NetSuite Offers Expanded Consulting Services For Midmarket Customers

The SuiteSuccess services are geared toward mid-market companies that have limited IT resources and need outside help to implement NetSuite's software-as-a-service applications, match them to their business processes and train employees to use them.

NetSuite's channel partners will have the option of reselling the new services to supplement their own offerings, but most solution providers have built up their own implementation and support services, said Tim Dilley, NetSuite executive vice president of services. He said channel conflict between SuiteSuccess and what solution providers offer is unlikely due to NetSuite's deal registration program.

While NetSuite's customer base originally consisted mostly of companies with between 10 and 50 employees, most of its customers today have in the range of 50 to 500 employees. That's led to bigger, more challenging deployments of NetSuite's customers for the company and its business partners. "We are dealing with a complex solution here," Dilley said.

The goal of the new services, which Dilley said have been under development for some time, is to decrease implementation times and costs and increase customer satisfaction.

At the core of the services is the NetSuite One methodology for implementing the company's on-demand applications, including a project management methodology, implementation templates for specific industries, best practices and business process models. Dilley said the methodology will be used by NetSuite's 150 professional consultants and be shared with channel partners.

The SuiteConsulting services are packaged into two offerings: Shared Consulting geared toward mid-size companies that require more on-site NetSuite project managers and staff; and Guided Consulting targeting small companies who implement the applications themselves with guidance from NetSuite consultants. Under Shared Consulting, which is expected to require more billable hours, configurations of NetSuite's applications would be done remotely before implementation.

SuiteTraining offers customized training services while SuiteSupport will offer a worldwide support network available 24 hours a day using facilities in San Mateo, California, Toronto and Manila, according to the company.