26 Jul, 2021

A Comprehensive Guide on NetSuite Workflow Operations

Business processes and workflows differ from organization to organization. The basic ability for any NetSuite administrator or consultant is to edit and expand workflows quickly and cleanly. Hence NetSuite created Workflow, often referred to as SuiteFlow, which is a workflow management tool for improving efficiency and customizing business operations and workflows.

NetSuite Workflow

NetSuite Workflow -SuiteFlow- helps businesses to automate their business processes and improves customer experience. Workflows help to create a point-and-click graphical interface easily without the use of a suitescript.

SuiteFlow acts as a beneficial tool in NetSuite, as it automates the approvals of transactions and records. This enables the flow from one stage of approval to another automatically, eliminating the manual processes in the business. Thus SuiteFlow improves the efficiency of the business process and streamlines the profitability of your business.

Key Features of Suiteflow Are:

Helps to develop, validate, and enable a unique model of a business process flow according to your requirements.
Eliminates manual process.

Easy-to-use point-and-click graphical interface.

Reduces the use of suite scripts.

Employees can easily create, modify and access the workflow
Easily enable triggering events to initiate a workflow such as view, create, or update—or schedule workflows to run automatically.

After the creation of a workflow, NetSuite observes all stages of the workflow within a log of the record of workflow. The workflow stays within the record and helps in your audit trails of every stage, transition and provides better decisions for your enhancement.

Benefits of SuiteFlow

Faster Customization of Business Process with Visual Aids

SuiteFlow is ideal for involving verification or data validation. For instance, a cost report may require the manager's approval before proceeding to account, or it requires an additional data evaluation step to eliminate errors. With SuiteFlow, your team can modify business operations and add suitable strategies to work in line with corporate policy.

Boost System Performance

Suitflow has a Context multi-select field to determine the conditions under which action should be performed. For example, on the creation of a customer record, the workflow related to it sends an email to the sales representative, or prints a copy for the representative’s file.

In addition, SuiteFlow consists of another Context multi-select field to determine when an action should occur. This feature helps to minimize the unwanted workload on networks and servers. As an example, workflow helps you to restrict sending emails to the sales team while importing large quantities of customer records.

Save Time with Workflow Condition Builder

Workflow Condition Builder is useful for transforming an individual workflow into different situations. For example, you can use a workflow with multiple selected conditions for five different management approvals instead of creating five different workflows for sharing the reports of costs to different corporate department heads.

Troubleshoot Problems Faster Using a Logging Tool

The logging tool records all triggered events, performance parameters, and evaluation results. With a log viewer, your team troubleshoots and finds the errors in the process or application.

Build Reusable Workflows

Suiteflow enables the generation of reusable workflows, to be used later during requirements. This means that you can avoid creating a large workflow using duplicate processes. Like object-oriented programming, you can mix and match workflow components and use them later.

NetSuite Approval Workflow Templates

NetSuite has 3 different types of workflow templates:

1. NetSuite Journal Entry Basic Approval

2. Purchase Order Basic Approval

3. Sales Order Basic Approval

These templates help to customize the workflow to make them suit your business requirements.  

NetSuite Workflow Requirements

With communication with the owners who use these business processes, you can gain a better understanding of the business flow. Start with the research and create detect your business needs. Once you've collaborated, fix the gaps between business needs and workflow activity within NetSuite.

Understand the limitations within workflows to develop an efficient solution for your enterprise. In addition, seek the assistance of a NetSuite partner to develop business flows ideas. Any good consultant will have different methods and know the better way to generate the workflow. The proper consultation with a certified NetSuite partner reduces the time of your work,

Once you have an idea of ​​what you need, start creating NetSuite workflows to suit your needs. Create situations, changes, and actions to meet your business needs. Check your workflow against business requirements. Include all the users in the process and seek suggestions for the enhancement of the workflow process. Multiple repetitions of changes are not uncommon, so wait patiently until the flow seems right.

More About NetSuite Workflows

NetSuite workflows focus on a single record. This can be an advantage and disadvantage to NetSuite customers. Each record has its workflow example, which you can track for progress and review the logs. However, jumping between the records of workflow is not applicable. You can use the 'Go to Record' function to send the user to another record, however, another workflow is made on another record.

Do you want to create workflows based on your business needs and streamline your business? Jobin & Jismi is truly an expert in this area. Feel free to contact us for any assistance.