NetSuite Developer Blog: SuiteApp Product Development

Do you have an idea that you think will help not just your clientele, but for the entire NetSuite customer base? Our NetSuite Developer blog will help you get a better understanding on how to turn your idea into a SuiteApp and how it can revolutionize your business and benefit the broader NetSuite ecosystem. 

When do you build a SuiteApp?

All the existing SuiteApps are in some way trying to address a gap in NetSuite. That should probably be the first step for any new SuiteApp idea. Once you have an idea, it is better to validate the idea as many times and as quickly as possible before we decide to spend time, effort and money on it. 

While NetSuite ERP is a leading and a robust cloud-based ERP that boasts of a great ecosystem,  there could still be challenges that some businesses may encounter. NetSuite, out of the box, might not be able to solve all the unique scenarios of all kinds of businesses and that is where users might come across a few gaps between what NetSuite is offering and the actual business need. These are the gaps that need to be bridged with the help of a customized solution or a SuiteApp. 

Can every customization/solution be a SuiteApp?

It is important to understand that not every customization is the right idea for a SuiteApp. A proper analysis of the gap and solution needs to be done to identify the potential of the solution being converted to a SuiteApp. Your idea need not always be a solution to a gap in NetSuite. It can also be something that enhances the user experience and makes things easier for NetSuite users. 

It is also important to understand that every customization cannot directly be a SuiteApp. From our experience, we see that the customization/solution is only about 20-25% of a SuiteApp. There is a lot more work involved in converting this customization into a SuiteApp.

Challenges to consider during the course of building a SuiteApp

While the idea of building a SuiteApp seems lucrative, there are a few challenges that need to be handled during this process of building a SuiteApp. 

• First and foremost, a SuiteApp needs to start with a sound design and technical architecture. You will need experienced architects who can help with this process. 
• Also, the NetSuite development has a learning curve and new or junior developers may find it difficult to grasp the intricacies of NetSuite development tools like SuiteScript, SuiteTalk etc. It is important to have knowledgeable and experienced technical resources to build the SuiteApp
• The certification process for SuiteApps requires meeting specific standards and most of the users find this certification process to be rigorous and time consuming
• Another challenge is getting a dev account to start working on your ideas and performing feasibility checks. You won’t be able to get a dev account without becoming an SDN partner

What are the benefits of building a SuiteApp?

By now, it is clear that building a SuiteApp is not very simple and requires time and effort invested. So what are the benefits that we could be looking at from a SuiteApp? Here are some of the key benefits:

• Revenue generation – SuiteApp sales provide a revenue stream for the organization. NetSuite’s expansive customer base increases opportunities for reaching a wider market and increasing the revenue generated from app sales. It can also provide a recurring revenue stream contributing to the financial success of the organization
• Market exposure and customer acquisition – The SuiteApp Marketplace is a centralized hub where NetSuite users actively look for solutions and listing a SuiteApp increases its visibility and exposure along with your company’s exposure to potential customers
• Collaboration opportunities – Being part of the SuiteApp Marketplace and SDN can open doors to collaboration with other developers, businesses, or NetSuite partners. Collaborative efforts can lead to improved products and expanded reach.
• Global reach – The SuiteApp Marketplace offers a global platform, allowing you to reach businesses and users across different regions. This is indirectly helping the organization to reach out to different regions where customers are based out of and helping the organization tap into a new customer pool

How can we help you?

79Consulting is a NetSuite partner with over 16+ years of platform expertise and has been a SDN partner for close to 10 years now. We have 8 published SuiteApps on Marketplace and few outsourced apps developed for customers that are also published on the marketplace. With all this wealth of experience we can help you convert your ideas into a SuiteApp. 

• We can help with Architecture Design for your SuiteApp
• Develop of SuiteApp Components along with thorough testing
• We can also help you with the App listing and BFN Review Process
• We also help you with deployment and post deployment support for your end customers
• Finally, we also provide NetSuite Release support. We help with the testing of the application for every NetSuite release and also with the certification and review process as part of this support.

Ready to turn your idea into a SuiteApp? Talk to one of our NetSuite consultants today.