NetSuite goes on the offensive

Dubbing it “SAP for the rest of us,” on-demand business software suite provider NetSuite, Inc. introduced a new level of ERP functionality to its business management suite. Promising “deep ERP functionality with CRM-like usability,” NetSuite released a few details regarding NetSuite version 11.0. Specifically, three key features have been added, designed especially for back-office applications.

New ERP functions include activity management, bin management, demand-based inventory replenishment, integrated email messaging, expense amortization, landed cost, project accounting, milestone billing and task tracking. A second addition, claimed to be “an industry first” in press material, is the revamped NetSuite Customer Dashboard. Reportedly revolutionary is the single view provided for each individual customer and features all vital statistics, including purchase history, collections status, yearly pipeline, and custom metrics. The dashboards are promised to deliver (with a click or two only, mind you) a quick gauge for metrics, show the overall health of a customer, and divulge details associated with all aspects of the customer relationship.

Third on the list are the KPI scorecards, which flexibly measuring performance against goals, times, and budgets. This feature is designed for the mid-market and is touted for its ease of use. With the release, NetSuite, Inc. is assuming direct confrontation with SAP and its SAP All-in-one product. Calling the product “derivative,” “incredibly complex,” “problematic,” and, most damning of all, “expensive,” NetSuite PR claims that the distance between its company and SAP is growing further still. Now, we suppose it’s high time for SAP to respond. Surely they will…