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3 minute read
NetSuite

Why Finance Teams Still Leave NetSuite to Get Work Done

Published on
Legion
Secure AI
Legion’s AI summary
Discover why finance teams turn to spreadsheets, email, and Slack for critical workflows—even with NetSuite in place. Learn how Legion provides cross-system intelligence within NetSuite, improving visibility, reducing risk, and keeping work centralized.
Highlights

See how Legion helps finance teams stay inside NetSuite with cross-system intelligence:

  • Centralizes insights: Provides a unified view of data and status from multiple systems right inside NetSuite.
  • Improves visibility: Reduces the need for external reports or tracking by making key information accessible in one place.
  • Supports collaboration: Keeps updates and communication about AR, AP, and approvals within NetSuite, minimizing scattered discussions.
  • Reduces risks: Limits version control problems, data silos, and audit headaches caused by manual processes in multiple tools.
  • Saves time: Enables teams to manage finance workflows more efficiently without leaving the NetSuite environment.

When we interviewed over a dozen finance teams, across industries, sizes, and levels of NetSuite adoption, we expected to hear about differences in processes. Instead, a surprising common theme emerged: Even with NetSuite running as the system of record, finance work often happens outside the ERP.

Sometimes it’s a spreadsheet. Sometimes it’s Slack or email. Sometimes it’s a shared drive. But in nearly every case, teams described critical workflows—including tracking payments, reconciling accounts, forecasting cash flow, or managing approvals—that depended on external tools.

If NetSuite is designed to centralize and automate financial operations, why are teams still reaching for workarounds? The answer lies in the gaps left by partial automation and complex workflows.

Why Finance Teams Step Outside NetSuite

Across the interviews, we saw the same root causes again and again:

1. Partial automation leaves gaps.

NetSuite can trigger key steps like invoice creation or payment posting, but follow-up tasks such as overdue reminders, dispute resolution, or multi-step approvals often fall outside the system. Teams default to spreadsheets to track what’s still pending. Even simple NetSuite accounts receivable (AR) automation or NetSuite accounts payable (AP) automation isn’t always fully implemented, leaving teams to fill the gaps manually.

2. Complex customization slows adoption.

To truly match a team’s workflow, NetSuite often needs tailored automation or custom records. That takes developer time or consulting dollars, which many businesses can’t justify for every process. Without embedded ERP automation, teams piece things together elsewhere.

3. Reporting that feels “just out of reach.”

Some users told us they could build the report they wanted in NetSuite, eventually. But when a deadline looms, it’s faster to dump the data into Excel or pull quick updates from email threads.

“Finding the right report is a recurring self-discovery exercise—I redo it every month.” — Controller, Waste & Recycling

4. A comfort factor that’s hard to break.

Even veteran NetSuite users revert to spreadsheets or Slack for “control.” It feels faster to color-code a cell or ping a colleague than to configure a workflow.

The Risks of Workarounds

While workarounds feel convenient in the moment, they create hidden risks that compound over time:

  • Version control headaches: Multiple copies of data are found living in different systems.
  • Data silos: Insights gained outside NetSuite often never get logged back into the ERP, leaving gaps in the official system of record.
  • Error creep: Manual entry and copy-paste across tools introduces inconsistencies that ripple into reports.
  • Audit stress: Tracking who changed what, and when, becomes difficult outside the ERP.
  • Cross-system drag: Even when teams get the right answer, they still waste time navigating multiple systems just to update the source of truth.

One finance leader summed it up bluntly:

“Cross-system navigation wastes time; people aren’t sure which version is the latest.” — Finance Leader, SaaS

These risks undermine the value of finance automation and ERP automation, slowing decision-making and increasing operational friction.

Closing the Gap With Embedded Automation

The solution isn’t to ban spreadsheets or Slack. Rather, it’s to make them less necessary by giving teams the flexibility and visibility they crave inside NetSuite.That’s exactly where Legion’s NetSuite AI comes in.

By embedding cross-system intelligence directly into your NetSuite environment, Legion delivers context-aware insights and streamlined actions without the need for external workarounds.

  • AR automation: Trigger reminders, log outreach, and update records without leaving NetSuite.
  • AP automation: Easily flag pending approvals and update payment status in context.
  • Unified reporting: Pull live AR and AP snapshots in seconds—no data dumps required.
  • Order to cash optimization: See customer accounts, invoices, and payments in one place.

When every step happens inside NetSuite, you reduce risk, improve accuracy, and give your team back hours each week.

Why This Matters

Spreadsheets, chats, and side channels aren’t a sign of laziness—they’re a sign that core systems aren’t meeting day-to-day finance needs. Legion helps close that gap by embedding AI automation in NetSuite, so your team can work faster and with confidence that the appropriate system of record reflects reality. 

Request a demo of Legion for NetSuite to see how you can spend less time in workarounds, and more time moving your business forward.

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Table of Contents

Many NetSuite teams leave the ERP for spreadsheets, emails, or Slack to manage finance workflows. Learn why—and how Legion keeps work inside NetSuite.