With so many NetSuite support options on the market, it can be confusing and frustrating trying to find the best fit for your business. We’ve outlined the most common support choices of companies using NetSuite and the benefits and challenges of each to help you boost your NetSuite solution.

Internal NetSuite Administrator

Somewhat self-explanatory, an Internal NetSuite Administrator is an organization’s internal employee that is tasked with managing NetSuite.

The Pros

• Locality
• Familiarity with customer’s business operations

The Cons

• Limited understanding of NetSuite (one person can’t be an expert in all things)
• Typically unavailable on the weeknights, weekends, and holidays
• An IT salary is about 20% more than the cost of using a Managed Services Provider
• Turnover might result in a complete lack of in-house knowledge
• NetSuite administration Is often not the sole focus of this person’s job (causing limitations in their focus, availability, and advancing of their skill set)

Who we think an Internal NetSuite Administrator is best for
This support option would be best for organizations that currently have an in-house admin and a strong company-wide understanding of NetSuite functionalities. If your organization is in the early stages of implementation or in need of post-implementation support, we recommend you consider another option that can help manage and optimize your NetSuite business processes throughout all stages.

NetSuite Professional Services – SuiteConsulting

NetSuite Professional Services, or “SuiteConsulting,” is NetSuite’s internal consulting organization.  Under this support option, implementation is a hands-on project that is jointly managed by a NetSuite Consulting Team and the customer. Typically, organizations in the planning stages of customized business processes or in the early stages of implementation rely on SuiteConsulting for support.

The Pros

• “It’s NetSuite, NetSuite knows their product best”
• Available to engage from the outset of the product sales cycle
• No need to do market research on alternative service providers as additional options

The Cons

• Tend to lead customers to the broadest features/functionality, and first-time NetSuite users may not know which advanced modules make sense, or what business processes need customization right away
• Distant consultants can be difficult to contact – this can cause miscommunication and frustration
• Provides a subjective angle (especially regarding the implementation of NetSuite advanced modules and integration with other applications)
• Lacks specialized post-implementation support
• Can be expensive depending on how specialized an organization plans to tailor its NetSuite system
• Your relationship ends at the end of the project deadline
  
  

Who we think SuiteConsulting is best for
If your business has an existing knowledge of NetSuite, and has a basic understanding of which modules you would like to implement and which applications you need integrated, SuiteConsulting could work well for you. However, if you feel your organization would benefit from pre- and post-implementation and integration support, this may not be the best option.

NetSuite Support – (Silver, Gold, Platinum)

NetSuite Support, or “SuiteSupport,” is not surprisingly the most common support option among NetSuite users in the market today for the basic ongoing support of your (already implemented) NetSuite deployment. SuiteSupport offers 3 levels of varied support that customers can choose from, depending on their own perceived needs.

The Pros

• Provides three separate levels of support (Silver, Gold, Platinum) so customers can personalize the service to their needs
  
• “It’s NetSuite, NetSuite knows their product best”
• Fixed fee pricing
  

The Cons

• Not set up to deliver the necessary personalization or one-on-one attention to tailor NetSuite best for your organization
• Provides a subjective angle in regards to NetSuite challenges
• Lacks specialized post-implementation support
• Only the Platinum support option (NetSuite’s highest level of premium custom support) provides customers with a dedicated support representative and program manager
• Can be expensive depending on the level of support required
• Online case submissions are prioritized by perceived severity
• Lower levels of support limit the number of case submissions by telephone; most have to be submitted via email

Who we think SuiteSupport is best for
If your organization already has a solid grip on NetSuite and has implemented and optimized the system, we think SuiteSupport will provide value with basic support needs. Organizations that feel they need dedicated personnel and will not be able to have their problems solved via email or a call center might prefer Managed Services or an Independent Consulting Firm.

Independent Consulting Firm

We use the word “independent” in this case to describe a consulting firm that is independent from NetSuite, typically in one of NetSuite’s structured partner programs. Similar to NetSuite Professional Services or SuiteConsulting, the Independent Consulting Firm specializes in specific deadline-driven NetSuite projects (i.e. system integrations).

The Pros

• Objective view of NetSuite
• Team of resources focused on specific NetSuite projects such as
  • Health Checks and Assessments
  • Integrations
  • Optimizations

The Cons

• Can be expensive depending on the firm and the project
• Relationship ends at the end of the project
• Often involves “junior” resources
• Lack of unique tools, ITSM platform, Service Level Agreements (SLA’s), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), and structured support processes
• Singular resource -- you’re solely reliant on the knowledge of whomever’s assigned to you

Who we think an Independent Consulting Firm is best for
This support option is best for organizations that need support solely with deadline-driven project initiatives, such as adding a new business unit, adding a new module, or a system integration; no ongoing support of the deployment is needed.

Managed Service Provider

Managed Services provide your organization with a full team of NetSuite experts with 24/7/365 availability to manage, integrate, and optimize your NetSuite ERP system.

The Pros

• A team of experts is available to you 24/7/365
• Plays on the collective strengths of each team member for a well-rounded knowledge base
• Specializes in both pre- and post-implementation support
• Provides an objective angle to NetSuite obstacles
• An MSP’s sole priority is to generate a plan that will allow customers to leverage applications in a way that benefits their business
• Typically costs about 20% less than an in-house IT specialist and a fraction of the price of an average consulting firm
• Is familiar with the common frustrations customers have with NetSuite projects – they have a playbook from similar projects they’ve had success with
• Frees up any internal IT member to focus on strategic initiatives (the MSP can take care of the tactical or vice versa)
• Unique tools: ITSM platform, Service Level Agreements (SLA’s), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), and structured support processes

The Cons

• Can be expensive depending on the provider
• Can have the same limitations as a consulting firm, if the vendor isn’t structured as a true Managed Services Provider with a dedicated team that’s separate from their consulting operations, specific tools designed for operational support, the ability to escalate issues, etc.

Who we think a Managed Service Provider is best for
This support option is great for organizations that prefer a full team of NetSuite experts available to them 24/7/365. The Managed Service Provider is also a great choice for business that want their internal IT team to spend time focusing on strategic initiatives, because the MSP can take care of the more tactical.