NetSuite implementation partner and consultant scorecard

• Functional consultantModules and SuiteAppsWhich NetSuite modules and SuiteApps would you license for us, and which would you leave out of phase one?
• Functional consultantDesign sessionsHow do you run design sessions, and what document comes out of them?
• Functional consultantMulti-subsidiaryWe have several legal entities in different currencies. How would you set up subsidiaries, intercompany and consolidation?
• Functional consultantInventory managementHow would you configure NetSuite inventory management for us: locations, bins, lot or serial tracking and costing?
• Functional consultantNetSuite WMSDo we need NetSuite WMS, and how would our warehouse pick, pack and ship with it?
• Functional consultantManufacturingWe make products to stock and to order. How would you set up NetSuite manufacturing for us?
• Functional consultantNetSuite CRMWe want sales and support in NetSuite CRM. What would you configure, and what would you integrate instead?
• Functional consultantNetSuite ecommerceShould we use SuiteCommerce, SuiteCommerce Advanced or an external storefront, and what does each mean for upgrades?
• Functional consultantData migrationHow would you migrate our data, and how many rehearsals would you plan?
• Technical consultantSuiteScript 2.1Which SuiteScript version do you write, and what is your plan for our SuiteScript 1.0 and 2.0 scripts?
• Technical consultantScript typesA nightly job must update thousands of sales orders. Which script type do you use, and why not a user event script?
• Technical consultantSuiteFlow vs SuiteScriptHow do you decide between a SuiteFlow workflow and a SuiteScript for an approval or field update?
• Technical consultantSDF and deploymentHow do you move customizations from sandbox to production?
• Technical consultantSuiteQLHow do you pull data out of NetSuite for reports and integrations: saved searches, SuiteQL or SuiteAnalytics Connect?
• Technical consultantNetSuite APIWhich NetSuite API would you use for a new integration: REST web services, SOAP web services or a RESTlet?
• Technical consultantAuthenticationHow will our integrations authenticate, and what changes in NetSuite 2027.1?
• Technical consultantRoles and 2FAHow do you design roles and permissions, and how do you handle two-factor authentication?
• Technical consultantNetSuite integrationWe need NetSuite integration with our ecommerce platform, 3PL and an on-prem plant system. How would you design it?
• Technical consultantAI and MCPYou mention NetSuite AI features and MCP. What would we actually use, and what are the conditions?
• Project leadPlanShow me a NetSuite project plan you ran. Where are the phase gates, data rehearsals, UAT and cutover?
• Project leadTeamWho exactly will be on our project, with what allocation, and what happens if one of them leaves?
• Project leadRelease upgradesNetSuite upgrades twice a year. How will you protect our customizations and integrations through each upgrade?
• Project leadScope controlHow do you control customizations and change orders on a NetSuite project?
• Project leadCutoverDescribe the go-live weekend. What is loaded when, what does the business stop doing, and when do you decide not to go?
• Project leadNetSuite pricing and costWalk me through your estimate and the NetSuite subscription quote. Which assumptions would trigger a change order?
• Project leadNetSuite trainingHow will our administrator and users be trained, and how do we become self-sufficient?
• Project leadReferencesCan we speak to a NetSuite customer whose project had problems, and what did you change afterwards?

Red flags in NetSuite partner evaluations

• Senior people in the sales meeting, unnamed juniors on the proposal

  The team you interview should be the team you get. Ask for a key-person clause.

• Will not separate the NetSuite subscription from services fees

  A Solution Provider can sell and implement NetSuite. You need both numbers to compare candidates fairly.

• Writes new scripts in SuiteScript 1.0 or 2.0

  NetSuite is phasing out 1.0, 2.0 and 2.x; from 2028.2 all scripts must use SuiteScript 2.1.

• Proposes new integrations on TBA, NLAuth or user credentials

  New TBA integrations are blocked from 2027.1 and NLAuth stops working in 2027.1. Use OAuth 2.0.

• Plans to build or test directly in production

  Use sandbox and SDF projects so changes are tested, versioned and deployed the same way every time.

• No plan for Release Preview testing

  Two scheduled upgrades a year can break scripts and integrations. Testing existing workflows in Release Preview is the control.

• Every requirement becomes a custom script

  Scripts cost governance, testing and maintenance at each upgrade. Configuration and SuiteFlow should come first.

• No data migration rehearsal in the plan

  Load errors and reconciliation gaps only appear in a measured rehearsal.

• Certifications claimed for the firm but not the named people

  Ask for each consultant's certification name and date and whether it is current.

• Low fixed fee with broad exclusions

  Excluded data, integrations and reports usually return as change orders.

• Integrations or daily work run under the Administrator role

  Use dedicated roles with least privilege so access can be audited and revoked.

• Unverifiable claims of exclusive status, guaranteed timelines or AI features

  Ask for written evidence and confirm with NetSuite. Real partners describe risks, not guarantees.