Questions fuel PPAI’s NetSuite user group.

A platform as robust as Oracle NetSuite can accomplish a great deal, but the most productive thing that promo users can ask is how?

So, PPAI’s NetSuite user group hosted its first virtual AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on May 4 in order to give user members the opportunity to ask specific questions and create a dialogue for not only problem solving, but also possibilities within the platform.

PPAI’s NetSuite User Group

PPAI creates user groups so that the Association can serve its role of facilitator within the industry. The best source for solving common problems in the industry is a fellow promo company. Reciprocal knowledge unlocks possibilities for an industry, and user groups can be a key component of making an industry more than a collection of companies dealing with similar products.

Oracle NetSuite is a tool that will mean different things to different companies.

The ERP system is designed to make more companies more efficient, but if a distributor or supplier doesn’t approach it with some degree of deliberateness and knowledge – just like with any tech platform – they run the risk of an integration process that is anything but efficient.

“One of the things that always fascinates me about the industry is the willingness of competitors and like-minded people to share fairly openly about best practices,” says Larry Cohen, president of the East Region Enterprise team at HALO.  

Oracle NetSuite representatives and experienced users and business collaborators (such as eXtendTech) provided methodologies for tailoring the ERP to specific needs or growth opportunities, promising to keep an open dialogue through the user group established by PPAI.

A NetSuite ‘Ask Me Anything’

On May 4, PPAI hosted a virtual AMA as an open dialogue of questions and topics about utilizing or troubleshooting NetSuite.

  • Bryan Bendo, product expert at Oracle NetSuite, attended the session to answer specific questions.
  • The session was moderated by Nick DiNicola, PPAI’s digital transformation manager.

“We are glad we had [Bendo] step up for this first session, as our group members came prepared with many questions on how to best leverage the platform and specifics on how our industry operates in the NetSuite landscape,” says DiNicola.

This is all in support of the NetSuite user group Microsoft Teams channel, which is a living and evolving resource for PPAI members navigating NetSuite.

  • Access to the Teams channel is a member benefit of PPAI.
  • All answers from the AMA will be posted on the NetSuite channel for members to reference.

“Collaborating and understanding the challenges of my peers in the industry is refreshing, knowing that I can be a part of the long-term solution,” says Matt Price, chief information officer at Gold Bond, who attended the AMA session. “NetSuite, like any software, has its challenges. However, with the industry backing, we can achieve great results.”

  • So many questions and topics were brought to the session that some were unable to be answered in the allotted time.
  • That is why the NetSuite user group is anticipating hosting another similar event early this summer.

“The Teams channel was created so NetSuite users could share challenges and successes throughout the year,” says DiNicola. “The group had our first successful meeting at The PPAI Expo 2023, and our Teams channel is intended to act as an extension of this industry’s collaboration toward digital transformation.”

  • Anyone who isn’t part of the Teams channel yet should email Kari Banner at KariB@PPAI.org to get added. You must be an active member of PPAI to join.