Inside Your ERP: Lessons From The Frontline Of NetSuite Implementation

We recently spoke to Maxime Lothe, CEO of  Novutech on ERP pain points, procurement pitfalls, and the role of smart integration.

Q: When companies go live with NetSuite, what are the biggest pain points they experience?

A: Honestly, the biggest issues we see aren't technical – they’re people-related. The number one pain point is change management. If users aren’t properly trained or mentally prepared for what’s coming, they can’t engage with the new system effectively. And that leads to frustration, inefficiency, and poor adoption.

Second, there’s often an overreliance on a “light” Phase One. Many companies aim to just get the basics live quickly, which is understandable. But once they’re live, that’s not the end – it’s really just the beginning. There’s still a whole Phase Two to plan for: new modules, automation, better reporting, deeper integrations.

The issue is that Phase Two can take a long time – sometimes months or even years – to materialise. Meanwhile, users are left with an incomplete system that doesn’t match their expectations. The result can be that they start to feel like the disruption wasn’t worth it.

And third, those expectations themselves are often the problem. Too many companies expect a “magic bullet” ERP system that will solve every business process instantly. But when the reality doesn’t match the hype, disappointment sets in. That’s often when extra tools or workarounds start being added on top of NetSuite to fill perceived gaps – sometimes unnecessarily.

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Q: What typically gets implemented in Phase One of a NetSuite rollout?

A: The most effective implementations always start with finance. That means general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable: the foundational financials.

We do sometimes see clients trying to roll out NetSuite for everything except finance in Phase One. In our experience, that’s a mistake. You need finance as the anchor point. NetSuite is first and foremost a finance-driven ERP. Trying to go live with, for example, CRM or procurement first, just creates data gaps and confusion.

Once the finance core is stable, you move into Phase Two. That’s when we usually see things like advanced billing, CRM, procurement, banking, and treasury features come into play. But trying to front-load all of that too soon is a recipe for burnout. You have to build in phases.

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Q: Why does it take so long to implement NetSuite? Why can’t companies just do it themselves?

A: You can do it yourself – if you’re highly organised, have internal expertise, and have the right people available to drive the project. But in reality, most companies don’t meet all three of those criteria.

A well-scoped implementation, with the right preparation, typically takes between three to nine months. And that’s just Phase One. It’s faster than many other ERP platforms: Microsoft Dynamics or SAP, for instance, often take much longer. But even with NetSuite, the timeline depends heavily on how well you’ve prepared.

You need clarity on your existing processes, a vision for what you want to improve, and people internally who can dedicate time to the rollout. That last point – internal availability – is usually where projects fall down. Teams are already busy running the business. They don’t have spare capacity to manage something as strategic and involved as an ERP transformation.

That’s where integrators like us come in. We’re not just here to plug in software – we help structure the project, guide decision-making, and avoid common traps. But even then, the best outcomes come when there’s a strong counterpart on the client side. 

The most successful project we ever delivered had someone internally who owned the implementation, and partnered with us throughout. That kind of collaboration makes all the difference.

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Q: And what about scope creep – how does that play in?

A: It’s a big factor, and it often comes from misaligned definitions of what “done” looks like. Clients think going live means everything’s finished. But with NetSuite, that first go-live is often just the beginning.

One issue is dependencies. NetSuite rarely exists in a vacuum. Companies often implement it alongside other systems – CRM, HR, BI etc. That adds layers of coordination, testing, and integration work. If you don’t break the project into realistic phases, everything slows down.

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Q: Why did you choose to specialise in NetSuite over other ERPs?

A: When we started Novutech in 2019, NetSuite was the standout cloud-native ERP. At the time, most systems were still trying to move to the cloud. NetSuite was already there – and it had been built for it from day one.

Today, that cloud-native foundation is still one of its biggest assets. There’s no infrastructure to manage, no hidden maintenance costs. From a total cost of ownership perspective, that’s a huge win.

It also fits the industries we serve – mainly SaaS, tech, and service businesses. NetSuite handles multi-entity, multi-currency accounting really well. And it’s incredibly open. If you want to connect it to other tools, it’s built for that.

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Q: You mentioned procurement earlier. Do you see tension between finance and procurement teams in how they use NetSuite?

A: Absolutely. Procurement teams often come in expecting a highly tailored, best-in-class procurement experience. But NetSuite isn’t a specialist procurement tool. It’s a broad ERP system with finance at its core.

That means procurement functionality exists - but it operates within finance-led workflows. Things like requisitions, approvals, and purchase orders are all there, but they’re not especially flexible. And if you want to give more people access to those tools, you need more user licenses – which increases cost. That often catches clients by surprise.

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Q: Are there procurement features that are underused or misunderstood?

A: Yes, 3-Way Matching is a good example. It’s a standard procurement control in NetSuite, but it comes with limitations in terms of how configurable it is. You can’t endlessly tweak the matching rules across different vendors or item types.

The pattern we see is that companies want to replicate their exact, often very complex approval and purchasing processes. But NetSuite is built around standardization. It doesn’t cope well with deeply customised, multi-branch workflows – unless you invest heavily in development.

That’s not always the best idea. The further you move away from NetSuite’s native functionality, the more brittle things become. We always advise clients to adapt processes to fit the system wherever possible, not the other way around.

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Q: So when does it make sense to bring in a separate procurement solution?

A: To me there are three big red flags:

1. High user count – If hundreds of people need access to ordering or approvals, NetSuite licensing costs can quickly become unsustainable.
   
   
2. Overly complex workflows – Conditional approvals with many levels of sign-off can affect both usability and system performance. Users perceive the system as “slow,” when in fact it’s being overloaded.
   
   
3. Missing features – Supplier onboarding, external collaboration, vendor portals. NetSuite isn’t really built for those. It’s a back-office system.
   
   

If you’re running a lean procurement operation with a small team and standard needs, NetSuite’s native tools might be enough. But if procurement is core to your business, you’ll likely get more value from a specialised tool that integrates seamlessly.

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Q: Final thoughts what would you say to someone about to embark on a NetSuite project?

A: Be strategic. Take your time upfront to map your needs properly. Don’t rush to implement everything at once, or assume NetSuite can handle every edge case in your business.

As integrators – and resellers – we’re not here to push a product. We’re here to help businesses build smart, scalable solutions. Sometimes that means recommending a third-party tool. Sometimes it means saying, “That process is too complicated, can we simplify it?”

NetSuite is a fantastic ERP, but no system is a silver bullet. The real value comes from clarity, prioritisation, and the right partnerships. Start with a solid foundation, build in phases, and make sure you're not just buying software – but building capability.

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