What Is NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing?
Also known as: NetSuite Manufacturing Edition, NetSuite Advanced BOM
Definition
NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing is the NetSuite feature set that adds routings, manufacturing work centers, operation-level work orders, finite scheduling, BOM and routing revisions, and WIP tracking, beyond basic assembly items with simple bills of materials.
NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing Explained
NetSuite offers manufacturing in layers. Basic Assembly/Bill of Materials lets you build assembly items from components. The Work Orders and Assemblies feature adds work orders and completions. Advanced Manufacturing adds Manufacturing Routing records, Manufacturing Cost Templates, work centers with capacity, and operation-level work order scheduling, so labor and machine time are planned per step.
Under Advanced BOM, items have BOM records with revisions that carry effective dates and, optionally, routings that list operations with setup and run times. Work Order Issue, Work Order Completion and Work Order Close record material and labor, while WIP accounts are relieved and variances posted at close. Planning is done with Supply Planning, which creates planned work orders and purchase orders.
It suits discrete, make-to-order and assemble-to-order manufacturers. Heavy process, deep finite scheduling or complex shop-floor execution often need a third-party MES or scheduler that integrates through SuiteTalk or RESTlets, and this is a common architecture decision during selection.
Why It Matters
- Which manufacturing tier is licensed decides whether routings, work centers and operation-level reporting exist, so confirm it before blaming data quality.
- WIP and variance accounting at work order close drives gross margin; wrong BOM revisions silently distort cost.
- Capacity and scheduling in NetSuite are lighter than dedicated APS tools, which affects promise dates.
- Integration with MES and quality systems is usually needed, creating data mapping work.
In Practice
A machine shop builds a bracket with three operations: cut, deburr, and anodize (outsourced). The routing defines run time per unit at each work center. A work order for 200 units schedules the operations, labor is booked by operation on completion, and at close a labor efficiency variance shows that deburr ran about 15 percent over the routing standard, prompting a routing update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NetSuite have a manufacturing module?
Yes. NetSuite includes assembly and work order functionality, with an Advanced Manufacturing layer for routings, work centers and operation-level scheduling.
Is NetSuite a good fit for complex discrete manufacturing?
It fits many mid-market discrete and assemble-to-order shops. Very complex scheduling or shop-floor execution usually requires an add-on MES or APS system.
Where are WIP variances posted?
At Work Order Close, NetSuite relieves WIP and posts material, labor and overhead variances to the configured variance accounts.
Related Terms
BOM (Bill of Materials)
A BOM (bill of materials) is the structured, hierarchical list of components, sub-assemblies, and quantities required to produce one unit of a parent item, and it is the primary input MRP explodes to calculate material requirements.
Routing
A routing is the ERP record that defines the ordered sequence of operations required to manufacture an item, specifying for each step the work center or machine, setup time, run time per unit, move and queue time, and any outside processing.
Work Order
A work order is the ERP document that authorizes production of a defined quantity of an item by a due date. It snapshots the bill of materials and routing, drives material issues and labor reporting, and collects actual cost for the job.
WIP (Work in Process)
WIP (Work in Process) is inventory that has been released to production and has begun conversion but is not yet a finished good. It includes partially machined parts, subassemblies, and material sitting in queue between operations.
MRP (Material Requirements Planning)
MRP (Material Requirements Planning) is the ERP calculation that explodes demand through bills of materials, nets it against on-hand and on-order inventory, and offsets by lead time to produce timed purchase and work order suggestions.
Go Deeper
ERP Selection Scorecard for Manufacturers
Score the rigor of your ERP selection process in 10 questions and find the gaps vendors exploit before you sign a contract you cannot easily exit.
Epicor vs Infor: Migration Comparison for Manufacturers
Compare Epicor Kinetic vs Infor CloudSuite for manufacturing. Functional analysis, migration costs, and decision framework for switching platforms.
Working with NetSuite Advanced Manufacturing in a live environment? Our engineers do this every day - and our AI agents automate most of it.