Saved Searches & Custom Reports in NetSuite

📝 What Are Saved Searches?

Saved Searches are one of the most powerful tools in NetSuite. They allow you to query your data with flexible filters and display results in customizable formats. Unlike static reports, saved searches are dynamic — they always pull the latest data.

Saved Searches can be used for:

• Operational reporting (e.g., open invoices, pending approvals).
• Dashboards (KPI meters, reminders, and portlets).
• Sourcing values for workflows and scripts.
• Scheduled email alerts to users.

🔧 Types of Saved Searches

• Transaction Saved Search → Sales Orders, Invoices, Purchase Orders.
• Entity Saved Search → Customers, Vendors, Employees.
• Item Saved Search → Inventory and non-inventory items.
• Custom Record Saved Search → Data from your own custom records.

⚙️ Creating a Basic Saved Search

Scenario: You want to see all open Sales Orders over $10,000.

Steps:

1. Go to Reports > Saved Searches > All Saved Searches > New > Transaction.
2. Enter:
   • Name: High-Value Open Sales Orders
   • Type: Transaction
3. Criteria tab:
   • Type = Sales Order
   • Status = Open
   • Amount ≥ 10000
4. Results tab:
   • Add columns: Date, Number, Customer, Amount, Sales Rep.
5. Save & Run.

Now you have a live report that shows all open high-value orders.

🧮 Using Formulas in Saved Searches

Formulas make saved searches more powerful by adding calculations and logic.

Example 1: Days Open

{today} - {trandate}

→ Shows how many days since the transaction was created.

Example 2: Case-When Logic (SQL style)

CASE WHEN {amount} > 5000 THEN 'High Value' ELSE 'Standard' END

→ Categorizes transactions by value.

Example 3: Customer First + Last Name

{firstname} || ' ' || {lastname}

→ Combines first and last names into one field.

📊 Custom Reports vs Saved Searches

• Saved Searches → More flexible, real-time, often used for operational data and automation.
• Reports → More traditional, formatted for printing/export, better for financial reporting.

👉 Tip: Start with Saved Searches. If you need grouped totals or formatted reports, move to Custom Reports.

✅ Real-World Examples

• Overdue Invoices Alert → Scheduled saved search email to customers.
• Inventory Stock Levels → Saved search filtered by location.
• Employee Certifications Expiry → Custom record saved search with expiry date formula.
• Sales Rep Leaderboard → KPI portlet showing top sales by rep.

💡 Pro Tips & Best Practices

• Use criteria filters to avoid performance issues (don’t search “all transactions” unnecessarily).
• Add summary types (Group, Count, Sum, Average) for better insights.
• Use highlighting to make key results stand out (e.g., overdue > 30 days = red).
• Save time by exporting Saved Search to SuiteScript when developing.
• Name and organize saved searches consistently (prefix by department or purpose).

📌 Key Takeaways

• Saved Searches are dynamic, flexible, and used across NetSuite.
• They power dashboards, workflows, scripts, and email alerts.
• Formulas add advanced logic and calculations.
• Custom Reports are better for formatted financial statements, but Saved Searches handle most operational needs.

👉 Next Page: Customizing Dashboards & Portlets