System Notes.

Providing Visibility

Let’s explore the information you can learn from the system notes.

Who?

While working as a teaching assistant in grad school, I had the opportunity to monitor group projects for my students. When they turned in their final project, I required them to provide me with a breakdown of who had done each part of the assignment. Perhaps one of the most helpful aspects of the system notes is that it provides visibility into who has changed the record.

First, the system notes inform you who created the record in the first place. And second, the system notes inform you who has updated the record since its creation. Consequently, if you have any questions about the information in the record, you know exactly who to contact.

What?

With my students’ group projects, I didn’t just want to know who did the work. It was also very important for me to know what each person did. Similarly, the system notes break down what changes have occurred on the record, starting with its creation and running through the rest of its existence.

What types of information do the system notes track? Basically anything that happens to a record. Specifically, these notes will tell you the type of change that was made (i.e., creating the whole record or setting a specific field value), the exact record field that was affected in each change, and the context in which the change was made (i.e., through the user interface or through coding).

The benefit behind knowing what has changed on a record is enormous. Whether you simply need to reference information that is currently out of date or whether you need to change the content of a record back to information it previously contained, the system notes are there to give you instant visibility into all of the record’s history.

When?

In addition to showing you who has changed what on a record, the system notes tell you exactly when each change was made—down to the exact minute. In a large company where multiple individuals could potentially be accessing and updating the same records, the ability that system notes have to place a time stamp on record updates is invaluable.

Customizing Options

As with the rest of NetSuite, you have the option of customizing your experience with record system notes. Simply select the Customize View button directly under the system notes tab. On the Customize View page, you can designate how the system notes automatically sort (for example, sorting by date), what fields the system notes include, and the order those fields appear.

Conclusion

The beauty of record system notes is clarity: clarity on the background of your company’s records. Understanding and using these notes will enhance your visibility on the movement of information within your company.

For more information on system notes, check out NetSuite’s help documentation on them. Also, if you’re interested in viewing this information in video format, check out our video on system notes below. And if this blog has been helpful, don’t forget to subscribe so that you never miss our latest NetSuite tips!