In today’s hyper-competitive, fast-paced global economy, companies no longer have the luxury of waiting weeks—or even days—for performance updates. The market demands agility. Businesses must think fast, move fast, and embrace change at lightning speed. But what happens when executives are hamstrung by outdated data, delayed financial reports, or fragmented systems that don’t talk to one another?
This is where NetSuite, the world’s leading on-demand business management software, enters the picture. Designed to give businesses a 360-degree view of operations, NetSuite integrates sales, back-office functions, support, and eCommerce into one seamless system. The result is accurate, real-time, standardized information available to everyone in the organization, from executives to frontline employees.
Michael Emaus, President and CEO of eEnterprise (a global integrator of NetSuite), explains the stakes:
“Today, the growth organization needs to think fast, move fast, and embrace change.”
Let’s explore how companies are using NetSuite to command a complete 360-degree view of their operations—and why it matters now more than ever.
The Problem with Traditional Business Information
For decades, business leaders have relied heavily on profit and loss (P&L) statements, balance sheets, and other static financial reports. While these are essential tools, they come with a major drawback: they provide only historical data.
As Emaus notes:
“A P&L is only a scorecard of what happened in the past. The actionable information is in the key performance indicators—the metrics of who is doing what with whom, when, and how.”
The gap is clear: executives often know what happened, but not why it happened—or what to do next. Without actionable insights, leaders cannot pinpoint whether declining sales come from a specific office, underperforming sales reps, a faulty product line, or changes in customer behavior.
This information delay makes it nearly impossible to correct unfavorable trends in real-time, measure the impact of new strategies, or reward outstanding performers before momentum is lost.
Why the 360-Degree View Matters
The solution to this problem lies in having a holistic, integrated, real-time view of the business—what NetSuite calls the 360-degree view.
Imagine an organization where:
- Sales teams instantly see customer buying patterns.
- Accounting and finance track invoices and revenue trends in real-time.
- Support teams access customer history without requesting data from another department.
- Executives monitor performance metrics across locations, products, and employees—all from a single dashboard.
This is not a future vision. It’s happening now with NetSuite’s integrated SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) solution.
“That actionable information is especially crucial for growing a business or a multi-location enterprise,” says Emaus.
For companies managing multiple offices, global operations, or franchise networks, the ability to align everyone around one source of truth is transformative.
NetSuite’s Core Advantage: Integration
At the heart of NetSuite’s value is its seamless integration of four major components:
- Sales (CRM) – Customer Relationship Management ensures that every interaction, from lead to sale, is tracked and visible.
- Back Office (ERP) – Enterprise Resource Planning handles financials, inventory, and operations.
- Support – Service and knowledge management ensure customer needs are resolved efficiently.
- eCommerce – Online sales integrate directly with back-end systems for smooth operations.
Instead of having siloed platforms, NetSuite brings these functions into one system, accessible via the Internet. This allows organizations to scale without limits, eliminating inefficiencies and confusion.
A True Single View of the Customer
One of NetSuite’s most powerful features is providing a single, unified view of the customer across the entire lifecycle:
- Lead – Where the customer journey begins.
- Prospect – As interest grows, sales teams track every engagement.
- Product or Service – Details of offerings customers buy.
- Invoice – Seamlessly tied into accounting systems.
- Support – Complete history available to service staff.
For example:
- A salesperson analyzing customer buying history can instantly spot opportunities for upselling.
- An accountant sees the same customer record when reviewing invoicing or collections.
- A support agent can attach alerts or notes back to sales, ensuring everyone stays aligned.
This level of integration reduces miscommunication, improves efficiency, and builds stronger customer relationships.
The Benefits of On-Demand SaaS
Unlike traditional client/server environments, NetSuite is entirely cloud-based. This means:
- Anytime, anywhere access – Executives and employees can log in from the office, home, or even halfway around the world.
- Lower IT costs – No expensive servers, hardware, or maintenance.
- Faster updates – Software updates happen automatically in the cloud.
- Scalability – Businesses can expand operations without worrying about infrastructure limits.
The payback is immediate: companies gain relevant, timely information without the bottlenecks of legacy systems.
The Human Factor: Business First, Technology Second
Emaus cautions, however, that software alone isn’t enough.
“Our customers generally understand immediately that an integrated, on-demand SaaS requires business engineers who understand their industries and goals. It requires an understanding in business first, and technology second.”
This means true success with NetSuite lies not just in adopting technology but also in working with integrators like eEnterprise who can tailor solutions to specific industries—whether retail, manufacturing, services, or franchises.
Customization and business-specific alignment ensure that NetSuite delivers 360-degree collaboration, not just data.
How NetSuite Empowers Different Types of Businesses
Let’s look at a few practical examples:
1. Multi-Location Enterprises
For a retailer with stores across multiple states or countries, NetSuite allows executives to track performance by location in real-time. They can immediately see which stores are outperforming and which need support.
2. Global Organizations
A company operating in multiple currencies and languages can manage compliance, consolidate financials, and maintain standardization globally—all from a single platform.
3. Franchise Models
Franchise owners can monitor franchisee performance while giving each location tools for local success. Transparency builds trust and ensures consistency across the brand.
4. Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs)
Traditionally underserved by enterprise software, SMBs can now access the same powerful tools as Fortune 500 companies—thanks to the scalability and affordability of NetSuite’s cloud model.
The Vision Behind NetSuite
Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder and one of the pioneers of enterprise technology, played a central role in bringing NetSuite to market.
“Larry Ellison pioneered the Internet for the Enterprise. Now he and NetSuite are pioneering it for the SMB market,” says Emaus.
The recognition that SMBs drive much of today’s economic growth underscores NetSuite’s importance. By giving smaller businesses access to enterprise-grade tools, NetSuite levels the playing field—allowing them to innovate, compete, and thrive.
Real-Time Metrics: The Game-Changer
The real revolution of NetSuite lies in real-time metrics. Imagine being able to:
- Spot declining sales immediately and address them before they become losses.
- Track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns as they unfold.
- Identify top-performing employees and reward them promptly.
- Optimize inventory in real-time to reduce waste and improve margins.
This kind of agility is no longer optional. In a world where consumer behavior changes overnight and supply chains face constant disruption, real-time decision-making defines winners and losers.
The Road Ahead: Business Agility with NetSuite
The pressure of the global economy isn’t going away. Businesses must adapt to virtual workplaces, instant communication, and ever-shifting markets.
NetSuite provides the infrastructure and tools to support this transformation. But companies must also embrace a cultural shift: one where data-driven decisions, cross-departmental collaboration, and customer-centricity are the norm.
As Emaus concludes:
“Delivering 360-degree collaboration tailored around a variety of industries is the true differentiator for eEnterprise.”
With NetSuite, businesses aren’t just surviving change—they’re commanding it.
Final Thoughts
The journey from static reports to real-time, actionable insights is not just about technology—it’s about transformation. By integrating sales, back-office operations, support, and eCommerce into a single platform, NetSuite provides businesses with the 360-degree view they need to thrive in today’s economy.
Whether you’re a multi-location retailer, a global enterprise, or an ambitious SMB, the future of business management lies in integration, accessibility, and agility—and NetSuite is leading the way.
