Every CRM system has its own data model and architecture that requires specific considerations and accommodations. NetSuite is no different. Are you preparing to integrate your NetSuite CRM with Eloqua (aka a NetSuite Implementation)? If you are already integrated, are you looking for best practices to manage and optimize? No matter where you are in your journey, here are some ways to prepare to ensure your integration runs smoothly.

Tips for Preparing for your NetSuite Implementation

1. Keep a Master Field Mapping Document

  • Before, while, and after your implementation- keep documentation. Information gets lost over email communications among various stakeholders. Still, finalizing an approved field mapping document between Eloqua & NetSuite fields will give you a source of truth to reference later.
  • Feel free to create new versions and save older versions. It is important to keep a historical record of field updates, changes, and the reasoning behind them.

2. Create Test Records

  • Be sure to create test records for each entity (Contacts, Customers, Estimates, etc.) you are importing to verify that all the data is coming through. Be sure to fill out every field.
  • On the flip side, be sure to check NetSuite to verify that whatever you Create or Update is coming through into NetSuite from Eloqua. Again, be sure to fill out every field.

3. Apply Filters to your Imports

  • Here are some ideas for import filters:
    • Contacts who have already opted out of email communications using your Global Subscription Status field. Why import them into Eloqua if you can’t email them?
    • Last Date Modified. After you mass import all your contacts into Eloqua, use the NetSuite Last Date Modified field to import only records that have changed within the last day.
    • Country Restrictions. If your business has governance in place on contacts from certain countries, you can exclude or include contacts based on the Country field.

4. Making Decisions on Data Formatting

  • Ahead of your import, understand if you want to operate within Eloqua using internal IDs or full name values. For example, do you want to operate off of State and Country Codes (i.e. U.S.), State and Country internal IDs (_unitedStates), or the full State and Country name (United States)?
  • If there are differences between the field values in NetSuite vs. Eloqua, take advantage of the FREE Contact Washing Machine App to update your field values.

5. Find Out the Required Fields for Exports

  • Find out from your NetSuite Administrator with fields are required to Create a Task, Contact, Customer, etc. For example, to create a task, is the field Sales Rep field required? If required fields are not filled out upon export through the App, the export will end up erroring out within Eloqua.

6. Consider how Account/Customer & Contact are Linked

  • If you are using the Account records to store your Customer NetSuite data, your Customer Account record will need a field to link to the Contact records in Eloqua.
  • The NetSuite Customer ID on both the NetSuite Customer and NetSuite Contact records can help link your Customers and their Contacts together in Eloqua.
  • HEADS UP: If the NetSuite Customer or Contact IDs are separate from the NetSuite Record ID, then you must reference a different field from internal ID.

7. Loop in your NetSuite Administrator

  • If you want to import custom fields created for your dedicated instance, you should consider reaching out to your NetSuite Administrator to help provide additional details that may be needed.
  • For example, the NetSuite Administrator can help create test records, and look at weblogs to check if the R1 App successfully called upon the data.

8. Ensure Field Access

9. Utilize your CDOs (efficiently)

  • You do not need to use the email address as a CDO identifier. For example, every Quote in NetSuite generates a Quote ID. You can use Quote ID as your unique identifier.
  • Don’t forget the CDO golden rules (aka Oracle’s recommendations): your entire database can have up to a total of 25 million CDO records. One single CDO should not exceed more than 5 million records.
  • In other words, if you are going to utilize CDOs to store Estimates or Opportunity data from NetSuite, also consider a workflow for when you are deleting CDO records. Orrrrrrr… consider storing your excess CDO records into a Data Cloud App (like ours!).

10. Think About How You Will Use Quote Records

  • Quote ID is typically the unique identifier for the Quotes entity, which means more than 1 record can contain the same email address. And remember- Eloqua’s Contact Record and Segmentation operates based off of Email Address. So how do you personalize Quote emails? *trumpets sound off* Take a look at our Personalization Manager App!

Here are some other helpful NetSuite Implementation resources to bookmark for a rainy day:

Looking for specific guidance for your own NetSuite Implementation? Our consultants here at  Relationship One are always here to help.