A 360 Degree View of Your Business

Business requirements analysis is the most important and the least understood task in the NetSuite Implementation project.

The first step introduces your company and business model to us, the consultant. In our first meeting we have as little understanding of your business as you have of NetSuite. The goal is to bring our two knowledge bases together, so that we exploit NetSuite for your business model. To achieve the goal we ask a lot of questions and challenge you to think broadly and deeply about your business.

Next, we start to marry your requirements to Netsuite functions. Here, we introduce you to NetSuite functionality. The more back and forth discussion we have the more details we add to the requirements and the more tightly integrated your business model and NetSuite become.

Finally, we start to actually configure the system with your requirements until you have a system that you can use to start testing scenarios.

Frankly, business requirements analysis takes place over the entire project. Little tweaks to our understanding and to the system configurations will happen until we have it correct, complete and you are satisfied.

Though Business Requirements Analysis is sometimes a painstaking process, the outcomes prove very useful not only for the NetSuite implementation but for overall business understanding. These meetings often bring out misunderstandings and process breakdown points. Making key managers aware of these often leads to better overall processes.

The biggest mistake made by companies that self-implement is that they skip the requirements analysis and dive right into configuration. Of course they assume that they understand their business, but we have found that in many cases their assumptions are as often wrong as right.

Having an outsider analyze business practices and processes creates an opportunity to adopt best, or better, practices. The NetSuite implementation that starts with an exhaustive business requirements analysis ends with a better business and a better NetSuite implementation.

NetSuite Configuration takes a very prominent role in our Agile Implementation method. "Prototype early and often" is our mantra and this means that from the very beginning we will configure the system with the client, in stages, testing as we move forward.

The alternative approach is the 'Waterfall' where the consultant takes the requirements and does the configuration by themself. The users are brought in and given the final configuration to bless without ever knowing other possible options or the decisions the consultant made alone. Some clients are happy to have someone else take over their NetSuite account, saving them a lot of time and energy. But in the long run they regret this decision, as new business requirements leave them straining for answers.

Configuration by prototype enables the users to learn the system intimately, while also increasing the consultant's understanding of the business. Working through prototypes creates a perfect 'give and take' opportunity for the implementation team. It's unusual for Small and Medium Enterprises to have system analysis skillsets on staff. In most cases where these skillsets are lacking, it's best to work with the system 'in front' of us. This gives subject matter experts and business users an opportunity to speak directly to the system before them.

The result is a sound configuration, fewer surprises at rollout and a user community with a deep understanding of how NetSuite works. It's a win-win method for implementing a new NetSuite Account.