At NetSuite, we’re extremely proud of all our Alliance Partners and the effort they put into implementing and supporting our leading cloud ERP system. This year’s Alliance Partner Spotlight Awards highlight the companies that have demonstrated commitment and success in implementing NetSuite. These partners have also developed industry-leading expertise, customizations, and/or intellectual property across many different microverticals.
In this blog series, we put the spotlight on the specific customer projects that earned the associated Alliance Partner a Summer 2023 Spotlight Award.
A single record for purchases, shipments, and costs
Since 2014, All Year Round (AYR) has sold womenswear, and it added a menswear line in 2022.
The company’s clothes are made from high-quality materials—Italian cashmere, Irish linen, Japanese denim—and designed to be versatile enough to wear year-round.
AYR ran into problems using QuickBooks to manage complex procurement processes its third-party logistics (3PL) partner requires for items for resale. The company also struggled to support outsourced manufacturing and sales as it had multiple integrated systems.
CBIZ ARC (opens in new tab) helped AYR go live on NetSuite OneWorld in less than three months. The company uses the global ERP system for core financial processes such as procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, and record-to-report, as well as design-to-build on the manufacturing side. CBIZ ARC also provided customizations such as Contract Manufacturing Outsourcing (CMO) Half Pack and configured Celigo-based integrations between NetSuite and Shopify, Narvar, and Quiet Logistics.
With NetSuite in place, AYR has real-time data on upcoming purchases and order commitments, which then become the basis for more accurate cash forecasts and financial modeling. Additionally, the company knows exactly how much inventory it has at any point in time, with that stock broken down by raw materials, finished goods, and customer deposits.
NetSuite gives AYR a single record for purchases, shipments, and costs for cleaner and improved record-keeping. Next, the company wants to continue to adopt NetSuite best practices to further optimize its operational processes.
Developing a fully integrated cloud infrastructure
Formulated Solutions is renowned for being one of the most innovative contract manufacturing and formulation development companies (CDMO) in North America. Founded in 1999, the company provides branded prescription and over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, and personal care products. Averaging more than 50% year-over-year growth, Formulated Solutions works with brands whose global footprint covers more than 45 countries.
The CDMO previously used SAP R/3, which was heavily customized and didn’t meet the company’s evolving needs. Formulated Solutions required an ERP system that allowed for easier updates, included additional functionality, and could be implemented quickly. The company also evaluated Microsoft Dynamics 365 before selecting NetSuite and Myers-Holum (opens in new tab) as its implementation partner.
Today, Formulated Solutions uses NetSuite SuiteSuccess for Manufacturing, NetSuite Quality Management, and NetSuite WMS. Myers-Holum also built custom integrations to other applications including RF-SMART, Netgain, and Blend ERP.
Formulated Solutions was very happy with the implementation experience Myers-Holum provided because it met the company’s need for a shortened implementation cycle and supplied onsite resources to that help with user training and go-live. The new ERP system offers greater flexibility, mobility, and reporting capabilities and has helped the business become far less reliant on manual processes.
Data consolidation gives the owners insights into each business venture in one place with NetSuite’s out-of-the-box dashboards and reporting capabilities.
Reaping the rewards of a successful NetSuite implementation
Founded in 1991, Horizon Commercial Pool Supply sells products and provides services for commercial pools and spas. A longtime Sage customer, Horizon wanted a tool that could help it better plan and manage inventory as it prepared for rapid growth. Sage didn’t provide a central platform for financial data and planning, and its existing software and business processes made effective inventory management challenging.
Horizon needed an ERP system that could track industry-specific quality requirements, provide visibility into current and prospective customers, and help the company better understand its inventory—fixed asset depreciation, in particular.
With BTM Global (opens in new tab) serving as its implementation partner, Horizon replaced Sage with NetSuite ERP. The partner created industry-specific customizations with unique workflows that ensured Horizon complied with industry regulations.
BTM Global also developed a workflow and additional fields to support hazmat restrictions important in the pool and spa sector. Finally, the NetSuite partner set up a number of Saved Searches and reports—such as commissions and royalty tracking—as part of the implementation.
Horizon now has greater visibility into its operations and simplified business processes that have helped its team expand operations across the greater Midwest.
Getting a handle on inventory management
Bully Max is known for its high-protein, high-calorie dog food and supplements that aim to support muscle growth, strength, and overall canine health. The company has been in business since 2009 and currently sells its products in all 50 US states and internationally.
The company used QuickBooks and a legacy inventory management system to manage its operations, but the latter was not fully integrated with Shopify, QuickBooks, and ShipStation. This forced employees to manage inventory transfers between Bully Max’s two warehouses manually and left the company without accurate inventory counts and values. Bully Max also had a hard time tracking inventory stocked and managed by Amazon.
Bully Max worked with Yantra (opens in new tab) to implement NetSuite ERP plus the NetSuite Connector for Shopify, ShipStation, and Amazon. After a smooth implementation, Bully Max can now reliably monitor inventory levels and kits, as this data updates in real time, and manage high-volume inventory movements from Shopify and Amazon. Next, the company plans to work with Yantra to integrate NetSuite with its EDI provider.
Replacing Sage to unify financials and manufacturing
A newly created defense contractor provides aircraft and engine tooling, along with ground support equipment, recertification, and logistics solutions. The company strives to meet the burgeoning demands of its customers and the aviation sector as a whole, priding itself on reliable delivery that customers can depend on.
The business previously used Sage 50, but rapid expansion led to manufacturing bottlenecks. To drive greater efficiency across its operations, the contractor decided it was time to implement a comprehensive system that could track time and productivity.
In looking for a new system, the organization considered IFS, Sage X3, and NetSuite. Ultimately, the business chose NetSuite for its scalability, as it takes on new contracts in the aviation space, and flexibility, as it could tailor the system to its team’s business practices.
The contractor implemented SuiteSuccess for Manufacturing and SuiteProjects, with partner Beyond Cloud (opens in new tab) leading the project. Beyond Cloud developed specific manufacturing project management customizations that the business needed based on its experience working with manufacturing and automotive clients in the past.
The company successfully integrated financial, inventory, and manufacturing functions in one system, resolving many of the operational bottlenecks that held the business back in the past. This new solution increased automation, boosted operational efficiency, and provided comprehensive insights into its end-to-end business workflows.
The contractor is currently evaluating NetSuite Analytics Data Warehouse and may add that application in the near future.
Bringing global subsidiaries onto a single platform
1,4GROUP started in 1992 with a product to keep potatoes from sprouting while in storage. It has since become a leading supplier of innovative dormancy and sprout-inhibiting products for the agriculture and potato storage industry, expanding to offices across North America and in Europe.
The business previously ran on several different systems: an ERP system to manage US financials, CONTPAQi for invoice issuance and stamping, and spreadsheets for production planning, which made inventory management a particular challenge. 1,4 GROUP needed a new system that would boost operational efficiency and scale with the business. 1,4GROUP sought a platform that could support consolidated financials, manufacturing, inventory management, distribution, quality management, and tax localization, along with in-depth reports and dashboards. It evaluated NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics.
The company selected NetSuite's unified platform to bring together ERP, CRM, ecommerce, and inventory management in a single system. NetSuite provides the real-time data, reporting, and flexibility 1,4GROUP needed, especially as the company expanded into new countries. Finally, the system supports all the customizations and integrations the company needs.
1,4GROUP worked with Bring IT (opens in new tab) to implement SuiteSuccess for Food and Beverage. The company also localized the software for El Salvador and Mexico via Bring IT’s 360° Globe Localization Bundle.
After successfully going live on NetSuite across all subsidiaries, 1,4GROUP saw several major benefits: consolidated financials for all subsidiaries, access to companywide or subsidiary-specific performance for leaders, full digital tracking of research projects previously handled on paper, easier issuance of government financial statements for Mexican authorities, and support for pick, pack, and ship activities on mobile devices.
1,4 Group is ready to continue expanding its global operations now that its business is centralized on a single ERP system, and it can lean on Bring IT for insights and advice as it continues that journey.
Find out how the unique skills of NetSuite Alliance Partners can help your businessget the most out of NetSuite.