What is NetSuite Planning and Budgeting?
NetSuite Planning and Budgeting automates labor-intensive planning and budgeting processes so finance teams can quickly and easily produce budgets and forecasts, model what-if scenarios and generate reports — all within one collaborative, scalable solution. With less time spent on manual consolidation, troubleshooting, reporting and data loading, finance staff can reallocate time from data entry and formula maintenance to strategic analysis activities that have a greater impact on the company’s financial position.
Control
Data synchronisation with NetSuite ERP ensures automated, ongoing access to up-to-date financial and operational data. Reduced reliance on manual data input and reconciliations means better control.
Collaboration
All stakeholders are connected in a single environment, streamlining data collection. Accessibility boosts participation and accountability, making it easier for finance to get meaningful input and engagement from operational managers.
Visibility
Data is entered in one centralised place, creating a single, agreed-upon version of information. Any changes made to numbers in the system are automatically reflected in reports and dashboards, so the current business situation is always clear.
NetSuite Planning and Budgeting Benefits
Reduced Planning Cycle Times
Templates and workflows make it easy to gather inputs and assumptions.
Accurate Information
Pre-built synchronisation with NetSuite ERP ensures real-time, accurate financial and operational data is used.
Align the Organisation
All stakeholders are connected in a single environment, eliminating emails and spreadsheets.
Increased Transparency
Everyone is entering data consistently and using the same processes, so all changes are tracked.
Improved Forecast Accuracy
Regularly compare and analyse actual versus projected results to refine forecasts.
NetSuite Planning and Budgeting Features
Workforce Planning
Simplify workforce planning and related efforts, such as headcount, salary and compensation planning, by aligning the needs and priorities of your organisation with those of the workforce to ensure organisational objectives are met.
Trended Financial Statements
Fully integrated financial statements mean the income, balance sheet and cash flow statements are connected with logic derived from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These financial statements provide seamless actual-to-budget trending and this integration is flexible enough to accommodate industry-specific configuration requirements. Both direct and indirect cash flow methods are supported.
Data Synchronisation
Prebuilt data synchronisation with NetSuite ERP ensures data accuracy and accessibility. Up-to-date financial and operational data, account structures and dimensions are automatically reflected in your plans, budgets and forecasts.
Dashboards
Easily create in minutes dashboards that display budget and actuals data. NetSuite’s drag-and-drop report builder puts powerful, yet easy-to-use, web-based reporting into the hands of finance and business managers. The system’s secure, collaborative, process-driven approach makes defining, authoring, reviewing and publishing financial and management reports an effortless process, while drill-through capabilities let the finance team and business managers dig deep into numbers and better understand areas like budget vs. actual variances.
Microsoft Office Integration
Smart View for Office enables the integration of NetSuite Planning and Budgeting with Microsoft Office tools, such as Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Users can add what-if analyses in Excel for customers, items or expenses categories on the fly and create data grids incorporating Excel formulas and formats. Common planning actions, such as spreading and allocation, are available for data grids rendered within Excel.
Budgeting and Forecasting
Automate tedious companywide and departmental budgeting processes. Prebuilt workflows that leverage best practices make it easy to closely track the progress of tasks, such as reviews and approvals. Budget templates are dynamically populated and updated from NetSuite’s general ledger and accommodate changes to accounting segments. Create real-time forecasts in minutes — based on actual data from NetSuite financials — to make more informed decisions and drive your business forward.
Scenario Planning and Modeling
Perform scenario modeling and multidimensional planning with any number of dimensions, such as location, product, customer or expense. Easily model complex calculations including projected revenue, operating and capital expenditures, headcount costs, cash flow and sales without the risk of formula errors posed by regular updates or monthly maintenance.
Revenue Planning
Align revenue forecasts and sales plans with corporate objectives. Create driver-based revenue and sales forecasts for all business units in collaboration with finance, sales and service teams. Then, continuously monitor actual performance against objectives and track the resulting impact on cash flows and balance sheets.
Operational Expense
Enable flexible driver-based planning to connect your operational assumptions to financial outcomes. Support a hierarchical planning process that encompasses both corporate finance and lines of business.
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