Functionality focus: customising your Oracle NetSuite dashboard

Whether ‘pre’ or ‘post’ pandemic, if you’ve invested in Oracle NetSuite, you’ll have done so to drive efficiency, improve transparency and facilitate scalability within your business – all crucial factors to smooth operations in a hybrid working world. Yet while you may have reaped its benefits as a standardised solution, customising your Oracle NetSuite experience can empower you to work smarter, with quick and easy access to real-time, role-specific data as and when required.

While this may sound like a laborious task, Oracle NetSuite’s dashboard functionality makes this adjustment surprisingly straightforward, arming the workforce business-wide with greater visibility for a more informed and collaborative approach to working. In this blog, we’ll explore tips on how to customise your Oracle NetSuite dashboard, and why it really does pay to optimise your current solution.

What is an Oracle NetSuite dashboard?

Oracle NetSuite dashboards are also what make this sophisticated cloud ERP solution one of the easiest to navigate. As portals to real-time data at any given moment, dashboards can be customised to represent the requirements of the user – with available information always restricted by role; a Sales Rep wouldn’t typically have permission to access financial records, for example.

Whoever is responsible for Oracle NetSuite within the company can restrict permissions and each user creates their own dashboards specific to their role. Comprising a collection of moveable windows or ‘portlets’, dashboards can be configured to include access to raw data, but also a multitude of customised business metrics such as KPIs, performance score cards, trend graphs, and charts; the tabs at the top of the dashboard represent what centre the role belongs to.

How can I customise my Oracle NetSuite dashboard?

Customised dashboards within Oracle NetSuite are designed to deliver the exact data an individual requires to both operate efficiently and evolve within their role. Crucially, it also offers teams a real-time snapshot of the business at any given moment. With a choice of layouts designed to enhance usability, the personalisation function gives users the freedom to customise their view.

The recently updated ‘interactive’ dashboard tiles allow users to exhibit data how they see fit, with links to a wealth of information – from company records to saved searches. Whether it’s Open Sales Orders, Forecasts, Estimates or Opportunities – these will flash depending on alerts that have been activated.

When it comes to the display of business-critical information, there are a number of Standard Content and SuiteApp portlets available – designed to help users work efficiently, and always stay ahead of the curve. These might include the following:

List portlets – these give users visibility over Oracle NetSuite data lists they have permission to access, with list views, columns, filters and highlights.
Reminder portlets – from purchase requests to stock reminders and more, users can customise the relevant reminders assigned to their role.
Report snapshot portlets – whether for standard or custom reports, snapshot portlets provide graphical lists and summary cards for always-on clarity.
Calendar portlets – phone calls, tasks, meetings and more can all be logged here. Outlook calendars can also be synced to save duplication of events.
Trend chart portlets – these allow you to illustrate trend graphs and information between various KPIs.
KPI portlets – with the option to add out-of-the-box and customised KPIs, these might include reports or snapshots of data, with adjustable highlight rules and ranges for when comparing information.
KPI metre portlets – this serves as a useful display and graphical representation of report data.
Analytics portlets – whether it’s a chart or pivot table, these consolidated portlets display SuiteAnalytics charts for enhanced

Built into Oracle NetSuite, SuiteAnalytics can also enhance the user experience, delivering key components for faster decision making against a fast-moving backdrop. Providing intelligence from a single system of record, this covers all areas of the business – enabling end users to quickly identify and act on key business issues by drilling down into the relevant records.

With the SuiteAnalytics Connect service, businesses can push this analysis further and futureproof their operations, with the ability to archive and report on data using third-party tools or other custom-built applications.

The BrightBridge Optimisation Programme

So, you’ve made your investment but how can you optimise your Oracle NetSuite solution so it works harder for your business? To get the most from your software, we’ve set up the BrightBridge Optimisation Programme, designed to support clients looking to leverage that investment both now and in the future. Comprising a number of steps to help us understand your unique requirements, this might look like the following:

Scoping meeting – here we assess the breadth of the programme. Depending on the type of solution you have, this is aligned to your business processes.

Workshop programme – these take place within different departments – from Purchasing to Sales to Inventory – to review your current processes.

Business Requirement Document – this is shared with you to ensure your business requirements have been fully understood.

Work packages and estimates – these are reviewed and agreed ahead of work commencing.

Commence work – work can finally take place, from training to configuration to development.

Followed by an end-stage review and next steps, our post-project engagement programmes also offer various touch points beyond initial optimisation; whether that’s continuous improvement, ad-hoc services, or our comprehensive UK support service.

Keen to get the most from your Oracle NetSuite investment? Here at BrightBridge, our specially trained team can help you optimise your solution to work harder for your business. Get in touch to see how Oracle NetSuite can help you stay resilient and drive growth for the future.