The greatest risk to your NetSuite investment isn’t a flawed implementation but the lack of a strategic plan for ongoing support. Once your NetSuite ERP software goes live, your internal teams are responsible for maintaining the system's efficiency and alignment with shifting business needs. This transition from a guided project to daily operational dependence on the NetSuite platform is where value is either cultivated or lost. Without a forward-thinking plan for NetSuite support and training, even the best ERP can become an unstable and underutilized tool, hindering productivity and efficiency.
This guide provides a decision framework for structuring your ongoing support and NetSuite training courses. It moves beyond a simple menu of training options to analyze the critical trade-offs of each NetSuite solution, helping you build a model that ensures ERP success in your organization and delivers a sustainable return on your NetSuite ERP investment.
TL;DR: NetSuite ERP’s real value is realized after go-live. To keep your system aligned with evolving business needs, you need a structured approach to ongoing support and continuous training. This guide outlines NetSuite’s official support tiers, third-party and in-house alternatives, and training options like SuiteAnswers and Learning Cloud Support
After your NetSuite system goes live, NetSuite users begin interacting with it under full production pressure. This is when the true support service needs of your organization surface. You will inevitably face challenges with NetSuite that fall outside the scope of basic customer support, such as workflow bottlenecks, user permissions issues, requests for new reports, and critical gaps in NetSuite skills.
Planning for this phase is essential. An effective post-go-live plan requires a dedicated support team and a clear process for handling issues. Neglecting this planning leads directly to unresolved problems, frustrated users, and a failure to capitalize on the new features of the NetSuite product.
Your support structure must align with your operational complexity, business needs, and risk tolerance. Use the following breakdown of support options to evaluate the trade-offs and find the best ERP support strategy.
NetSuite’s own support services offer a clear ladder of service. Choosing the right tier involves weighing cost against the potential business impact of system issues on your business processes.
Many organizations require support services that extend beyond the core platform. NetSuite consulting and in-house teams are two models designed to fill the gaps left by standard tiers, offering more tailored user enablement support options.
NetSuite consulting partners provide specialized, contract-based support that covers both the core platform and your unique scripts and workflows. This model is ideal for companies that lack a deep internal team of NetSuite professionals but have significant customizations. These services solve the problem of integrated support, providing flexible, expert help born from multi-industry experience.
Hiring in-house resources, like a NetSuite Administrator, gives you immediate support from professionals who understand your business. This model suits businesses with consistent internal demands. The trade-off is a higher fixed cost for salaries and continuous learning in exchange for maximum control and the fastest response for daily needs to help your NetSuite administrators and users.
Some businesses adopt a Hybrid Model, where internal teams manage daily user support and a NetSuite consulting partner is engaged for major projects. This balances responsiveness with access to deep technical expertise from NetSuite consultants.
Evaluating your NetSuite training investment should focus on tangible outcomes: fewer user errors, faster employee onboarding, and reduced reliance on expensive, reactive NetSuite support services. This is one of the best practices for leveraging NetSuite.
SuiteAnswers, NetSuite’s free online learning resource, is your first line of defense. Promoting its use for basic questions helps NetSuite users build self-reliance and directly reduces the volume of support tickets.
The NetSuite Learning Cloud Support (LCS) is the primary platform for user enablement support and comprehensive training. The LCS Explorer Pass provides free access to beginner-level training materials and role-based learning paths. For more, the Company Pass allows all NetSuite users in your company to access all on-demand and live training options. A Company Pass lets managers collaborate with education advisers to analyze skill gaps and build customized training programs with relevant training materials, ensuring your team has the knowledge and skills needed to perform tasks in NetSuite effectively.
Formal NetSuite training courses and multiple certification options, like the SuiteFoundation certification, develop internal experts. The ROI is clear: certified employees resolve complex issues internally, which reduces consulting costs. These expert-led training events and training sessions ensure your team can use NetSuite to its full potential, helping you achieve ERP success.
The long-term performance of your NetSuite system is secured through deliberate, ongoing support and training. Viewing these support services as mere operational costs is a misstep. They are essential components of your ERP software infrastructure. Each NetSuite support model—from NetSuite’s tiers to a dedicated partner—offers a distinct set of trade-offs. The optimal choice is the one that best helps you tailor and optimize your system.
A structured NetSuite training program is a critical tool for risk mitigation. By investing in the knowledge and skills of your team, you ensure the NetSuite platform operates at its full potential.
To understand how support and training fit into your overall investment, explore our comprehensive NetSuite Pricing Guide. When you are ready to design a strategy with the resources you need, contact Centium today to speak with our experts.