Case Study

Generating Item Price Lists with Images Attached in Excel

CS Automated Item Price Lists with Images.png

Case Study

Generating Item Price Lists with Images Attached in Excel

Received updates on LinkedIn

Executive Overview

The client was a New Zealand based pipes and fittings support provider dealing with complex order processing environment. Their requirement was a solution for assessing the comprehensive item details for specific chosen customers. Managing and sharing item price list using text only spreadsheets became a complex task as the volume increased. For replacing this error-prone method, they required a system which could avoid confusion in the item list of the customers.

The engagement

Jobin and Jismi delivered them with an interactive NetSuite page and dynamic excel generation which could generate price lists with images attached in excel. It creates a structured price list in excel where each item’s pricing information is combined with its visual image.

The Business Challenges

Ambiguity in Identifying the Products

The products from pipe and fitting verticals often differ by minor specifications, such as diameter and bore size, where these minor differences have significant functional and cost implications. Text descriptions alone cannot clearly convey physical appearance or dimensional differences. This can result in misinterpretation of customer requirements and incorrect order entries of the clients.

Increased Order Rework and Processing Delays

The fragmented flow of information about the product increases the need for manual verification on the sales team, which slows the order confirmation cycles. This ultimately results in the loss of revenue as it creates delays in dispatch and invoicing.

Difficulty Managing Large and Expanding Product Catalogs

During bulk orders, text only spreadsheet become long, complex and hard to navigate. The sales team must spend a lot of time locating the items and it becomes difficult to review and approve pricing.

Pricing Disputes and Misalignment

Customer satisfaction is compromised during the generation of item lists using the spreadsheets. Customers may order a different product due to the lack of proper information and create revenue leakage and strained customer relationships.

Manual and error prone process

Maintaining and updating a text only price list is a manual and error prone process. During the price change, there is no visual cue to help verify that the correct product line has been updated. This leads to inconsistent pricing across versions shared with different customers or teams. Quoting outdated or incorrect prices not only affects margins but also undermines the provider’s credibility and professionalism.

The Solution

The solution was designed within the existing system to efficiently record and assess the item price list. As the main pain point of the client was the absence of a system to assess the comprehensive item details list, the primary concern was to resolve this issue. Our team designed an interactive NetSuite page and dynamic excel generation which permits the client to select customer specific product types and enhance usability.

Reduces the risk of ambiguity and incorrect item selection

The NetSuite allows the users to filter and select customer specific product types and product groups instead of browsing generic item price lists and reduces the risk of incorrect item selection. This approach guarantees that only relevant and approved items are available during price list generation.

Minimizes the Pricing Errors and Inconsistent Quotations

Excel generation directly addresses pricing risks by pulling real time item data from NetSuite instead of relying on manually maintained spreadsheets. Sales teams can share accurate current pricing, reducing disputes during order confirmation, billing, or invoicing stages.

Eliminates repetitive manual effort and operational delays

Customized excel formatting eliminates repetitive manual tasks such as adjusting column width, reformatting descriptions, or restructuring price lists before sharing them with customers. This step assures the readability and usability from the moment the file is generated.

Acts as a scalable solution

As the pipe and fittings catalog expands with new specifications, dimensions or customer specific pricing rules, the solution scales without increasing complexity. New items are automatically included through NetSuite data configurations, without requiring structural changes to Excel templates.

Business Impact

The implementation transformed the client’s error-prone system into a visually guided, accurate, and scalable solution. By enhancing clarity, reducing manual effort and improving customer understanding the solution delivered measurable improvements in operational efficiency, order accuracy and overall customer experience

Aspect	Before implementation	After implementation
Item identification	Products were identified only through item names, codes and technical description, often leading to ambiguity among similar pipe and fitting variants	Visual representation of items alongside descriptions enables instant recognition, significantly reducing confusion between similar sizes, types or specifications
Order Accuracy	High probability of incorrect item selection due to reliance on text interpretation, resulting in frequent order errors and rework	Improved accuracy through visual confirmation of items, ensuring correct selection during quotation and order processing
Customer Understanding	Customers had to rely on technical terminology to understand products, which was challenging for non-technical or new buyers	Embedded product images provide clarity, helping customers easily validate items and make informed purchase decisions.
Sales Cycle time	Frequent clarifications, back and forth communication, and manual confirmations increased quotation and approval timelines	Faster order confirmation as customers and internal teams can clearly understand items without additional clarification
Operational efficiency	High dependency on experienced staff for interpretation and validation of items and pricing	Standardized, visual price lists reduce dependency on individuals and support faster onboarding of new users
Error Resolution & Rework	Incorrect orders led to returns, replacements, and additional logistics and administrative costs	Reduced need for corrections and reprocessing due to improved accuracy at the quotation stage.

Challenges We Navigated

Mapping Complex Page and Fittings Product Structure in NetSuite

The client’s item master included a wide range of pipe and fitting variants differentiated by size, material, pressure rating, connection type and customer specific pricing rules. Representing this complexity in a single interactive selection interface posed a risk of either oversimplifying the data or overwhelming user with too many options.

How we resolved it:

The implementation team designed the NetSuite page with structured, dependent filters which allows users to select product types and groups in a logical sequence. It assured that the users were only presented with relevant combinations of the product. This reduced the data noise and preserved flexibility without compromising the accuracy of data.

Embedding Images Without Impacting Performance or File Stability

Incorporating item images, logos, and customer details into Excel files introduced performance and compatibility challenges. Large image sizes risked increasing file load times and affecting usability for end users.

How we resolved it:

Image handling was optimized by standardizing formats and resolutions prior to embedding them into Excel, ensuring consistent presentation and efficient file performance. The image insertion was designed to reference only approved image assets, maintaining data integrity across generated documents.

Managing Change and User Adoption Within Existing Workflows

The introduction of a new NetSuite page and automated Excel generation process represented a shift from the manual spreadsheet handling. Users might revert to legacy methods without proper alignment.

How we resolve it:

The solution was designed to blend seamlessly into the existing NetSuite workflows rather than replacing them abruptly. Users continued working within familiar screens, with the Excel generation acting as an enhancement rather than a separate tool. Minimal training was required, as the process mirrored existing business logic while simplifying execution

Ensuring Scalability for Future Product and Customer Expansion

The implementation needed to accommodate future growth in product variants, pricing rules, and customer specific requirements without requiring redevelopment.

How we resolved it:

The solution was architected using configuration driven logic within NetSuite rather than hard coded rules. New items, price changes, and customer mappings can be added through master data updates, which allows the system to scale smoothly as the business expands.

What This Project Taught Us

Visual content is critical for complex product catalogues. The project reinforced that text only representations are insufficient for industries dealing with complex items such as pipe and fittings where minor specification differences have major business implications. Incorporating item images alongside pricing data drastically improves the clarity and reduces the misinterpretations across the sales and operation teams.
Automation is most effective when tied to a single source of truth. Generation of excel price lists directly from NetSuite demonstrated how tightly integrated systems eliminate inconsistencies caused by manual file handling, outdated versions, or duplicate data maintenance, resulting in higher data reliability and trust.
User experience directly impacts adoption and process success. Designing the solution within familiar NetSuite workflows and producing ready-to-use Excel outputs ensures rapid user acceptance. This highlighted that rather than introducing additional steps or learning curves, enterprise solutions must simplify user effort.
Performance must be balanced with enhanced functionality. Adding images and branding elements to excel files improved usability and professionalism but required careful optimization. The project emphasized the importance of standardizing image formats and making visual elements configurable to maintain performance without compromising functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will our pricing always stay up to date without manual maintenance?

Absolutely, the generated price lists pull real time items and pricing data directly from NetSuite, eliminating manual spreadsheet updates and ensuring the customers receive accurate quotes every time.

How will this solution help my company avoid mistakes while selecting similar pipes and fitting products?

The solution includes product image within the Excel price list and provides structured filters inside NetSuite. This ensures that the team only sees relevant product options and can visually verify items before quoting or processing orders.

Can this solution handle large product catalogs with frequent additions or changes?

Yes, the system is designed using configuration-driven logic. This means new items, pricing rules, or customer specific pricing can be added to NetSuite without redesigning the solution. It scales naturally as the business grows.

Will adding product images to Excel make the files heavy or slow to open?

No, images are optimized for consistent size and resolution before embedding. This ensures fast loading, stable performance, and a professional look, without increasing the file size dramatically

What if our sales team deals with customers who need customized item lists?

The NetSuite allows to filter and generate customer-specific product lists. This ensures that each customer receives a tailored, accurate, and fully visual price list aligned with their requirements.

Do users need training to start using the new interface and Excel generator?

Minimal training is required for the users. The interface is intuitive follows the existing workflow patterns and simplifies tasks the team is already performing manually. Users can adapt to the new interface quickly.

Does this implementation reduce dependency on experienced staff?

Yes, Because items can be visually validated and the system ensures accuracy, even a new team member can confidently generate correct price list without needing expert level product knowledge

Is your company also struggling to maintain an accurate item price list?

Confusions in the item lists must be hindering the growth of your company. If you also require an efficient solution like our clients, connect with our expert solution provider to enhance the operational excellence of your business.

About Jobin and Jismi

Jobin & Jismi brings NetSuite customization expertise to manufacturing businesses where product, pricing, and operational information must align with practical business requirements. Our SuiteCloud-certified professionals configure and extend NetSuite standard capabilities, applying proven development capabilities to create adaptable ERP solutions.

For this client, Jobin & Jismi tailored NetSuite to generate item price lists with product images in Excel, bringing item, pricing, and visual information together in a structured output. The solution reduced the need for manual price-list preparation and provided a practical way to access and present product information for business use.

Received updates on LinkedIn

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