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Finding the right Partner for your NetSuite implementation is born out of our experience and having gone through it tens if not hundreds of times and could save you some major headaches down the road.
The market has an abundance of offerings in terms of ERP solutions so it is always exciting to have gone through a (potential) selection process and then to choose the solution that is the best fit for your organization (hint: NetSuite).
The even bigger hurdle, however, is not finding the right one (although that is a critical step). It is properly implementing the new system and all that goes along with it. That includes finding the right Partner for the job, the implementation itself, and the customizations & integrations that may go with it.
The list of tips for finding the right Partner for your NetSuite implementation could go on and on, but here is five to keep in mind as you embark on this journey of implementing NetSuite.
Finding the right partner is always a tough decision. Should you go with the one with the most experience? The cheapest one (that seems decent)? Maybe the young startup around the block that seems at the cutting edge of technology and has the hunger to make things happen.
Ultimately there are a few things to look out for that (as far as we're concerned) are extremely important for finding the right partner and having a successful implementation.
The partner's culture must be a good fit for your company's corporate culture as well. Are you a hip, up and coming marketing agency? Perhaps choosing a newer, younger Partner for your implementation would be the right move instead of having a Partner that shoes up in suits and charges you 1.5x what the other companies do. You may think you are paying for quality, but stay aware of the quality of the staff on your project.
You would think that I would have outlined pricing or competence by now (they are factors too) but having a single point of contact during your implementation in my experience is one of the major difference makers between a success and a flop.
Why? Because you have someone on your project who has the whole picture. And I'm not just talking about having a Project Manager, I'm talking about having a Lead Consultant that can act both as a "traditional" Project Manager but also Solution Architect and understands your business end-to-end as well as the solution being put in place in its entirety.
This is, undoubtedly, the most important factor for the success of your implementation. Nevermind just the success of your implementation, but also the post-implementation support.
Imagine having the same person be your go-to if you need support post-implementation. Sure, they may bring in some people from time to time to help with the workload, but they are the point of reference you can rely upon.
How many Partners can say they truly provide that? Very few, as far as I know.
You know your business inside and out because you live and breathe it. But how many Partners truly have industry knowledge? Most consultants and Partners have never actually worked a day in their life on the other side in the "industry" working and doing what you do now! Try to find a Partner that has the staff that has actually worked in something other than NetSuite implementations. This will allow the Partner assigned to you as a Client to have best practices to bring to the table when it comes to implementing NetSuite.
For example, although we can do any vertical here at Houseblend.io, we specialize in Digital First brands. In other words, those who have a webstore (Amazon, Shopify) and already have or are looking to implement NetSuite and connect the whole ecosystem to have one single source of truth.
Yes, location matters but not as much as you may think. Beware of "outsourcing" or "offshoring" or "nearshoring" depending on how they are referred to. You want to have the highest quality Partner for the most reasonable price. Make sure you have a Partner that is willing to step up to the plate and go on-site to see you and really understand your business and who you are while being budget-conscious.
Pricing is important but another "beware" here thrown in for Partners that outsource their work without telling their clients. Be aware! Even though the upfront cost may appear lower, do not be fooled as it will cost you exponentially more on the back end of the implementation. Would you rather pay 40 000$ for an initial fee and 80 000$ to repair or reimplement after? Or 70 000$ to have it all done professionally upfront with minimal post-implementation stabilization.
I will most likely be writing the second part of this post in the future, but for now, that will do. The only thing to do now is to take the plunge! Have faith in your implementation team and have the trust in them that they will implement NetSuite successfully and efficiently. Trust between the Client and the Partner is another factor that greatly helps cement all working relationships and extends the lifespan of the collaboration significantly... hopefully for a long long time to come! If things are not going as you'd like, please contact us.
