Executive Summary

  • This is the Brightwork Research & Analysis software rating series.
  • We rate both the software and estimate the risk of implementing each application.

MUFI Rating & Risk for NetSuite OneWorld

MUFI: Maintainability, Usability, Functionality, Implement ability

Vendor: NetSuite (Select For Vendor Profile)

Introduction

NetSuite OneWorld has over 10,000 customers. NetSuite OneWorld has one of the better user satisfaction levels in the ERP software category.

Application Detail

While often marketed as such and known as such (which is why we have included it in this software category), NetSuite is not an ERP system. Its most accurate designation is a stand-alone financial system, which has very basic inventory management and warehouse management functionality. NetSuite has used the ERP moniker for marketing reasons. NetSuite has recently grown its footprint through acquisition into HR, CRM and eCommerce. But the strength of the application is finance and reporting on finance.

The fact that NetSuite is not a full ERP system can be confusing because NetSuite is one of the major proponents of something called two-tiered ERP. This is where a tier 1 ERP system is used – both at the parent company level as well as a master ERP system (that integrates other ERP systems) and then ERP systems of lower tiers are used for subsidiaries, etc.…

NetSuite has been putting themselves forward as an alternative for the second tier, but they can primarily handle the financial side of the equation, with other companies necessary — such as a Rootstock, to complete the ERP footprint. NetSuite is a SaaS-based solution and is well regarded for its financial functionality. In fact, it is considered the best system for consolidating multiple companies.

Netsuite Browser

NetSuite OneWorld has a browser user interface, with easy an easy to navigate menu bar along the top. Reporting is a strong point of the application.

NetSuite OneWorld can be leveraged for what it is, but it is also a bit difficult to classify. After evaluating NetSuite, we have categorized it as a stand-alone financial application, although it is a bit more than that – but it is nowhere near broad enough in the scope of functionality to be called and ERP system.

NetSuite OneWorld’s strength is its ability to be brought up quickly, and its ease of use. However, in which direction will NetSuite grow? Will it use its newfound market muscle to make more acquisitions? If so will that reduce software quality and delivery as this usually does? NetSuite’s CRM and eCommerce applications are not competitive offerings, so NetSuite’s growth outside of OneWorld has not been encouraging. Typically, we don’t make a big deal about “vision.” We leave that more esoteric analysis to Gartner. However, NetSuite is one of the few vendors whose vision is a concern to us, because we can’t understand NetSuite’s strategy – it seems built on wishful thinking. The following paragraph will explain why.

NetSuite offers its product primarily through SaaS, which is one reason it can be brought up so quickly. However, NetSuite’s pricing has dramatically increased over the past several years, which makes it far more expensive than any of the stand-alone financial systems, even though it is not an ERP system, it is priced as if it is an ERP system which is towards the expensive end of the spectrum. NetSuite is in our view killing its value proposition. NetSuite OneWorld is a basic system; it should not be priced towards the upper end of a software category that it does not even belong in. Considering that one of NetSuite’s main marketing programs is to pitch themselves as a tier 3 ERP solution to complement tier 1 ERP applications like SAP ECC and Oracle JD Edwards Enterprise One, NetSuite’s pricing seems really out of sorts.

NetSuite is considered a go-to application for some types of financial functionalities – in particular, multi entity and multi-currency that is better than any other application. NetSuite strongly markets this functionality as is shown in the following quotation from their website.

NetSuite OneWorld can populate a single charts-of-accounts across subsidiaries, or use separate charts-of-accounts for each company with postings between subsidiaries such as expense allocation managed via inter-company journals. Local taxes are readily handled across subsidiaries with an embedded tax engine that allows for multiple tax schedules for everything from GST, to VAT, to consumption tax or general sales tax. Revenue recognition, local financial reporting and compliance are also built-in components. – NetSuite

For some of these functionalities, there are not good alternatives. However to engage those functionalities is quite expensive. Outside of these specialized functionalities, we do not consider NetSuite a compelling value.

MUFI Scores

All scores out of a possible 10.

MUFI Scores

Search for the vendor in this table using the search bar in the upper right of the table. Shortening Key: 
  • Ma. = Maintainability
  • Us. = Usability
  • Fu. = Functionality
  • Im. = Implementability
AppMa.Us.Ft.Im.Cat.
Average Score for Big ERP5.14.85.25.4Big ERP
Average Score for CRM6.26.25.15.9CRM
Average Score for Small and Medium ERP8.386.78.5Small and Medium ERP
Average Score for Finance8.88.888.8Finance
Average Score for Demand Planning7.67.277.1Demand Planning
Average Score for Supply Planning6.76.976.8Supply Planning
Average Score for Production Planning6.86.976.9Production Planning
Average Score for BI Heavy5.55.36.95.3BI Heavy
Average Score for PLM77.26.87.3PLM
Average Score for BI Light7.78.798.3BI Light
Arena Solutions Arena PLM 10101010PLM
AspenTech AspenOne48107Production Planning
Birst 88.5108BI Light
ERPNext10107.510Small and Medium ERP
Delfoi Planner866.57Production Planning
Demand Works Smoothie SP910710Supply Planning
Hamilton Grant RM1098.59PLM
IBM Cognos2.731.53BI Heavy
Infor Epiphany7865CRM
Infor Lawson8767Big ERP
Intuit QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions9959Finance
JDA DM97.588Demand Planning
Microsoft Dynamics CRM2322CRM
NetSuite CRM6433CRM
Netsuite OneWorld7788Big ERP
OpenERP788.587
Oracle BI4436BI Heavy
Oracle CRM On Demand4535CRM
Oracle Demantra533.54.5Demand Planning
Oracle JD Edwards World4136Big ERP
Oracle RightNow6745CRM
PlanetTogether Galaxy APS10101010Production Planning
Preactor8737Production Planning
QlikTech QlikView99109BI Light
Rootstock9899Small and Medium ERP
Sage X38878Big ERP
Salesforce Enterprise88.597.5CRM
SAP APO DP3432Demand Planning
SAP APO PP/DS2243Production Planning
SAP APO SNP3484Supply Planning
SAP BI/BW1.5242BI Heavy
SAP Business Objects32.573BI Heavy
SAP CRM4364CRM
SAP ECC336.53Big ERP
SAP PLM12.523PLM
SAP SmartOps4475.5Supply Planning
SAS BI6.5796BI Heavy
SAS Demand Driven Forecasting7897Demand Planning
Tableau (BI)9101010BI Light
Tableau (Forecasting)10859Demand Planning
Teradata86.39.76BI Heavy
ToolsGroup SO99 (Forecasting)7897Demand Planning
ToolsGroup SO99 (Supply)56107Supply Planning

Vendor and Application Risk

Brightwork Research & Analysis Risk Defined: (See This Link for Our Categorization of Risk)

NetSuite OneWorld is an application with reasonable implementation risk. OneWorld has a high implement ability and a decent functionality level. Some of the things that OneWorld can do on the financial side can exceed expectations.

Likelihood of Implementation Success

This accounts for both the application and vendor-specific risk. In our formula, the total implementation risk is application + vendor + buyer risk. The buyer specific risk could increase or decrease this overall likelihood and adjust the values that you see below.

Likelihood of Application Implementation Success and Failure

Estimates are for a typical project. A specific implementation requires details from the project to make a project-specific estimate.

Search for the application in this table using the search bar in the upper right of the table.
ApplicationProb of Implementation SuccessProb of Implementation Failure
Actuate0.770.23
SAP Smartops0.390.61
NetSuite CRM0.460.54
Sugar CRM0.620.48
Base CRM0.910.09
SAP CRM0.350.65
Salesforce Enterprise0.720.28
QlikTech QlikView0.820.18
Tableau (BI)0.980.02
SAP Crystal Reports0.460.54
Brist0.830.17
MicroStrategy0.70.3
SAS BI0.760.24
Oracle BI0.350.65
IBM Cognos0.230.77
Infor Epiphany0.580.42
Microsoft Dynamics CRM0.260.74
Oracle RightNow CRM0.410.59
Oracle CRM On Demand0.360.64
Teradata0.760.24
SAP Business Objects0.320.68
SAP BI/BW0.250.75
SAP PLM0.290.71
Hamilton Grant RM0.890.11
Arena Solutions0.960.04
Delfoi Planner0.70.3
Preactor0.640.36
PlanetTogether Galaxy APS0.960.04
AspenTech AspenOne0.550.45
SAP APO PP/DS0.270.73
Demand Works Smoothie SP0.930.07
ToolsGroup SO99 (Supply)0.820.18
Demand Works Smoothie0.960.04
Tableau (Forecasting)0.90.1
SAS Demand Driven Forecasting0.820.18
ToolsGroup SO99 (Forecasting)0.860.14
JDA DM0.570.43
Oracle Demantra0.330.67
SAP APO DP0.280.72
FinancialForce0.920.08
Intacct0.980.02
Intuit QB Enterprise0.80.2
ERPNext0.90.1
OpenERP0.780.22
Rootstock0.910.09
ProcessPro0.930.07
Microsoft Dynamics AX0.40.6
SAP Business One0.490.51
Sage X30.620.38
Infor Lawson0.580.42
Epicor ERP0.40.6
Oracle JD Edwards World0.310.69
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne0.360.64
SAP ERP ECC/R/30.320.68
NetSuite OneWorld0.650.35

Risk Definition

See this link for more on our categorizations of risk. We also offer a Buyer Specific Risk Estimation as a service for those that want a comprehensive analysis.

Risk Management Approach

Problems can arise when OneWorld is implemented as if it is a true ERP system, instead of considering it a best of breed financial system with a few other areas of functionality – therefore the largest challenge we see regarding managing the risks of a OneWorld implementation is the scope of the implementation.

Finished With Your Analysis?

To go back to the Software Selection Package page for the Finance & Accounting software category. Or go to this link to see other analytical products for NetSuite OneWorld.

References

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conglomerate.asp

https://www.netsuite.com/portal/products/oneworld/global-erp.shtml