How to Tell one NetSuite SuiteApp from Another

NetSuite has an app-store of solutions called Suiteapp.com. SuiteApps are applications developed by third-party vendors in NetSuite’s SuiteCloud Developer Network that integrate to NetSuite. Through this network, NetSuite certifies each SuiteApp based on significant testing. There are different levels of SuiteApps, designated by a Built for NetSuite (BFN) badge.

But how do you know where to start?

How to Find a SuiteApp

There are currently 3 different ways to search for a solution on Suiteapp.com:

1. By Vertical/Industry – This includes categories like Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, Retail, Consulting and Other Services
   
   
2. By Business Need  – Such as Warehouse Management, E-commerce, Logistics, Supply Chain Execution etc.
   
   
3. By BFN Badge Type 

What are the BFN Badge Types?

There are three Built for NetSuite badges. Each badge indicates what type of solution an app is. At the top tier, a Native SuiteApp runs completely inside your NetSuite account, hosted on the same servers as your NetSuite data. It is important to understand the different badge types when evaluating different solutions.

NATIVE

• The entire solution resides on the SuiteCloud platform.
• Communicating inside the NetSuite solution, your data is validated and updated in real-time, maximizing the speed and accuracy of the solution.
• NetSuite verifies all components of the app with each new NetSuite release. This allows both early and complete testing with new NetSuite releases and eliminates the need for customers to test when upgrading to the NetSuite releases.

INTEGRATED

• The majority of the solution resides outside of the NetSuite platform. For mobile apps, this means that you will need a server or code on your device.
• This is a separate solution with data integrated to NetSuite via a custom integration or a generic connector. Leveraging web services to sync data, this can affect the speed.
• NetSuite certifies the integration components of these solutions only. You will want to consider your customizations, as NetSuite typically does not review these with each new release.

HYBRID

• These solutions are a mix of the first two – with some elements on the SuiteCloud platform and some external.
• A hybrid solution is still a separate solution integrated with NetSuite via custom UI and/or internal and external data.
• The BFN review looks at the native and integration components of these solutions.

Content of a SuiteApp Listing

While the Built for NetSuite badge can increase your confidence in the quality and security of the application, there are other elements to evaluate as well. For example, once on a SuiteApp listing, you can learn more about the NetSuite Partner, how long they’ve been on the market and reviews of customers. The anonymous reviews are validated by NetSuite and provide valuable, first-hand insight on the SuiteApp:

“In our NetSuite implementation, we incorporated 5 different third-party solutions associated to NetSuite. Of those 5, RF-SMART provided the most seamless integration. Their employees communicated well, offering around-the-clock support when we needed it most. The two-way sync between RF-SMART and NetSuite is ideal, with no gaps leaving you wanting. Most importantly, RF-SMART gives us the cloud-based functionality, which is why we switched to NetSuite in the first place. Highly advised to implement if you're looking for a Warehouse Management tool for NetSuite.”

“RF-SMART was very fast to integrate with a 30-minute bundle install, and we were basically up and running. The user interface is very friendly as well as the help section on the RF-SMART portal in NetSuite. All of the transactions are pretty self-explanatory, but when I did have any questions, the help team was very responsive. I find the bin count feature very helpful with being able to reconcile a single bin quickly and have not seen that function elsewhere.”

With more than 400 apps, you are sure to find a solution to meet your needs.

Happy searching!

Visit Suiteapp.com

Updated: October 2018