Forms are an essential part of the NetSuite ecosystem, NetSuite provides a standard set of forms for every record type, however users can and should be reviewing the standard fields on the form, and optimising them to ensure that they are designed for fast data entry.

NetSuite provides a standard set of forms for every record type, however users can and should be reviewing the standard fields on the form, and optimising them to ensure that they are designed for fast data entry. The impact on speed of data entry for a well optimised form can be huge to a business. Consider how many times a day, week, month, year that users are entering data and it is pretty easy to see how even a 10 to 20 second improvement in form completion times can save significant time for users. 

NetSuite administrators can customise the any standard form as per their business process requirements and needs and then set the newly created custom form as the preferred default form for the particular record. 
Further more, different types of forms can be created depending on the nature of the record. An example of this might be having two variations of a form to cater for simple purchase orders, and more complex purchase orders. 

In NetSuite, there are two types of forms:

• Entry forms
• Transaction forms

In this article we will help users understand how to set up the custom form for a faster data entry.

Optimising NetSuite Forms

There are four different elements in a custom form. These are:

• Standard and custom fields
• Standard and custom tabs
• Sub-lists and sub-list fields
• Standard and custom actions

We can customise each of these elements to make the form more user friendly and automated and save end users valuable time in form completion. 

To Customise a form, any user with administrative access should be able to see this option at the top of any form.

Another way to access the form customisation screen is from the tabs. Go to:

Customisation > Forms > choose the type of form you are trying to customise. 

In the list of the forms, find the form you want to modify and Click on ‘Customise’ or ‘Edit’ button to open the form settings in the edit mode.

After you have entered the form customisation screen, you can begin to make the changes required to optimise the end user data entry experience. 

Showing or hiding tabs

The necessary tabs can be shown or hidden in the edit mode of the corresponding form. The user has to find the tab in the list that should be shown and check the checkbox in the ‘Show’ column to show the tab and vice versa.

By hiding the unnecessary tabs the user can remove the un-required information that can be distracting for users. Please note that some of the NetSuite standard tabs cannot be hidden and the checkbox is disabled by NetSuite.

Renaming the tabs, fields, sub-lists and sub-list fields

The user can rename the tabs, fields, sub-lists and sub-list fields to a name that is more inline with the terminology commonly used in your business. This will result in better understanding for the user and make it easier for new users to pick up the system.

We can find the option to rename the fields in the ‘Screen Fields’ or ‘Fields’ tab, sub-lists and sub-list fields in the ‘Sub-lists’ and ‘Sub-list Fields’ tab and in the label column.

Showing or hiding fields

The necessary fields can be shown or hidden by checking or un-checking the checkbox in the ‘Show’ column to show the field and vice versa. Please note that some of the NetSuite standard tabs cannot be hidden and the checkbox is disabled by NetSuite.

We can find the option to show or hide the fields in the ‘Screen Fields’ or ‘Fields’ tab.

Modifying the field type as Mandatory

If there are necessary fields that should always be completed on the form, it’s a good idea to make the field mandatory to ensure data integrity and accurate reporting and searching. This will prompt users to enter values for the mandatory fields if they try to save the form without entering the required data. The field type can be changed to mandatory by checking the checkbox in the ‘Mandatory’ column.

Note: Think about the use case of making a field mandatory and use only when necessary, NetSuite will prevent users from saving a record if the field is mandatory, so make sure that this information is required 100% of the time, otherwise this can result in frustrated users or incorrect information. 

Changing the display type of a field and making it inline editable.

NetSuite gives us the flexibility to change the display type of the field as per our requirement. These options can be found in the ‘Display Type’ column. We can disable or make a field inline editable with this functionality. By default a field’s display type is selected as Normal.

Renaming and changing the display type of actions

There are different types of actions that can be performed in the form. We can rename these actions to a more user-friendly name. In addition to this the frequently used actions can be shown as a button and the less frequently used actions can be shown in the menu. This helps to make the form look cleaner and improves end user experience.

Show or hide Sub-lists and sub-list fields.

Different sub-lists in the form can be shown and hidden as per  business requirements. We recommended to hide a field if it is not relevant to the user or the form.

In addition to the above changes, we can also modify the custom fields in the field setup page. These changes apply to all forms using that field. We will be giving our advice for how to get the most out of NetSuite custom field creation in our upcoming tips and how-to’s.

Follow Klugo for NetSuite Hint’s and Tips. We post every Tuesday and Thursday. If you have any specific topics you would like us to cover, please feel free to reach out.

SuiteConnect was held in Sydney in February 2019. We, met with the RF-SMART team and discussed the Inventory Management tools available with their mobile solution built for NetSuite.

Whether you are a company that is already on the NetSuite platform or looking for an ERP solution that will help solve your inventory warehousing issues, RF-SMART is a solution to seriously consider. Not only does RF-SMART enhance existing NetSuite functionality, but it also extends NetSuite capabilities with features such as Cycle Counting, Pick Planner and Pack Station.

Speaking from experience, when Inventory Management becomes a discussion point during the sales discovery, common issues businesses have been and are not limited to:

• Inaccurate Inventory; Cushion Stock, Stock in the wrong location
• Missed Shipments & Order Reworking
• Increasing Shipping Costs & Timeliness of receipting and fulfilling
• Manually recording/keying transaction data into the current system
• Human counting and keying errors
• Operation shutdown to complete stock takes
• No picker planner for staff to fulfil orders
• Transactions entered after the fact
• Human counting and keying errors

RF-SMART enables businesses to automate processes by and not limited to:

• Enabling transacting from Purchase Orders as soon as items have arrived
• Scan and put away items
• Alerting the users if the items are required right away or if there is a storage
• Workers are set on the most efficient picking path
• Clear visibility to inform the user if items are in multiple locations
• A pick is validated when the item is scanned
• Replace operation stock take shutdowns with cycle counts
• Eliminate human counting and keying errors with scanning

RF-SMART is another excellent solution that leverages the power of NetSuite. Whether you are currently on the NetSuite platform and want to enhance your WMS operations or looking to move to NetSuite and want to solve typical inventory/warehousing issues with scalable technology, RF-SMART is the solution.

For more information, visit RF-SMART

RF-SMART for NetSuite can be implemented in Australia through Solution Providers like Klugo. Follow us, we will keep you informed about the latest Solutions available to enhance NetSuite like RF-SMART.

We often sit at work with two or more screens open, one for business operations and the other to track other important information like daily news or our company’s Facebook or Twitter account. RSS (Rich Site Summary) feeds enable NetSuite users to free up that extra desktop screen by showing a quick snapshot of other sources of information.

The NetSuite Dashboard is a powerful tool that allows users to customise and configure a personalised home screen around the tasks and information they deal with on a day to day basis. James Schwarz, Klugo’s Implementation Consultant, explains how the RSS Feed function can bring external information directly in the NetSuite Dashboard. A powerful portlet which is often underutilised.

An RSS Feed is a service that can be subscribed to and gives a flow of information that can be fed directly to other applications like NetSuite’s Dashboard. NetSuite provides standard RSS Feeds like Yahoo Business News and ESPN headlines, but it can also be personalised to users’ needs. NetSuite allows users to add custom feeds to their dashboard with RSS URLs, many online tools offer this service and even some of these are free.

A simple Google search will result in a list of RSS builders that can be used. For the example below, the online tool Fetch RSS was used to generate a link for Klugo’s Facebook account feed.

Setting an RSS feed in NetSuite.

1. Click the “Personalise Link” on your dashboard and drag the RSS Atom Feed portlet onto your dashboard.

2. Select Set Up in the top right corner of the portlet.

3. Select Custom and copy in the RSS Feed URL you have generated through an online tool and click on save.

The result, we have Klugo’s Facebook posts directly on the NetSuite Dashboard! 

There are also specific RSS Feed converters on the web that are more in depth allowing you to drill down on specific results. For example simpletracking.com will give you updates on DHL tracking numbers.

Take advantage of this powerful tool and Stay tuned for more NetSuite tips and tricks.

Many users are aware that the customer record, like other entity records, have a dashboard view. What users don’t take advantage of is adding the Timeline portlet that outlines the interaction between the entities.

Personalise your Customer Dashboard

1. Switch to the Customer Dashboard view by clicking on View Dashboard located in the top corner, to the right from the Customer’s Name.

3. Enable this useful feature by dragging the Timeline portlet onto the page.

Sales Reps and Account Managers can take advantage of this feature to get a quick overview with regards to the communication and interaction. Records and transactions such as Sales Orders, Estimates, Phone Calls and Messages can be viewed in this portlet.

The portlet will inform the users on details such as the date it was created/sent, transaction status and totals. It is a perfect tool to keep staff informed but also very useful to bring new staff members up to date with your customers’ activity.

At the moment, this portlet is only available for the Customers dashboard. There’s no information if this feature will be made available for Vendors or Partners dashboards, follow us, and we will keep you updated on the matter.

We’ve all pinned sticky notes on our screens, desks or walls at some point to remind us of relevant information. A couple of well-placed notes can have a significant impact on getting your daily goals.

NetSuite has a bundle that allows you to create and pin notes on the screen, saving the world form paper and glue, and bringing you that 90’s nostalgia that makes you smile. Read Klugo Business Consultant, Henry Sack’s tip on the SuiteApp Sticky Notes.

Sticky Notes SuiteApp Bundle

StickyNotes enables users to create and track notes on NetSuite record pages. StickyNotes can be highlighted with traffic light colouring allowing prioritisation on screen. These notes are faster to use and manage than toggling between tabs or writing general records.

StickyNotes users create these digital reminders to hold temporary information that does not need to be stored permanently for historical reporting. Users can create private or public notes, both can be addressed to another user or multiple users.

Users can manage all their notes attached to all records via the StickyNotes Board. The board gives the user the ability to sort, filter, archive, delete and reply as well as search and change the view between list and grid.

Last but not least, StickyNotes is a free managed NetSuite SuiteApp bundle. Installation is easy. Simply go to Customisation > SuiteBundler > Search & Install Bundles and type in either StickyNotes or #49018 (Bundle ID) then click on Install.

SuiteApps, like StickyNotes, are applications that extend NetSuite for your industry and business needs. They run completely inside NetSuite and live in the same database as your data. For more tips and information of useful SuiteApps and more from NetSuite follow our corporate Social Media and follow our Consultants’ profiles below.

NetSuite is a lot of software when you look at it in the big scheme of things, so knowing how to NetSuite Navigation, as well as search data and utilise custom portlets on your dashboards is key. There are some great inbuilt tools that make NetSuite Navigation easy to learn and will majorly enhance your NetSuite Navigation end user experience from day one.

NetSuite Navigation

As with any new software, getting used to the interface takes time. That being said, NetSuite makes it easy to give new users a familiar experience, as the system is navigatable just like a website. Links and searches form the basis of NetSuite navigation which is great because these can be configured to each user to make NetSuite exactly what you want.

1. NetSuite Navigation Portlet

NetSuite Navigation Portlet Example The NetSuite Navigation Portlet can be downloaded from Suite bundles and gives users a pre-canned set of the most commonly used pages, categorised by a number of different roles. You have up to 3 Nav Portlets on each of your dashboards to ensure links to your most commonly used areas of the system are easily accessible.

2. NetSuite Tabs

The Tabs available to a user are dependent on the roles and permissions that have been assigned to them. A great tip is that you don’t have to rely on one “home” dashboard. You can actually have a dashboard for each Tab header that you have access too. As a result, the best NetSuite users make sure they optimise each tab with a dashboard relevant to that function, making it much easier to quickly navigate, get information and make decisions. NetSuite Tab Example  The best part is that you don’t have to see what you don’t need. By turning off irrelevant tabs, you can simplify your work-space and have a much better end-user experience.

3. NetSuite Shortcuts

The shortcuts feature in our experience is underutilised by most users. Not only can you build a quick list of pages within NetSuite you frequently visit, but you can also add any external websites that you may also need to visit on a daily basis, for example:

• Online Banking
• Company Website
• Social Media or News Feeds

NetSuite dashboards really can become the internet hub for any user, if they make the effort to set this up correctly. In our experience, spending a couple of minutes to set this up correctly, can save hours a month in time spent navigating to other pages both internal and external to NetSuite.

NetSuite Shortcuts Setup

Generally, when you have users accessing different tabs in NetSuite,  they have a different task to execute each time. This means that they will most often use specific pages to execute their own jobs. So, it can pay some dividends for members to set-up their own shortcuts, particularly on the pages they think are commonly used. This works just like when setting up favourite sites in any internet browser.

5. NetSuite Recent Records

Recent Records Recent records will show you the last 20 odd pages you visited. This is especially useful for when you are completing transactions and want to go back to the previous record. An example would be if you have converted a lead to an opportunity but want to revisit the lead record to check additional information that isn’t necessarily carried over into the opportunity record.