New SuiteBuilder Features in NetSuite 2017.1 Release

With the release of 2017.1, we can look forward to a host of new features to add to the existing NetSuite system we all know and love. While NetSuite will be buffing up across the board, this blog will focus on updates to SuiteBuilder, NetSuite’s built-in collection of tools allowing “point and click” customization of the user interface without the use of sophisticated technical skills.

1.Printing Saved Search Results in Advanced PDF Templates

Advanced PDF templates can now be linked to Saved Searches. There will be a “New Template” button located under Customization->Forms->Advanced PDF templates that will allow you to choose from a list an of available Saved Searches to link to. Additionally, when creating a saved search, you will see the option to create a new linked template when viewing the search in ‘Edit’ mode, as shown in the third screenshot below.

Once you have linked a template to a search, users will be able to print the results in a PDF format by clicking the print icon and clicking the template from the drop down.

Sample Saved Search printout:

This new functionality opens up a world of possibilities for businesses that need the ability to present data that may not be available via a Basic or Advanced PDF Template. Saved Searches provide NetSuite’s most powerful data querying functionality, but until now, users were forced to format results in an external program (usually Excel) if they wished to create a branded, professional document. In 2017.1, the Advanced PDF Template linking allows the creation of formatted reports in seconds.

Many companies produce a set of standard monthly reports for management – linking these reports to templates will allow a consistent, professional presentation of data without spending hours reformatting and cleaning up the data each time the report is run.

2. Improved Management of Large Custom Lists

The 2017.1 release increases capacity for importing custom list values and will allow up to 25,000 values via CSV Import. Even better, NetSuite has updated the display of list values on the Custom List page in NetSuite to improve performance when viewing large custom lists (think thousands of values). Any lists longer than a thousand values will be displayed on a separate page that will allow for easier viewing and editing of list values with the ability to toggle between pages of values.

3. Custom Segment Support on Bill Payments for Multiple Vendors

For organizations using Custom Segments (custom classification fields that mimic the behavior of Class/Department/Location on records and transactions), the ability to link a custom segment to any transaction or record type can be critical in providing accurate reporting for the segment, especially if it has GL Impact. Although NetSuite currently supports the use of custom segments on Vendor Bill Payments, users cannot apply a segment when using the Pay Bills functionality where multiple vendors are paid at once. As such, if a custom segment needs to be applied to Vendor Bill Payments, users would need to edit each individual transaction to add the value – a very time-consuming task.

In 2017.1, users can select and apply a custom segment in the Pay Bills page in the same manner that is currently done for other classification fields like Class, Department and Location. Note, the custom segment must be applied to Vendor Payments in order for the field to appear on the Bill Payments screen.

These are just a fraction of the new features and updates that are introduced in NetSuite version 2017.1. For existing NetSuite customers, be sure to check out your Release Preview environment to get a taste of all of the new functionality and play with the new features using your real data in a familiar environment!