Managing projects in NetSuite can often feel like juggling spreadsheets, saved searches, and to-do lists scattered across departments. But what if your entire project pipeline—from kickoff to completion—could live in one visual, drag-and-drop workspace? Enter the NetSuite Kanban board, the powerful, native board solution designed to bring clarity, control, and speed to your ERP workflows.
For project managers navigating fast-moving initiatives and cross-functional collaboration, NetSuite Kanban boards are more than a task tracker—it’s a real-time command center tailored to how your team actually works. In this post, we’ll explore why it’s an essential tool for project managers and share five easy customization ideas to make the board match your team’s unique process.
Why NetSuite Kanban Boards are a Must-Have for Project Managers
Traditional NetSuite project management often relies heavily on record lists, task modules, and Gantt charts. While these tools are helpful, they aren’t always intuitive or flexible in real-time. That’s where NetSuite Kanban shines.
Here’s why project managers across industries are switching:
1. Visual Workflow = Instant Clarity
See your entire pipeline in one glance. Whether you’re managing implementation milestones, internal IT rollouts, or complex client deliverables, NetSuite Kanban boards give you a visual overview of every task’s status—no need to dig into search filters or reports.
2. Drag-and-Drop Simplicity
Moving a task from “Pending” to “In Progress” takes one motion. The board updates NetSuite records in real-time, making it easier to manage task ownership, change statuses, and keep everyone aligned.
3. Cross-Team Transparency
Project coordination often involves marketing, finance, fulfillment, and technical teams. The NetSuite Kanban boardacts as a shared visual space where each team can track their part of the process, improving accountability without adding extra meetings.
4. Native to NetSuite
Unlike third-party tools, the NetSuite Kanban board doesn’t require external integrations or syncing. It runs natively within your NetSuite environment—meaning full access to custom records, saved searches, roles, and user permissions.
5 Customization Ideas to Make NetSuite Kanban boards Work for You
The real power of the NetSuite Kanban board lies in how adaptable it is. You can configure the board to fit the way your team already works—rather than changing your process to match the tool.
Here are five customization ideas to get started:
1. Tailor Your Columns to Match Project Phases
By default, your Kanban board may show generic columns like “Pending,” “In Progress,” or “Completed.” But what if your team uses a more nuanced process?
For example, a software implementation team might use:
- Requirements Gathering
- In Development
- Ready for QA
- In UAT
- Deployment Scheduled
- Live
You can customize the status field used by the board (e.g., a custom status field or NetSuite’s standard workflow status) to reflect your actual project phases, giving your team clarity at every handoff.
2. Color-Code by Priority or Risk Level
Visual cues are everything in a Kanban board. Use color-coding to quickly highlight what needs attention.
Here’s how you might implement it:
- Red for High Risk or Overdue
- Orange for Medium Priority
- Green for Low Priority or On Track
- Blue for Milestones or Special Flags
This can be accomplished by using a custom field on the transaction or task record that maps to background color settings on the board—no scripting needed.
3. Add Role-Based Filtering for Personalized Views
Not every team member needs to see everything. For example, a project manager may want a full view of all tasks, while a QA lead only wants to see items in testing.
NetSuite Kanban boards support filtering by:
- Assigned user
- Department
- Project
- Status
- Custom fields
You can create saved searches for each role or persona, ensuring every stakeholder has a focused board that reflects their responsibilities.
4. Integrate Due Dates and SLA Tracking
Project timelines are everything. You can configure your board to highlight due dates by:
- Showing a badge for items due today or this week
- Flagging overdue tasks
- Sorting cards by deadline
You can even use NetSuite workflows to automatically escalate overdue items, sending alerts or changing status based on SLA rules.
5. Connect the Kanban Board to Custom Record Types
NetSuite Kanban boards aren’t limited to standard transactions. You can apply it to custom record types such as:
- Internal project checklists
- Customer onboarding milestones
- Development sprints
- Approval workflows
By using custom saved searches and record types, project managers can create multiple Kanban boards for different parts of the business—all within NetSuite.
How a PM Uses NetSuite Kanban Boards to Manage ERP Rollouts
Let’s say you’re managing an ERP rollout across multiple business units. You’ve created custom project tasks tied to each phase, and each task has a status field, an owner, and a due date.
Here’s how you might configure your NetSuite Kanban board:
- Columns: Discovery → Configuration → Testing → Training → Go-Live
- Color-code: Tasks overdue = red, on track = green
- Filter: Only show tasks for your project, assigned to your team
- Bonus: Add an “Unassigned” column to catch items that need attention
With this setup, your daily stand-up meetings are simpler. You walk the board, drag items to new phases as needed, and instantly update NetSuite without opening individual records.
The Payoff: Less Chaos, More Control
Whether you’re managing implementation projects, internal requests, or cross-functional tasks, the NetSuite Kanban board turns your ERP into a dynamic, visual workspace. It removes the friction of static lists, improves accountability, and keeps everyone moving in the same direction.
With minimal setup and zero external tools required, the NetSuite Kanban board delivers project clarity and customization exactly where your team needs it—inside NetSuite.
If you’re a NetSuite project manager looking to ditch spreadsheets and gain real-time visibility, it’s time to embrace the NetSuite Kanban board. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to customize advanced workflows, this board is built to flex with you. Contact us to learn how you can install this solution in your NetSuite environment.