Using NetSuite can, at times, be a frustrating experience. Where do you go for help when you get stuck with NetSuite? What are the resources that are available to you, beyond contacting your NetSuite administrator or NetSuite Support? Let’s look at some key NetSuite resources. While some of these may already be your go-to places for NetSuite help, chances are this list will also introduce you to new resources that you could explore.
Improving NetSuite Functionality
First, let’s look at some resources that improve the actual functionality of NetSuite.
SuiteApps
If your struggle with NetSuite is simply that NetSuite doesn’t seem to be able to do what you need it to do, then you may just need to install a SuiteApp. SuiteApps can adjust NetSuite’s functionality by targeting specific business processes or even focusing on the needs of certain industries. Some SuiteApps were developed directly by NetSuite, but others were developed by NetSuite partners, NetSuite solution providers, and third party developers. If you’re looking for a specific functionality, then peruse the complete list of SuiteApps on this Help Center page.
There are two ways you can access and install SuiteApps: from the Search & Install Bundles page in NetSuite (Customization > SuiteBundler > Search & Install Bundles) or from the SuiteApp Marketplace (SuiteApps). These two locations house different SuiteApps, so you would want to check both when looking for a particular SuiteApp. Many SuiteApps are free to install, but some will either have limited availability or require a fee.
SuiteIdeas
If NetSuite doesn’t seem to able to do something specific—and you can’t find a suitable SuiteApp—then you may consider using SuiteIdeas. SuiteIdeas is a place where NetSuite users can submit suggestions for NetSuite improvements and vote on other users’ ideas. To access SuiteIdeas, log in with the NetSuite Support Center role and choose the SuiteIdeas portlet from the Support dashboard. In SuiteIdeas, search for the idea you have to see if someone else has already made that suggestion. If your idea already exists in SuiteIdeas, then vote for it to increase its visibility. If, however, your idea hasn’t yet been suggested, then you can submit your unique idea by navigating to the SuiteIdeas homepage and selecting File a New Idea.
Official NetSuite Documentation
Maybe your struggle isn’t with the functionality of NetSuite; rather, you may be getting stuck with the best practices for using the features that your NetSuite instance already has. Here are some NetSuite resources that can answer your specific questions about how to use the software.
SuiteAnswers
SuiteAnswers is a familiar tool for many NetSuite users. A treasure trove of information, SuiteAnswers has broad articles as well as detailed articles. In addition to articles about how existing NetSuite features work, SuiteAnswers also contains the Release Notes for new releases, enabling you to prepare in advance for upcoming NetSuite features. You can get to SuiteAnswers by navigating to Support > Go to SuiteAnswers.
When you search for a topic in SuiteAnswers, you’ll be taken to the Results Overview page. To the left of the list of results, you can see the breakdown of how many results there are in total, as well as how many results there are for each different type of result.
Some of the different types of search results that you could get include support articles, which are created based on actual NetSuite support cases; videos related to your keyword; help topics articles; PDFs of slides from previous SuiteWorld presentations; and the occasional best practices tip. If you just want to see video search results, then you could select the Videos tab to the right of the Home tab.
If you’re in a help topics article in SuiteAnswers and need more information about the topic, then you could scroll down to the end of the article and check out the Related Topics that are linked there. It can be easy to get sucked into the vortex of never-ending related articles, however, so search with care!
NetSuite Help Center
The NetSuite Help Center is another place where you can search for answers to your NetSuite questions. To access the Help Center, simply select Help at the top of NetSuite. Certain pages in NetSuite have articles about them in the Help Center. If you select the Help button while you are on those NetSuite pages, then the Help Center will automatically pull up articles related to those pages.
All of the help topics articles that are in SuiteAnswers are also in the Help Center. One key difference between SuiteAnswers and the Help Center, however, is that the Help Center is more structured than SuiteAnswers. On the left-hand side of the Help Center, you will see a clearly organized table of contents. With this clear hierarchy among topics, the Help Center is a useful place to go if you want to see where your topic fits into the entire realm of NetSuite knowledge.
The Help Center also has a variety of options available in the top tabs.
In addition to being able to access SuiteAnswers from the Help Center, you can also see some developer documentation, view videos on certain topics, access training, view the SuiteApps that are available, access the user guides (which give detailed information about specific areas of NetSuite), and see notes on the new release.
NetSuite User Groups
While SuiteAnswers and the Help Center are incredibly useful, at times you just need to take your questions to a real person. NetSuite provides several support packages that your company can choose from which would give you access to NetSuite Support, but you also have some other options for assistance.
Online User Groups
The online NetSuite user groups, otherwise known as NetSuite communities, allow users to interact with other NetSuite users as well as NetSuite Certified Consultants. Though you do have to register to be part of the NetSuite community, anyone with general access to NetSuite and a current NetSuite account should be able to register at this link. Once you are registered with a NetSuite user community, you can access it from the NetSuite User Group portlet on the Support tab in NetSuite.
Regional User Groups
Another way you could build relationships with other NetSuite users, learn more about NetSuite as a whole, and find answers to your NetSuite questions is to visit a NetSuite user group in your area. Depending on your location, you may need to travel a bit, but there are user groups scattered across the United States, including states like California, Texas, New York, Georgia, and Florida, to name a few. You can find these groups and determine which one would be best for you to attend by searching for “NetSuite user groups” online.
Bonus Tips
Before wrapping up, let’s look at some bonus tips for getting help with NetSuite.
status.netsuite.com
If your problem with NetSuite is simply that the software itself seems to be unresponsive, then you could go to status.netsuite.com to check the current status of NetSuite’s performance. Doing this will help you know if the problem you’re seeing is on NetSuite’s end rather than yours.
Self-Investigate
While all of the methods we have just discussed could fall under self-investigation, you may need to take your questions outside of the NetSuite umbrella altogether. You can always search for your questions in your favorite browser or look for videos demonstrating what you need to know on YouTube. Different websites and YouTube channels (like this blog and the SuiteRep YouTube channel) exist to help round out your grasp of NetSuite as a whole. There are also NetSuite user groups on LinkedIn that you could join. Many NetSuite users have likely come across the same questions that you have, and they just might have made the solution readily available for you online!
Conclusion
These NetSuite resources provide invaluable assistance to all NetSuite users, no matter your experience level.
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