Table of Contents

NetSuite is a powerful, real-time, cloud-based ERP (enterprise resource planning) software that is part of the Oracle software ecosystem. The Oracle NetSuite platform can be used for everything from accounting and billing to order management, procurement, inventory management, supply chain management, and more. NetSuite uses a SaaS pricing model, in which NetSuite users are billed a monthly fee and receive access to the NetSuite cloud ERP over the Internet.

Related Reading: The NetSuite integration guide

Using the NetSuite ERP system to its full capacity will help you highlight and optimize your organization’s strengths while also exposing your weaknesses for improvement. NetSuite can improve your business management and project management workflows, reveal key insights through dashboards and visualizations, and more.

However, even a powerhouse application like NetSuite will need customization and integration with other applications to get the most out of the platform. That’s why you need a well-defined NetSuite development plan. In this article, we’ll offer a complete guide to NetSuite development, so that you can get started customizing your NetSuite solution to precisely fit your business needs.

What is NetSuite Development?

NetSuite development is the process of creating a custom software solution for your Oracle NetSuite deployment. By knowing how to use NetSuite at its maximum effectiveness, you can build your own NetSuite-based applications to support your overarching business intelligence (BI) strategy.

Related Reading: What is NetSuite Software? What is NetSuite Database?

The power of NetSuite is unmatched: it combines accounting, financial management, CRM, and e-commerce into a single platform. Yet even with all this functionality, NetSuite users sometimes find that certain features aren’t available or don’t perform in the way they need.

NetSuite development puts the reins back in your hands, enabling you to create and customize the software to make your NetSuite desires a reality. You have the freedom to make your IT resources fit your business requirements as your company grows and evolves, instead of the other way around.

Of course, NetSuite development requires good NetSuite developers. These individuals have a deep well of knowledge and experience that they can pull from to create the perfect software-based solutions. They know how to integrate the applications and systems in your IT ecosystem—whether on-premises or in the cloud—and they can build and customize applications to fill in any gaps.

Fortunately, NetSuite has already been designed to be a “plug-and-play” software solution. NetSuite modules are add-ons that enhance the default NetSuite platform. For example, the NetSuite SuiteCommerce module provides a mobile-optimized e-commerce website for your business that is already integrated with the NetSuite CRM and inventory management functions.

Need more proof? Just check out a few testimonials from real NetSuite users. On the business software review website G2, for example, NetSuite has received an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on more than 1,700 reviews. NetSuite user R.M., a director at a mid-market company, praises the platform’s extensive options for customization:

“This is an outstanding ERP platform. Being a cloud-hosted system makes maintenance and support so much easier. NetSuite is also extremely customizable. You can write JavaScript inside it to completely automate so many business processes and apply business logic… If you are a mid-size business considering ERP systems, Oracle NetSuite is a terrific choice. The customization options are outstanding. There is a huge community out there to help you solve problems and share ideas.”

How to Find NetSuite Developer Resources

The good news is that NetSuite already offers a wide range of developer resources for its users. If you’re just getting started with NetSuite development, you might want to read some introductory articles on the NetSuite website, such as  “Building Your Application on NetSuite”.

In addition, NetSuite has established the SuiteCloud Developer Network for NetSuite developers to access the tools, training, and resources they need. Oracle also offers NetSuite certification for administrators, developers, and users to establish their credentials as an expert in the NetSuite platform.

Looking for NetSuite development information fast? Here’s an overview of the customization tools and functionality in NetSuite:

  • SuiteScript: A NetSuite platform that allows users to write JavaScript business process automation scripts.
  • Customizations: A tool within the NetSuite SuiteCloud customization and integration platform for defining custom fields, forms, records, and roles, so that the NetSuite software better reflects your organization’s structure and hierarchy.
  • Platform Development: A tool for building new NetSuite applications and processes in JavaScript.
  • Integration: A tool for building custom integrations to migrate data out of NetSuite and into third-party applications.

However, there’s one thing to note before you get started with NetSuite development. Because NetSuite is so powerful and feature-rich, it will take time to get used to it: both implementing it into your daily workflow and customizing it to fit your needs. Having access to the right NetSuite developers and development resources can make the transition process smoother.

If you don’t have the budget or room for an in-house NetSuite developer, you might consider working with a third-party NetSuite partner. Even without in-depth NetSuite expertise, you can check out the NetSuite Suite Bundler, a NetSuite service that helps developers package, deploy, and distribute NetSuite applications. You also have access to the apps and customizations created by NetSuite developers at SuiteApp. Last but not least, you can choose an ETL (extract, transform, load) tool that will integrate your NetSuite data with the rest of your applications and systems.

How to Integrate NetSuite with Other Software

NetSuite is one of the most powerful ERP solutions on the market, and NetSuite data can be tremendously valuable for analytics and data-driven decision-making. In order to use this data, however, you need to ensure that you can efficiently transfer it into third-party tools and software.

The good news is that you can integrate NetSuite with the other applications and systems in your IT environment. Depending on your integration method, however, it may be trickier than you realize.

Determining not only what programs you need, but also how they integrate and what their capabilities are, is a daunting task if you don’t have previous experience with NetSuite integration. Not all companies are in the position to have an in-house developer who can piece everything together and keep it all running smoothly.

If this describes your situation, then using a dedicated ETL tool is often the way to go. The best ETL tools have an extensive list of connectors and integrations, making it easy for even non-technical users to link up their applications. They also make use of 

How Integrate.io Can Help with NetSuite Development and Integration

This NetSuite customization guide has discussed the basics of NetSuite development. Now how do you actually put this information into practice?

To make meaningful use of your NetSuite data, you need to transfer the information you’ve collected into a centralized repository, such as a data warehouse or data lake. This makes it easier to establish a “single source of truth” that everyone can access, and that contains the freshest, most accurate data for new analytics workloads. How do you accomplish this? By choosing an ETL (extract, transform, load) platform like Integrate.io.

Integrate.io is a robust data integration platform that offers a simple drag-and-drop visual interface with low-code and no-code functionality, enabling anyone to get started with NetSuite development. Integrate.io provides access to more than 140 out-of-the-box integrations, including NetSuite, so that you can rapidly build data workflows regardless of the applications in your IT environment.

Want to learn more on how Integrate.io can help you integrate your NetSuite data? Schedule a call today with our team of data experts to discuss your business goals and requirements, and to start your 7-day pilot of the Integrate.io platform.