Implementing a new ERP system like NetSuite is a major undertaking that requires careful planning and preparation. One of the most important pre-implementation steps is conducting a fit-gap analysis to assess how well the software aligns with your business processes and requirements.
A fit-gap analysis compares your current business environment to the best practices embedded in the new system. The goal is to identify any gaps where the software falls short of meeting your needs or conflicts with existing processes. Understanding these gaps upfront enables you to better plan system configurations, customizations, and process changes to achieve the outcomes you want.
Ignoring this analysis can set your NetSuite implementation up for failure and frustration. But accurately scoping the gaps takes considerable business process knowledge and technical skills. Many companies turn to NetSuite implementation partners like SuiteRep who specialize in this assessment.
This guide explains what a fit-gap analysis entails and why it’s worth investing in an expert assessment before embarking on your next ERP deployment.
What Does a NetSuite Fit-Gap Analysis Entail?
A Fit-Gap analysis examines your business’s unique functional and technical requirements and compares them against NetSuite’s out-of-the-box capabilities. The analyst maps your business processes, use cases, integrations, and customizations to identify alignment and conflicts.
Key areas explored include:
Business Processes
- Order-to-cash cycle
- Procure-to-pay cycle
- Record-to-report cycle
- Inventory and warehouse management workflows
- Manufacturing and production procedures
- Support and service processes
- HR processes like payroll, time tracking, and expenses
Use Cases
- Specific user tasks and activities
- Day-in-the-life scenarios for various user personas
- Peak seasonal requirements
- Special business requirements like subscriptions/rentals
Integrations
- Current integrations with other enterprise systems
- Planned future integrations
- Most common/essential integration touchpoints
- Available integration methods (REST APIs, EDI, etc.)
Customizations
- Existing customizations that support specialized needs
- Regulatory requirements needing custom code
- Geographical requirements like languages or currency
Data
- Transaction volumes by record type
- Number of active customers, vendors, items
- Data conversion scope and effort
The end deliverable is typically a Fit-Gap Analysis report detailing:
- Overarching solution requirements
- Functional gaps requiring further discussion
- Gaps that can be addressed through configuration vs. customization
- Severity and impact of identified gaps
- Effort estimates for customizations
- Risks requiring mitigation planning
Armed with this information, you can determine if NetSuite meets your business objectives or if certain compromises must be made. You’ll also gain an early insight into required configurations, process changes, and budget for customizations.
Why Should You Invest in an Expert Fit-Gap Analysis?
Conducting a Fit-Gap analysis is a specialized skill requiring in-depth knowledge of your business combined with NetSuite technical expertise. Relying on an experienced NetSuite partner like SuiteRep is advisable for several reasons:
Gain an Outside Perspective of Business Process Issues
Most employees are experts in their immediate area of responsibility but lack end-to-end visibility across departments. Partners take an objective, helicopter view of your operations to spot disconnects or bottlenecks. They determine if NetSuite’s best practices can help, or if customizations are needed.
Correctly Scope Integration Requirements
NetSuite touts ease of integration as a benefit. But partners possess hard-won insight on the types of touchpoints and data sharing that work well versus ones likely to require custom coding. Identifying these needs early prevents integration problems post-go live.
More Accurately Estimate Customization Effort
Every business has unique processes or requirements needing custom work in NetSuite. Partners rely on experience across many past implementations to guide customization and project budget decisions. Missing small but mission-critical gaps can blow budgets late in the project if not called out early.
Enable Better Leadership Alignment on Required Process Changes
A future-state view of transformed processes is crucial for adoption and change management. Partners reinforce this by aligning leadership early around the rationale driving process changes. This prevents resistance when new workflows roll out, especially if customizations weren't possible.
Focus Precious Internal Resources on Daily Operations
Finance and Ops leaders rarely have excess bandwidth to dedicate towards long requirements gathering exercises. Partners augment overtaxed teams to thoroughly document processes and needs. This lightens the load on internal project team members.
In summary, conducting a controlled Fit-Gap analysis in the planning stages enables you to deploy NetSuite smoothly and successfully. Working with experts intimately familiar with NetSuite’s capabilities allows you to save time and avoid missteps.
Why Choose SuiteRep for NetSuite Implementation?
SuiteRep is a leading NetSuite partner that specializes in Fit-Gap analysis and implementation planning for enterprise customers. Some key reasons to engage with SuiteRep include:
Proven Success Guiding Business Transformations
SuiteRep consultants average 8-10 years implementing NetSuite across 500+ companies globally. We understand how to navigate businesses through the significant operational changes ERP software drives. Our structured implementation methodology factors in change management every step of the way.
Deep Bench Strength Across All Modules
Regardless of which NetSuite modules you license, we possess expertise implementing that functionality successfully many times over. Our consultant teams comprise subject matter experts across finance, operations, inventory, manufacturing, services, global trade, and technical integrations.
Commitment to Customer Outcomes
We stand behind customer commitments and take accountability for project success. Our NetSuite implementations consistently meet budget and schedule goals because leadership oversight prevents scope creep. We’re confident providing fixed-fee project pricing because our methodology is refined.
Faster Implementations Through Certified Accelerators
SuiteRep holds 5-Star status as a NetSuite solution provider. We invest heavily in our team to reduce overall implementation effort by 30-50%. Pre-built configurations, workflows, KPI dashboards, and automated data migration tools jumpstart our projects.
Ongoing Assistance to Optimize NetSuite Post Go-Live
We provide ongoing NetSuite managed services. Embedded support engineers assist for the first ~90 days until customers are self-sufficient. We also offer application management services to offload NetSuite IT burdens so customers get continual value.
Let us know if we can offer any additional detail around our Fit-Gap Analysis, Implementation, Optimization services for NetSuite. We offer free initial consultations to scope potential partnerships.