This year was my second year attending NetSuite's SuiteWorld. I got an all-retail taste of what the company has been up to in the last year, and I have to say I was impressed. If I had to sum it up in one phrase, I guess it would be: the company delivers on what it promises.
In the last year, the company has introduced or enhanced whole new levels of retail capability, from point of sale to marketing to order management. And for each of those pieces, it's clear that NetSuite is taking an approach of an early stake in the ground, and then successive waves of new capability on that foundation.
Order management is a good example. Last year the company announced a fulfil-from- store capability. This year, the solution's rules and configuration options have expanded. The same can be said about Bronto – last year, the company was a new acquisition. This year, expanded customer interaction capabilities include integrations into Bronto capabilities.
NetSuite plans to next pursue deeper industry dives, starting with fashion apparel, and eventually moving through several retail verticals. The vertical-specific solutions include integrated partnerships with high affinity for the vertical – in fashion's case that means the World Fashion Exchange, for example. They also include pre-configured dashboards and KPIs to get retailers closer to what they need to run their business faster.
All in all, I saw a conference of happy customers, excited for new capabilities, ready and willing to take on more, whether that means rolling out unified commerce between stores and online or taking on the task of helping the company further refine its store fulfilment capabilities.
Do I wish the company would move faster? Sure. I can say that honestly about every company I've visited this spring. Do I wish the company had more examples of larger customers doing high-volume things? Sure as well. But no one can be all things to everyone all the time. And so long as NetSuite stays focused on meeting the needs of happy customers, they'll get to where they need to go soon enough – growing as their own customers grow.
This article originally appeared as 'NetSuite Suiteworld 2016: Steady On' on The RSR Research website. It is reproduced with the organisation's permission.