Tableau for NetSuite

You’ve just implemented NetSuite, a comprehensive system that combines ERP and CRM, among other functionalities. By adopting NetSuite, you’ve eliminated multiple legacy systems, saving costs. So why would you add yet another system, like Tableau? This is a common question from NetSuite customers.
The answer lies in four key advantages: historical data, external data, system performance, and advanced analytics. Below, we explain how Tableau addresses these challenges.
Historical Data
NetSuite often starts without a significant amount of historical data. Basic data, such as open sales orders and invoices, are migrated, but complete datasets from previous years often remain in old systems. This makes it difficult to answer questions like how much a product’s sales have increased compared to last year, which products have lower profit margins, or what the seasonal demand patterns for a product are.
To answer these types of questions, you need to combine data from old systems with NetSuite data. This process is often time-consuming and error-prone, especially when using Excel. Tableau simplifies this significantly. Using our standard data models, data from both legacy systems and NetSuite can be seamlessly merged, resulting in comprehensive reports that show, for example, all sales data from the past three years.
Moreover, Tableau can be integrated directly into NetSuite, so users don’t have to switch between systems. By utilizing portlets (built-in dashboards within NetSuite) and Single Sign-On (e.g., through Azure Active Directory), the experience feels like one cohesive system.
Tableau embedded in NetSuite

External data
Tableau enables the combination of NetSuite data with information from other systems, such as marketing data from website visitors via Google Analytics or business information from external data sources. By consolidating this data, you can gain insights such as which leads deserve priority. Since Tableau is a self-service tool, users can often perform these analyses independently
Enhancing Performance
NetSuite includes a useful reporting feature called Saved Searches. While this provides real-time insights, the system can slow down if too many large reports are created. Tableau solves this problem by refreshing reports at scheduled intervals (e.g., every hour). This not only improves loading times but also reduces the load on NetSuite.
Advanced analytics
One powerful example of what Tableau can offer is predictive maintenance. Suppose you have machines in a factory. Using historical data such as temperature, humidity, and usage hours, Tableau can predict when maintenance is needed, preventing costly downtime. Tableau supports integration with programming languages like Python and R, enabling such advanced analyses. Another example is predicting customer churn. This allows you to identify customers at risk of leaving and take timely action.
Getting started
Implementing new systems can require time and investment, but with Tableau for NetSuite, we use standard data models and dashboards so you can get started right away. Additionally, we apply a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach: a functional foundation that can go live quickly, often within weeks. As further explained in this blog, this approach results in an implementation time of weeks instead of months, and requires only a minimal investment.