Unleashing the Power of SuiteAnalytics BI for Real-Time, Actionable Insights

As businesses grow and data becomes ever more integral to day-to-day operations, the importance of real-time, accessible analytics cannot be overstated. NetSuite’s SuiteAnalytics BI is designed to provide your team with on-demand, detailed insights into everything from financials to inventory, without the hassle of juggling separate BI systems or outdated data. Below, we’ll explore how SuiteAnalytics BI helps NetSuite users—particularly those looking to leverage its latest 2020.2 enhancements—unlock powerful reporting and visualization tools to drive better decision-making.

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What Is SuiteAnalytics BI?

SuiteAnalytics BI is a built-in business intelligence layer within NetSuite that delivers real-time analytics and reporting. Unlike stand-alone BI software that requires separate licensing, data exports, or custom connectors, SuiteAnalytics is natively embedded—making it both cost-effective (no extra fees) and always in sync with your NetSuite transactional data.

Key Advantages

• Real-Time Access: Direct integration ensures that dashboards and workbooks always reflect live data.
• No Additional Cost: If you already have NetSuite, you can immediately tap into SuiteAnalytics at no extra charge.
• Easy Adoption: A set of prebuilt “workbooks” lets you experiment with preconfigured views. From there, you can customize or create new ones that perfectly align with your organization’s needs.

Major Enhancements in NetSuite 2020.2

NetSuite’s twice-yearly releases often come packed with feature upgrades and refinements, and 2020.2 introduced several exciting additions to SuiteAnalytics BI. Here are the standout improvements:

Multiple Data Sets in One Workbook

Previously, each workbook could only draw from one data set. Now, a single workbook can reference multiple data sets—letting you consolidate various types of information (e.g., sales orders, invoices, purchase orders) into one cohesive analysis. Imagine creating a “Board Reports” workbook that pulls in financial, operational, and inventory data all at once—so executives can simply open one workbook to see critical KPIs.

Enhanced Formula Builder and Debugging

Crafting custom formulas is a huge part of shaping data for reports, and NetSuite has taken big steps to make this process easier. With a more intuitive formula interface—and debugging tools to quickly resolve errors—you’ll spend less time wrestling with syntax and more time iterating on valuable analyses. If you need to calculate complex fields, such as custom margin or forecast calculations, it’s now far simpler to do so directly within SuiteAnalytics.

Embedded Training and How-To Videos

Getting up to speed on new features is often half the battle. NetSuite addresses this by embedding training videos into the analytics UI, so your team can learn new functions without leaving the platform. Whether you’re a first-time user or a power user wanting to master advanced formulas, these just-in-time tutorials help you quickly turn raw data into actionable intelligence.

Dashboards with Table Views

NetSuite dashboards have always been a strong point for quick, high-level updates. The 2020.2 release adds the ability to display fully drillable table views from SuiteAnalytics right on your home screen. You can glance at a summary table of, say, pending invoices or sales performance, then drill deeper for transaction-level details—no additional navigations required.

Why It Matters for Your Business

Today’s competitive environment demands agility. Decisions about inventory, sales pipelines, cash flow, and staffing all hinge on having current, accurate data. SuiteAnalytics BI eliminates the lag that comes from disconnected, after-the-fact reporting by letting you:

• Generate Instant Insights: Pivot raw transaction data in seconds, build dynamic charts, and drill down to the lowest detail level.
• Streamline Reporting: Consolidate multiple data sets—such as financials, supply chain, and sales—into cohesive dashboards, reducing the need for separate spreadsheets and manual data merges.
• Improve Collaboration: Teams have a single source of truth for metrics, ensuring everyone—from accounting to operations—works off the same real-time figures.

How to Get Started

1. Access SuiteAnalytics: Look for the “Analytics” or “Workbooks” tab in your NetSuite dashboard. (If you don’t see it, reach out to your NetSuite administrator.)
2. Explore Sample Workbooks: NetSuite seeds sample workbooks for you to experiment with. Try slicing and dicing this pre-built data to see how flexible SuiteAnalytics is.
3. Create Custom Workbooks: Identify which key performance indicators (KPIs) matter most for your role or department. From there, build new workbooks or edit existing ones.
4. Incorporate Dashboards: Pin your favorite views or tables to the NetSuite home screen so you never miss a critical data update.

For more robust testing—especially if you’re exploring multiple customizations—consider using your release preview account (if your organization has one) to try out new features risk-free. This preview mirrors your data and customizations so you can confirm everything works exactly as expected.

Final Thoughts

SuiteAnalytics BI gives NetSuite users an immediate competitive advantage by delivering a centralized, real-time analytics platform without the overhead or complexity of a stand-alone solution. With the 2020.2 release adding multiple data sets per workbook, improved formula options, and built-in guidance, there’s no better time to unlock the power of SuiteAnalytics for your organization.

If you have questions about fine-tuning SuiteAnalytics for your unique needs, or you’d like a hands-on demo of these capabilities, feel free to reach out. Our team can walk you through any new features or help you design custom dashboards and KPIs—so you’re never left guessing about your next move.