Here’s how TransAct Technologies Inc., Arcadia Power, AutoWash Technologies, Firewood, , Integer Telecom, and OTR Solutions worked with NetSuite Alliance Partners to better serve their customers
At NetSuite, we’re very proud of all our Alliance Partners and the hard work they put into selling, implementing, and supporting our leading cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. This year’s Alliance Partner Spotlight Awards recognize those partners that have demonstrated commitment and success in implementing NetSuite. We’re shining a well-deserved spotlight on partners that have developed outstanding expertise, customizations, and/or intellectual property in specific microverticals and those that demonstrate commitment to and success in implementing NetSuite Analytics Warehouse, OpenAir, SuiteCommerce, and NetSuite Planning and Budgeting.
In this blog series, we highlight those customer projects that earned the associated Alliance Partner a 2023 Spotlight Award.
Automated Renewals and Critical Order Management
Founded in 1996, TransAct Technologies Inc. assembles and sells specialty printer terminals and software applications for high-growth markets including food service, casino and gaming, and point of sale automation. The company also offers extended warranty coverage for repair of printer units.
TransAct implemented NetSuite ERP to replace an aging on-premises Oracle EBS solution that had been heavily customized to address its hardware installed base, contract management, and product configuration needs.
The company considered Oracle EBS R12.2.6, Oracle ERP Cloud, and Microsoft Dynamics before choosing NetSuite. It worked with Bridgepoint to implement NetSuite’s advanced financials, advanced billing, advanced inventory, advanced order management, advanced procurement, advanced revenue management, demand planning, and light manufacturing modules.
TransAct also implemented Bridgepoint’s Install Base and Contract Management functionalities, which expand on NetSuite’s native serialized inventory capabilities. As a result, the company has automated critical order management, manufacturing, and warranty repair processes. With NetSuite, TransAct also has a scalable and flexible system that supports its continued focus on growing software offerings.
TransAct is continuing to optimize its NetSuite environment to support growth in SaaS product offerings. SuiteCommerce Advanced is being implemented with extended functionality to allow customers to self-service contract renewals and manage warranty repairs.
A Single Source for Executing Transactions and Reporting
Arcadia Power is a tech company that has empowered energy innovators and consumers to fight the climate crisis since 2014. It previously used Sage and QuickBooks before moving to NetSuite. Core technology challenges included a customer billing system that relied on three separate systems — Sage plus two instances of QuickBooks, had no unified data source for orders, and depended on an offline process for revenue calculation and entries.
After evaluating NetSuite and Workday, Arcadia Power selected NetSuite and began working with NetSuite Partner Connor Group to implement its new ERP platform. During Phase 1, the company implemented general ledger, OneWorld, multibook, accounts payable, fixed assets, accounts receivable, and revenue management. Phase 2 will soon go live and includes zone and advanced revenue management (ARM).
For Arcadia Power, Connor Group provided custom scripts that support milestone billing for the Community Solar Revenue Stream, more than 100 custom fields across zone records to pull key attributes through the zone/ARM process, and a workflow solution to auto-send invoices to multiple emails.
With NetSuite, Arcadia now has a single source for transactions and reporting. The company is operating with more controls in place and more automation around order-to-cash processes. Up next, Arcadia plans to implement dunning and expand sales tax capabilities to support its growing base of nonexempt customers and implement finance charges on delayed invoice payments.
Replacing Complicated Spreadsheets and Disparate Systems
AutoWash Technologies specializes in custom designing and building car wash equipment, sales and service, and auto drop-ship solutions. The company, which launched in 1975, was using QuickBooks, Zoho, and Excel to run its operations. With those disparate systems, item records were complicated and required multiple spreadsheets from different vendors.
AutoWash Technologies considered SAP when choosing a new solution but ultimately chose NetSuite. The company has since implemented the ERP’s wholesale distribution and demand planning modules. It’s also using Emburse Abacus, Sentrien Systems, and Vertex customizations from NetDynamic.
Phase 1 of the NetSuite implementation was managed by NetDynamic and primarily focused on setting up AutoWash Technologies’ chart of accounts, order-to-cash, and procure-to-pay. NetDynamic built a custom solution that translates and imports quotes and sales orders from an Excel spreadsheet. That custom solution works natively, without scripts, by using field mappings through Excel. The solution helped AutoWash save a considerable amount of time and minimized process errors.
Since implementation, AutoWash Technologies is no longer working off spreadsheets and multiple programs. The company has also gained control of its inventory, can accurately track and measure procurement, and can more easily manage its sales process and vendor item numbers. Phase 2 of the implementation will involve integration of Sentrien’s field service application as well as CRM and marketing-to-return on investment.
Quadrupling Sales without Adding Finance Staff
Digital marketing and creative services agency Firewood faced challenges harmonizing its processes given that it used QuickBooks, spreadsheets, Bill.com, Expensify, Teamworks, and HubSpot to run its growing business.
The company wanted to automate more of its financial processes and consolidate its disparate business model. Firewood considered both Acumatica and Microsoft Dynamics before selecting NetSuite based on its ability to support the growth the business was experiencing. Firewood chose Appficiency to implement the ERP because of Appficiency’s industry-specific experience and understanding of Firewood’s business processes.
Firewood is currently using NetSuite’s services resource planning, order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, finance, and CRM modules. In addition to custom integrations to key operational systems, Appficiency also implemented various solutions, including consolidated invoicing; estimate-to-project sync; and Appficiency time, task, bill.
Firewood experienced a very successful go-live, with Appficiency completing the project within four months. Since implementing NetSuite, Firewood has grown rapidly — from $4 million in monthly revenue to $16 million while maintaining the same finance staff — and has since been acquired by S4 Capital.
Appficiency continues to work alongside the Firewood team to address its NetSuite requirements and sees potential for the ERP to expand its footprint within the S4 Capital group of companies.
Replacing Homegrown Systems
Integer Telecom specializes in integration services for telecom operators, designs and builds cell tower equipment, and helps with installation. Founded in 2017, the company was using homegrown systems and QuickBooks to run its operations.
With its previous systems, Integer Telecom couldn’t track employee activities across multiple projects, nor could it integrate that data into its financials and customer invoices. To accommodate its fast-growing business, subsidiaries in the United States and India, and complex tax localization requirements in India, the Integer team selected NetSuite to run finance and operations.
With Zenardy as its implementation partner, Integer Telecom deployed the Services Standard module. Zenardy also handled custom complex telecom industry-specific solutions and local India tax requirements, which includes GST and TDS management. It developed advanced project management and custom reports to provide employee-based revenue, expense, project profitability, and more.
Integer Telecom had a successful go-live of NetSuite for its US and Indian subsidiaries and now plans to add more modules and functionalities during Phase 2 of the ERP implementation.
Improved Reporting and Integration Capabilities
Founded in 2011, OTR Solutions offers innovative financing and back-office solutions for the transportation industry. OTR provides freight and logistics invoice factoring and fuel services, which involves buying invoices for cash and collecting payment. This provides quick cash liquidity to clients and is particularly useful for independent or small-business freight companies that need fast turnaround on receivables and back-office support.
The company was previously feeding entries manually to QuickBooks and experienced challenges when it came to reporting on accounts receivable and payable. The core issues involved financial reporting and platform integrations.
OTR Solutions considered Sage Intacct and NetSuite and ultimately selected NetSuite for its new ERP based on its reporting capabilities and custom industry solutions that Bryant Park Consulting developed. Today, OTR Solutions is using NetSuite’s record-to-report, SuiteFlow, procure-to-pay, and fixed asset management modules.
Bryant Park Consulting invested time and resources to understand OTR's key data tables and guided the team through integrating with NetSuite's native data tables, including customers, vendors, invoices, and customer payments. Bryant Park Consulting also introduced a “Hybrid” method to house related transactions for outgoing payments with incoming transactions. This concept acts as the umbrella document storing and tracking all related transactions.
Now, OTR has reports and saved searches that run directly on top of the record structure and provide a clear view of the related transactions from start to finish. Bryant Park Consulting created dashboards that show key information from reports, saved searches, and KPIs, giving executives and accounting staff access to real-time data directly from custom dashboards.
The factoring provider also has a development department that maintains its software integration with NetSuite. The configuration that Bryant Park Consulting implemented has allowed NetSuite to provide real-time visibility to accountants and executives. The detailed ledger of invoice transactions tied to schedules has empowered customer service and CRM functionality to take place directly in NetSuite.
OTR Solutions now has improved reporting and integration capabilities, as well as an automated payment application process. Next steps involve using NetSuite to enhance its customer payments application process, employing Bryant Park’s guidance and advisory services to select the best option available and support implementation of that tool.
NetSuite has allowed OTR to think bigger in terms of financial planning, analysis, and budgeting tools. OTR Solutions now relies on NetSuite to pass along accurate and timely actuals into its budgeting system, allowing the organization to plan better for the future.
Connect With Our Outstanding Partners!
Bridgepoint Consulting(opens in new tab)
Connor Group(opens in new tab)
NetDynamic Consulting(opens in new tab)
Appficiency(opens in new tab)
Zenardy(opens in new tab)
Bryant Park Consulting(opens in new tab)