10 Signs Your NetSuite Implementation Project is Going Off Track

Implementing a new technology solution like a NetSuite system is a daunting task. You may face many problems or unforeseen situations. But, everything can go right if you plan well and have an expert team manage the implementation project. Let’s look at 10 signs indicating that your NetSuite implementation project is going off-track. If you see these mistakes in the execution, understand that you are going wrong. Prepare the measures to solve these issues in advance.

No understanding of the NetSuite system

Your ignorance about the solution is a sign of your NetSuite implementation project going off-track. NetSuite is not just any ERP system. You need to know it comprehensively to maximize its benefits for your business.

You must know its several features, functionalities, and modules. You must be aware of the various possible customizations for your sector of operations. It is a unique solution that combines several business processes, such as CRM, ERP, HRM, inventory management, NetSuite eCommerce, and accounting and financial management.

It provides you access to real-time data for better analysis and insights into your processes. The best feature is that you do not need additional IT infrastructure and resources to run different applications. This way, you can save IT costs.

You can integrate many business applications with the NetSuite system to make it work as one single platform and, thus, improve your productivity. You can also run it on your mobiles, giving you anywhere and anytime access.

The absence of business requirements document for the NetSuite system

You start the NetSuite implementation project and still do not have a business requirements document. A sign of failure. When you don’t know your expectations from the NetSuite system, how will you achieve them?

The new system might not suit your business without a clear definition of business requirements. You may get the wrong customizations, or the implementation does not result in the expected efficiencies.

Therefore, you must analyze your business needs. Identify the gaps in your current processes, systems, and workflows. Check the features and functionalities of the NetSuite system that will fill these gaps and make your business more productive.

Identify the opportunities that the new system will bring in terms of better processes, time savings, and reduced costs. It would be best if you even considered the future alignment of the NetSuite system with the future needs of your business. You must be able to answer these questions:

What modules do you want?
What implementation method do you want to go for?
What data do you want to migrate?
Do you want to go for NetSuite implementation all by yourself, or do you need an external NetSuite consultant?

The Absence of a NetSuite Implementation Plan

The most common reason for the failure of the NetSuite implementation project is the absence of a plan or a poorly made plan. An implementation plan is essential to know all the steps and identify when you are going in the wrong direction.

What is ERP implementation plan?

NetSuite ERP implementation plan is detailed chart prepared capturing the necessary process and activities, as under:

Project goals
Smaller phases and milestones for each phase
Timelines for each phase
Costing for each phase
List of tasks to achieve the goals
List of data migrations required
Allocated resources and their responsibilities
A schedule of meetings to discuss project updates
List of modules and customizations
Training required

Such a full-proof plan will guide your NetSuite implementation and bring you back in line when you go off-track.

Frequent Time Delays in The Project Phases

Time delays are the most common signs of an off-track NetSuite implementation project.

When you plan for the NetSuite system implementation, you divide the project into several small phases. You determine the timelines for each phase – start date, duration, and end date. Thus, you get the deadline date for every milestone of the NetSuite implementation project.

But, along the project journey, the subsequent phases get delayed if you delay one or more phases. Reasons for such time delay can be:

Time forecasts are wrongly calculated
Absent, insufficient, or unskilled human resources
Misaligned business requirements
Misunderstandings between the implementation team and senior management
Complicated or unforeseen customizations
Additional time taken by data migration

To overcome such situations, you must pay full attention to them during the planning phase. Allocate skilled staff members to complete project phases on time. Resolve conflicts fast and stick to the project scope to avoid time delays.

The NetSuite Implementation Project Going Over Budget

If your budget is overshooting, that is a sign of the NetSuite implementation project going wrong.

Your NetSuite implementation project planning involves preparing the budget for it. You predict the costs based on previous implementation projects, timelines, and skills required. Despite proper planning, your project costs may overshoot because of the following possible reasons:

The project scope is inaccurate
Skills requirements are not adequately planned
You may not need some modules or customizations which you have added
You have allocated more employees for the project than required
The project team is adding other project expenses to the NetSuite implementation project

To avoid going over budget:

Plan your budget carefully before starting the project
Ensure that you consider all the factors before making cost forecasts
Monitor the expenses during the entire duration of the project to check for fake bills

Low User Acceptance or Difficulty in Understanding the System

A common sign of the NetSuite implementation project going off-track is the user’s inability to use it. There can be two reasons for this:

Resistance to use

Users are not willing to accept and adopt the new NetSuite solution. This can be a situation where users are too comfortable with the existing systems. They do not want any change in their routine or do not want to learn the new system.

Resistance to technology and innovation is a significant factor contributing to this unwillingness. They may lack the confidence to understand the system and use it. Senior management or NetSuite consultants can motivate such employees to make them comfortable around the new system.

No Training or Difficulty in Understanding

Users are willing to use the NetSuite solution but cannot understand or are not appropriately trained to use it. Herein, the role of NetSuite consultants and senior management is crucial.

Employees are already motivated enough but lack an understanding of the system. The key lies in conducting sufficient training for the employees. To explain to the users, you must use all online and offline methods, learning materials, and software demonstrations.

You can start with training them only for their role-specific responsibilities. Once they develop expertise in their duties, you can prepare them for other modules or processes. Frequent sessions with external NetSuite experts can also help you with the training.

No preparations for the go-live

During the NetSuite implementation project, you see that there is no groundwork for the go-live. Preparations in terms of keeping:

Developers and testers ready for sudden tweaks in the system before going live
Customer support ready to answer questions and doubts of first-time users

Go-live is a difficult phase. No matter how much you prepare for it, it gives jitters. To avoid any unforeseen situations or inefficiencies, you must prepare yourselves. Developers, testers, and customer support are essential even in the post-implementation stage to make adjustments and resolve issues.

Frequent conflicts between team members

If you witness frequent conflicts and disagreements between team members, understand that the NetSuite implementation project is going off-track. Disputes mean stakeholders do not agree on many aspects of the project.

The conflicts and disagreements can be due to:

Every department needs the module for their business function’s efficiency
Teams do not agree on the customizations
NetSuite implementation project team does not agree on timelines and budgets
Employees are not ready for the changes that the NetSuite system will bring
Disagreements between technical teams (developers and testers)

You must implement effective measures to resolve these conflicts. A NetSuite consultant can be an effective solver of such disputes. The best tactic is to plan the implementation comprehensively to reduce the possibility of clashes.

Data loss

If you find that data loss occurs during the migration process from the existing application to NetSuite, your project is off-track. Incorrect data migration techniques may result in data loss, corrupted data, or incomplete transfer of data. All these situations are not suitable for your processes and operations.

The solution to avoid data loss would be to plan your data migration comprehensively. You can automate the data migration to save time and effort. If you do it manually, your data will be cleansed, improving its overall quality. Whatever data migration approach you take, ensure to execute it smartly to guarantee your project’s success.

Complete chaos during the NetSuite implementation project

When you see:

Employees not knowing what to do
Delays happening across the project
Unnecessary expenses
No communication between team members
No agreement between the senior management and NetSuite implementation team
Conflicts and blame games

These signs depict a situation of complete chaos, resulting in the failure of the NetSuite implementation project. It usually happens when the allocation of resources for the project is not appropriate. Team members don’t know what they have to do daily, or the reporting structure is not defined properly.

In such cases, the NetSuite project manager must identify the skills required during the project planning phase. Once skills are identified, determine the human resources with those skills and allocate work accordingly. Explain to every employee their roles, responsibilities, and expectations. With the proper allocation of resources, you can ensure no delays, no extra expenses, and constant communication.

About Cloudiotech

If you see any of these signs in your NetSuite implementation project, understand that it is about to fail. Hiring an expert NetSuite consultant is the best way to reduce the possibility of your project’s failure. And you have the best choice of a NetSuite services provider – Cloudiotech.

To ensure a successful NetSuite implementation project, partner with Cloudiotech. We are a leading provider of NetSuite implementation, integration, and NetSuite customization services for clients in the US and UAE. If you are making a move to NetSuite, let us help you with the transformation journey.

We provide you with comprehensive support for your business’s transition to the new system. We prepare your business and employees to utilize the NetSuite system to its full potential. With us, you just don’t benefit from the planning but also the successful execution of the NetSuite implementation project.

Supercharge your business productivity and efficiency

With Cloudiotech’s NetSuite solutions and services.

10 Signs Your NetSuite Implementation Project is Going Off Track