NetSuite Helps Ski Resort Cut Costs, Launch ERP Software in 90 Days

"We had just 90 days to select a completely new ERP infrastructure and get it running. NetSuite was the only vendor that could comfortably deal with that timeframe."

—Sierra at Tahoe Resorts

Results:

With NetSuite, the company was able to evaluate and implement a full ERP system, with actual implementation taking just 60 days
Sierra at Tahoe now saves $70,000 yearly over the cost of comparable server-based software and maintenance
The company reduced excess end-of-season inventory from more than $30,000 to less than $5,000
Sierra at Tahoe managers now produce monthly P&L statements – and other typical reports – instantly; with the old software the company needed a full-time employee dedicated to report-writing
It takes just 45 minutes to train a new manager on NetSuite; previously, it took nearly an entire season or more for new managers to reach the same level of aptitude
For regular season staff, training takes at most 1.5 days, compared to an entire month with JD Edwards

Challenges:

Sierra at Tahoe was forced to replace its JD Edwards business software because a corporate divestiture by its parent holding company left the resort without any IT support after a 90-day services agreement ran out
The company wanted business software that would be easy to learn and use because the seasonal nature of its business requires that employees be versatile– and get up-to-speed quickly
With JD Edwards employee training had been tedious and time-consuming because the software was difficult to learn and understand

Solution:

Sierra At Tahoe chose NetSuite over a JD Edwards upgrade or a new Microsoft Great Plains installation
The company estimated that a comparable server-based system would have taken well over 90 days to get running
With NetSuite, after a 30-day multi-vendor identification-evaluation process, actual implementation took just 60 days
NetSuite's cloud-based architecture removes the expense and difficulty of user-installed version upgrades, a significant advantage over the parent company's JD Edwards software, which had become version-locked to reduce costs
NetSuite OneWorld lets Sierra At Tahoe's current parent-holding company simplify accounting and tax preparation for its 8 properties, Sierra at Tahoe and 7 unrelated investments, by assigning them as separate subsidiaries in NetSuite