NetSuite unveils SuiteFlow for version 2010.1

One of the most anticipated new features in NetSuite 2010.1 is SuiteFlow, a tool that allows users to customize a workflow without the use of script. As it uses a graphical interface and is quick to set-up, it can greatly simplify tasks and save users a lot of time.

The module was written and developed by NetSuite founder Evan Goldberg. In his own words, “SuiteFlow uses the same logic as scripting, but takes out the intimidating use of scripts”. Attendees at last week’s NetSuite Partner Conference (SuiteCloud2010) got a firsthand demonstration of the module with Evan in the driver’s seat.

Even though SuiteFlow is being released in beta, this module is a complete and ready to use tool. The only foreseen changes for version 2010.2 are the opening up of more actions.

What can SuiteFlow do for me?

Built as a finite-state machine, it facilitates both single step and multiple step processes. Each step of the process can be clearly defined within a workflow with ample conditions and actions that suit most needs.
Each individual workflow is linked to a specified record and can be triggered by a schedule, or the creation/modification of a record. Conditions can be set on the initial workflow trigger for every action within a state and on each transition between states which allows skipping or repeating steps when required. Additional fields can also be added on the workflow and state.

Current Actions Available in SuiteFlow

• Locking a record to prevent editing for the duration of a specified state 
• Subscribing to a record in order to access other records 
• Initiating a workflow to act upon the same base record type
• Opening of a page to a new or existing record of a specified type
• Opening an html page 
• Adding a button for workflow management
• Returning a user error
• Setting a field display label
• Setting a field to mandatory (very useful for NetSuite fields which were otherwise not noticeably mandatory)
• Setting a field display type in order to disable, inline or hide a field
• Sending an email
• Sending a campaign email 
• Creating a record
• Setting a field value
• Running a script

With many more actions and conditions planned to appear in 2010.2 this new tool is sure to become increasingly indispensible and popular.

 Be sure to register for our FREE SuiteFlow webinar happening on Thursday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

****REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED******

Synchronizing data between NetSuite and other systems

NetSuite truly is a complete business system, but every so often we have clients who use a company built database to store their customer data. They need to synchronize that data with their NetSuite instance.

The Talend Integration Suite comes with a CDC (Change Data Capture) component that was designed for enterprise-grade data synchronizations. We find it to be an extremely reliable tool. 

For the purposes of this post, we’ll have a look at the CDC component for synchronizing a PostgreSQL and NetSuite database. (NOTE: There is a CDC component available for most databases).

Talend will create a CDC table and a CDC view for each source table that it is fetching information from. Triggers will be set to watch for inserted, updated or deleted records. Multiple subscribers can watch for these events, that’s why there’s also a table created to manage subscribers.

This configuration is a one-time set-up. Once it’s done, the CDC component will read from the CDC tables associated to the source tables and extract all insertions, updates and deletions. 

These events are then transmitted to your middleware workflow so that it ends up in NetSuite, the target system.

Problems happen when the source schema is modified. For example, if a field is renamed, the CDC component needs to be adjusted, or else the middleware workflow will cease to function. But for a schema that is likely to be fixed over time, this component is very useful.

Let’s give it a dry run. Assuming that my source database is now in sync with my target system, the database will look like this.

A record is inserted (record 3), two updates are done (record 2) and a one record is deleted (record 1). The source database now looks like this:

The events are logged in the CDC table, and when the connector is run, the following output is produced (see image below). For the sake of the demonstration, the modified data is simply outputted on the screen, but it could be handled in many other different ways:

We see that the new information (record 3), the deleted information (record 1) and the updates for a given record (2) are properly outputted from the CDC component!

I hope that the overview of this tool will be of use to you!

GL Impact of Selling Non-Inventory Items

Hi everyone!

This is a pretty exciting time for IT-Ration Consulting, as we're slowly changing our name to ERP GURU. The new name really represents us better as a whole, and I think our clients will agree.

Today I would like to take some time to talk to you about how to get a non-inventory item to post to your GL in NetSuite. As some of you may know, non-inventory items are items that you sell but do not keep in stock. What's important to keep in mind is that unlike regular inventory items, even if you receive a non-inventory item, it does not affect inventory asset, nor does it impact the cost of goods sold (COGS).

As you can see in the screenshot above, when you receive a non-inventory item, you cannot specify the rate at which you receive it. If you check the GL Impact of the item receipt and item fulfillment, you would also notice that the non-inventory item has no impact whatsoever on those records.

In order to circumvent this NetSuite default, I suggest you create an assembly item  instead.This method will allow you to take into account the purchase prices of both inventory and non-inventory items when impacting COGS and inventory asset accounts.

Our New Name is Here!

IT-Ration was founded in 2005 and in a short time grew to become one of the largest NetSuite partners worldwide. With growth comes a change in both identity and focus. To reflect this new path, IT-Ration will be re-branded as ERP GURU.

The Story Behind the New Name


The decision to change directions was made last year by Martin McNicoll, president and founder of IT-Ration Consulting. With the assistance of the marketing experts at CloudRaker, IT-Ration delved into the nitty-gritty of who we are and where we want to go.

The essence of our business is to provide professional ERP assistance. When a client contacts us, they are immediately connected to an expert. The majority of our consultants are Engineers, or have a Master’s level education in Computer Science. Customers continually told us how much they appreciated both the technical and business process guidance we provided to help them grow their business.

Slowly the image of a Guru emerged and we went with it. Several ideas were bounced around, and after extensive research and customer feedback, the name ERP GURU came into existence.

The plan in the next three months is to make the transition. Slowly but surely you’ll notice IT-Ration Consulting morph into ERP GURU and a new website is on the horizon with a ton of user friendly features, as is a new look.

One thing that won’t change is our commitment to be the very best NetSuite Solution Providers with the ability to solve problems both large and small.