NetSuite contains the information customers and vendors often need, but sharing that information outside of NetSuite is not always simple. External users usually want a straightforward experience: log in, see the information that matters to them, and manage the tasks they need to complete.
Creating that experience can be more difficult than it sounds. Native NetSuite solutions that provide access may not provide the type of customer-facing experience a business wants. On the other hand, building a fully custom portal can require significant development effort and cost. Smartes Online Pages provides another approach.
Online Pages gives businesses a cost-effective way to share NetSuite information through a user-friendly portal. Rather than requiring external users to navigate NetSuite itself or rely on separate links for individual functions, Online Pages can bring the information and actions available to them into one connected experience.
The portal can also be designed around the level of access users actually need. Some businesses may simply want customers to review their orders and statuses. Others may require a more complete self-service experience with transaction history, order creation, invoices, payments, statements, and additional processes.
The result is a NetSuite customer portal that gives external users a simpler way to interact with your business information without requiring a large custom project.
The Smartes Online Pages Portal
Online Pages is more than a collection of individual web pages. It provides a connected portal experience that can be tailored to the way a business works, the information its users need, and the experience the company wants to provide.
Rather than installing a solution with limited flexibility, Smartes can customize Online Pages around specific business requirements. The portal can be configured to support the processes that matter most to your customers or vendors. Also, its appearance can be adjusted to better align with your company’s branding and overall look.
When users log in, the dashboard provides a central starting point for the portal. From there, the navigation pane makes it easy to move between the different areas available to them. Depending on the access, users may be able to review orders, view transaction history, access invoices and statements, make payments, create new orders, and more without leaving the environment.
The dashboard and navigation structure become especially valuable as more capabilities are added. Instead of sending users to separate pages or disconnected tools for each process, Online Pages brings those functions together.
The portal can also be adapted as business needs evolve. A company may begin with a straightforward way for customers to review order information and later expand the portal with additional functionality. Smartes can work with the business to adjust the experience, add new capabilities, and support requirements that go beyond a standard implementation.
This flexibility allows Online Pages to provide more than access to NetSuite data. It creates a customer- or vendor-facing experience built around the business itself.
Customer and Vendor Self-Service Features
A NetSuite customer portal becomes most useful when users can do more than simply view information.
Smartes Online Pages can support several types of self-service activity depending on the business requirement. Customers may need to check an order status, review previous transactions, create a new order, or manage payment information. Vendors may require their own access to specific NetSuite information or processes.
The key is that these capabilities can be presented through the same portal instead of creating a different user experience for every function.
Order visibility is a good example. Customers can be given a clearer view of where an order is in the process, such as Pending Approval, Pending Production, In Production, Pending Shipping, and Shipped. This gives them an easy way to check progress without contacting an internal team for routine updates.
The same concept can apply to invoice history, statements, account activity, and other information that already exists in NetSuite. Providing this kind of NetSuite information that is easily accessible reduces unnecessary back-and-forth while giving users more direct access to the information they need.
Flexible Online Pages for Different Business Requirements
Not every business needs the same customer portal. Some companies may only need a simple way for customers to view orders. In that case, there is little reason to invest in a large eCommerce-style solution or develop functionality that users will never need.
Other businesses may want a much more complete experience. Their customers may need to review order history, create new orders, pay invoices, manage saved payment methods, or use auto-pay.
Smartes Online Pages can support both ends of that spectrum.
The Overview, History, and Creator functionality can be combined with additional payment, invoice, account, or business-specific capabilities that make sense for each implementation.
This flexibility is important from a cost perspective. Businesses can provide a focused portal when only a few insights or actions are necessary, while still having the option to create a more comprehensive customer experience when requirements are closer to eCommerce.
Instead of paying for an oversized platform or funding a large custom development project, businesses can implement the functionality their customers or vendors actually need.
A Cost-Effective NetSuite Customer Portal
Sharing NetSuite information with customers and vendors should not require choosing between a limited external experience and an expensive custom portal. Smartes Online Pages provides a practical alternative by giving businesses a user-friendly way to make NetSuite information available outside of NetSuite.
For some businesses, that may mean a simple portal where customers can log in and review their orders. For others, the experience may include transaction history, order creation, invoices, payments, statements, or additional business-specific workflows.
This makes Online Pages useful for businesses looking for a portal for NetSuite without the cost that comes with building a custom solution. NetSuite remains the main system, while customers and vendors have an easier way to interact with the information relevant to them.
Looking for a better way to share NetSuite information?
Explore Smartes Online Pages or contact the Smartes team to discuss how this solution could fit your organization.