Questions Asked at NetSuite User GroupsOctober 25, 2017 by Kim Haythornthwaite
Is your Project Doomed from the start?
It is clear from my recent trip to the California User Groups in Los Angeles and San Francisco, that customers who are involved in project management face daily battles with managing projects, both complex and simple. They use a myriad of tools to manage projects, keep them on track and within budget and timeframes promised. When asked which tools are used for project management the responses included NetSuite OpenAir, NetSuite Project or a variety of third party systems.
NetSuite clients were trying to manage both long term projects, small projects and the related resources. In many cases projects were part of an already complex business module. Some of these companies that attended also focussed on manufacturing or import of product which then became resources within the project.
It was quite apparent that everyone was stressed one way or the other with project management. This could stem from the fact that project management can be unique between companies and industries and the project management systems don’t provide a perfect match. A deep understanding of the business and its workflows is required to ensure the project is in a system and matches the reality of how projects are utilized by the businesses.
There is a significant investment in terms of time and money sunk into project management systems, and often they don’t work the way they are intended to. In fact, one of the primary reasons why these companies attended the User Group in the first place was to learn how to use NetSuite to manage projects or investigate NetSuite as an integrated project system.
Much of the frustration project manager’s experience is around the outcomes and results they expected, whether realistic or not. Oftentimes the company either has to re-install their project management system or secure a project management specialist company to sort out the issues they are facing.
As a person who works with Project Accounting in NetSuite all the time, I have 3 tips for you.
- Hire a company who is well-versed in Project Accounting.
- Uses a proven approach that’s been tested over time.
- A comprehensive and integrated tool that’s built to manage project accounting makes all the difference when it comes to successful outcomes.
By Kim Haythornthwaite, General Manager, Nolan Business Solutions, an international solution provider building SuiteApps and Project Accounting solutions for NetSuite.