NetSuite SuiteFoundation cheat sheet

The NetSuite UI is organized into Centers (e.g., Lists, Transactions, Reports); clicking a Center tab reveals its menu of links and activities.

Global search and the Recent Records list are separate tools: global search queries record types by keyword, while Recent Records tracks records you personally opened.

A record's role-based permissions determine which subtabs, buttons, and fields render; hidden fields are often permission-driven, not customization-driven.

Custom segments (e.g., Class, Department, Location) are enabled in Enable Features; once enabled, they appear as fields on transactions and as filters in reports.

The Records Catalog lists every record type available to the account; each entry shows the record's internal ID and supports direct navigation.

Saved Searches are the primary ad hoc query tool; results can be filtered, grouped, and exported without writing code.

Internal IDs are stable numeric identifiers; the URL pattern app.netsuite.com/app/.../record.nl?id= opens a record directly.

The Help Center is context-sensitive: clicking Help while on a page surfaces documentation for that page and its fields.

Enable Features is the master switchboard; disabling a feature after data exists can be blocked or destructive, so sequencing matters.

Custom fields support types (text, date, list/record, currency, checkbox); a List/Record field stores the internal ID of a source record.

Custom record types and custom segments extend the data model; custom segments (e.g., custom class) behave like built-in Class/Department for reporting.

Role permissions are additive across roles; a user's effective access is the union of all assigned roles, and a role can restrict by subsidiary or department.

Sourcing (Sourcing & Filtering) lets a custom field pull a value from a related record; if source conditions are unmet, the field stays blank.

Workflow Manager automations run on states and transitions; a workflow's initiation (On Create, On View, Scheduled) determines when it fires.

The SuiteBundler/Application Bundle tool packages customizations; bundles install into target accounts and can be updated or uninstalled.

Segregated duties are enforced through role design; the Employee record's role assignments drive login permissions and approval limits.

Order-to-cash flow: Sales Order → Item Fulfillment → Invoice → Payment; each step affects different GL accounts and inventory quantities.

Procure-to-pay flow: Purchase Order → Item Receipt → Vendor Bill → Bill Payment; receipts increase inventory, bills create the payable.

Item types drive behavior: Inventory items affect quantity on hand; Non-inventory items don't track stock; Service items never carry inventory.

Inventory costing methods include Standard, Average, FIFO, and LIFO; the method is set at the item/accounting level and affects COGS.

A journal entry posts directly to the GL; it bypasses subledgers and is the manual adjustment mechanism for account balances.

Multi-currency transactions store both transaction-currency and base-currency amounts; exchange rate differences post to a FX gain/loss account.

Period close uses the Accounting Periods record; locking a period prevents posting, and closing entries roll balances forward.

Approval routing on transactions (e.g., purchase orders, expense reports) is configured per transaction type and driven by amount thresholds.

CRM entities: Lead → Prospect → Customer; converting a lead creates the customer record and preserves the source relationship.

Opportunity stages are configurable; probability of close is associated with stage and feeds weighted forecast reporting.

Activities (tasks, calls, events) link to CRM records; the Activities dashboard aggregates them by owner and date.

Saved Search result columns can be summarized (Group, Count, Sum, Average); summary searches collapse rows by the group-by column.

Report types (financial, standard, custom) differ by data source; financial reports use account hierarchies and period ranges.

Dashboards are composed of portlets; each portlet is a saved search, KPI, or list, and portlet refresh frequency is configurable.

SuiteAnalytics Workbook connects to datasets and supports pivots, charts, and calculated measures beyond saved-search limits.

Scheduled reports can be emailed or saved to the File Cabinet on a recurrence; the schedule is owned by the user who created it.