Dashboards & KPIs in NetSuite

📝 What Are Dashboards & KPIs in NetSuite?

A dashboard in NetSuite is a user’s personalized homepage that displays key performance indicators (KPIs), saved searches, reports, reminders, and charts. Dashboards help users quickly see what matters most to their role.

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are metrics such as revenue, expenses, sales pipeline, or inventory levels. They give real-time visibility into business performance.

👉 Together, dashboards and KPIs turn NetSuite into a decision-making cockpit.

---

🔧 Standard Dashboard Features

Dashboards are made up of portlets (widgets). The most common ones include:

• KPI Meters → Visual gauges showing progress toward goals.
• Reminders → Action lists (e.g., invoices overdue, POs pending approval).
• Trend Graphs → Charts showing sales, expenses, or pipeline growth.
• Saved Search Portlets → Display results of a saved search directly on the dashboard.
• Report Snapshots → Show financial reports or summaries in real time.
• Calendar & Tasks → Help users manage daily work.

---

⚙️ How to Customize a Dashboard

1. Go to your Home Dashboard.
2. Click Personalize (top-right).
3. Choose portlets: KPIs, reminders, reports, etc.
4. Drag-and-drop to arrange the layout.
5. Configure portlets:
   • KPI → Select metrics like Revenue, Sales Orders, Expenses.
   • Reminders → Add conditions like “Invoices Overdue > 30 days.”
   • Saved Search → Select a saved search to display live data.
6. Save and adjust until the layout matches your role.

---

✅ Example Dashboards by Role

1. CFO Dashboard

• KPIs: Cash Balance, Net Income, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable.
• Trend Graphs: Revenue vs Expenses.
• Report Snapshots: Balance Sheet, P&L.
• Reminders: “10 Transactions Awaiting Approval.”

2. Sales Manager Dashboard

• KPIs: Opportunities Won, Sales Pipeline, Closed Revenue.
• KPI Meter: Monthly Sales Target vs Actual.
• Saved Search: Open Opportunities by Rep.
• Trend Graph: Quarterly Sales Growth.

3. Operations Dashboard

• KPIs: On-Time Shipments, Inventory Turns, Backorders.
• Saved Search: Low-Stock Items.
• Reminder: “5 POs Pending Vendor Confirmation.”
• Trend Graph: Fulfillment Time Trends.

---

📊 Creating & Customizing KPIs

KPIs can be based on:

• Standard metrics (Revenue, Expenses, Orders).
• Custom Saved Searches (e.g., “High-Value Customers” or “Warranty Expirations”).

Example: Sales Growth KPI

1. Create a Saved Search → Total Sales by Month.
2. Set it as Available as KPI.
3. Add KPI to Dashboard → choose comparison (This Month vs Last Month).
4. NetSuite automatically calculates growth %.

---

🔗 Best Ways to Use Dashboards & KPIs

• Use role-based dashboards → sales, finance, executives should each have their own.
• Combine standard KPIs with custom search-based KPIs for more flexibility.
• Keep dashboards clean — don’t overload with too many portlets.
• Use trend graphs for executives → visuals are more impactful than numbers.
• Refresh saved searches on schedule to keep performance optimal.

---

💡 Pro Tips & Best Practices

• Always align KPIs with business goals (e.g., cash flow for CFO, pipeline for Sales Manager).
• Use highlighting in saved searches to emphasize overdue or critical items.
• For global companies → build subsidiary-specific dashboards.
• Combine dashboards with scheduled reports for a complete reporting package.

---

📌 Key Takeaways

• Dashboards are customized homepages showing real-time performance data.
• KPIs highlight the most important metrics for each role.
• Standard dashboards work out of the box, but customization makes them powerful.
• Keep dashboards simple, role-specific, and aligned with company goals.

---

👉 Next Page: SuiteAnalytics Workbooks