NetSuite saved searches can be overwhelming when you don’t know where or how to begin. Whether you’re new to NetSuite or have been using it for years, learning and perfecting searches can help you make the most out of gathering information across NetSuite. Before we begin on some tips and tricks, make sure you have the four permissions needed for what we are about to go over. If you are unsure if you have the correct permissions, reach out to your NetSuite Administrator if you have these four, Perform Search, Publish Search, Persist Search, and Export Lists. These can be found under Permissions > Lists under the role customization.
Below are some do’s and don’ts of saved searches that will help you make the most out of them:
Do:
- Plan Your Search: Before you begin, outline your search. Start with the search type and from there plan out the fields, conditions, or filters your search will need to provide the correct information. If you’re unsure about the search type, Saved Searches go off the record fields so reviewing the record and the available fields you are looking to create a search for will help. Planning ahead of time ensures correct results and will speed up the building process.
- Keep It Simple: While it’s tempting to add multiple filters and highlighting features, keep it simple. Avoid adding unnecessary filters or features to keep your searches clear and concise when possible.
- Test Thoroughly: Access your searches across different user roles the search will be used by to ensure they work correctly. This ensures that the search returns the pertinent data for each user. This also provides a double check if role permissions need to be updated.
- Document Searches: Keep track of the purpose and setup of each search, such as if the search is used for dashboards or workflows. Also note any searches having static data that must be updated and when.
- Design for Users: Think of how users will interact and use the search. If you aren’t sure, ask someone to help with the end-user testing.
- Reuse Where Possible: Avoid creating duplicate searches by reusing existing ones to prevent confusion. This provides consistent data while keeping the number of saved searches in the account low.
- Manage Access Carefully: Limit access to sensitive searches, such as financial or HR data, to authorized personnel only. You are able to manage access under the “Audience” subtab.
- Regularly Clean Up: Over time, the list of saved searches can become cluttered, outdated, or redundant. Regularly audit and remove unnecessary or unused searches to keep your search list organized and easy to navigate. An easy way to find these is to sort by “Last Run On”.
- Stay Current: Business needs change and evolve constantly, your searches should change with it. Update searches as business needs evolve to ensure they still are relevant and correct.
- Experiment and Learn: Try different search types and configurations to discover new ways to improve your results. There is a robust amount of standard Saved Searches to meet different business needs.
Don't:
- Forget to Schedule Emails: Use the email scheduling feature to automatically send results. This reduces the need for users to retrieve the information manually along with streamlining information to those without NetSuite licenses. An important note is that only the search owner can schedule emails.
- Skip Error Handling: Incorporate error handling to detect and resolve issues. This will add reliability to your search results.
- Rely Only on Searches: It never hurts to double check your results to keep data integrity. Leverage saved searches with reports or other data sources for a cohesive analysis.
- Forget To Review Access: Regularly review and adjust access to searches as roles change and employees switch departments within your organization. This is mostly important for searches with sensitive information and keeps a user’s list to a minimum.
- Ignore System Limits: Be aware of NetSuite’s export and runtime limits to avoid data loss or downtime. Excel has limits too so be aware of those as well.
- Ignore Naming Conventions: Use consistent naming conventions for clarity and searchability. Clear and concise names make it easier to find and manage searches.
- Underestimate Support Resources: Use SuiteAnswers and the NetSuite community for guidance and best practices. Both are great resources to troubleshoot and even find examples of searches. Here is an example below:
- Neglect Join Criteria: Joins combine multiple records and are a way to merge data into one search. One possibility of this is a transaction search type but you bring in fields from the customer and the item records. By learning how to use join criteria to combine data in a single saved search you will have more analysis and more information. Note joins can only go one level deep so this may change the type of saved search you need to efficiently use joins. They are also found at the end of the main record fields, for example:
- Backup Important Searches: By backing up critical searches, you can prevent data loss or system failures. Backtracking changes or having to recreate a saved search can be a pain and time consuming. Losing a search that sends data to your website or warehouse management system for example, will become a disaster and fast.
- Neglect the Power of Workflows and Saved Searches Together: Integrate workflows with saved searches to automate processes, trigger actions based on search results and streamline operations. Workflow integration makes you more efficient, reduces manual intervention and speeds up decision making.
Although these aren’t everything you will need for mastering Saved Searches, they will get you on the right path. By learning NetSuite saved searches, you can increase your ability to produce meaningful insights and support day-to-day operations. By applying these tips, you’ll be able to maximize the productivity and effectiveness of NetSuite searches for you and your organization.
How TAC Can Help
At TAC, we’re all about making your life easier when it comes to NetSuite saved searches. Whether you’re just starting out or have been using NetSuite for a while, we’re here to help you get the most out of it. We excel in optimizing your searches, helping you plan, simplify, and document them so you can find the information you need quickly and easily. Our team offers personalized support, guiding you through user role testing, managing access, and regular clean-ups to keep your searches organized.
