What is NetSuite Analytics Warehouse (NSAW)?

NetSuite Analytics Warehouse (NSAW) Explained

NetSuite Analytics Warehouse (NSAW) is a prebuilt, cloud-based data warehouse and analytics solution that consolidates data from various sources, including NetSuite, flat files, and other business systems. This integration enables businesses to derive actionable insights using the Oracle Analytics Cloud, powered by the Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse.

NSAW Compared to Tableau and Power BI

While Tableau and Power BI are powerful business intelligence (BI) tools renowned for their data visualization and reporting capabilities, they primarily serve as front-end platforms that connect to various data sources. In contrast, NSAW offers an integrated solution that not only provides robust analytics features but also includes a built-in data warehouse. This means NSAW manages both data storage and analysis within a unified environment, reducing the need for separate data warehousing solutions. Additionally, NSAW's seamless integration with NetSuite ensures that data pipelines are optimized for NetSuite's data structures, facilitating more efficient data management and analysis.

Advantages of NSAW Over SuiteConnect and External Pipelines

SuiteConnect allows users to connect NetSuite data to external systems, enabling the creation of custom data pipelines using other technologies. However, building and maintaining these custom ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes can be resource-intensive and complex. NSAW simplifies this by offering prebuilt data pipelines and easy-to-use fact and dimensional models tailored for NetSuite, reducing the need for extensive manual setup and ongoing maintenance. This integrated approach not only saves time but also minimizes potential errors associated with custom ETL processes.

Built-in Subject Areas and Nightly ETL Processes

One of NSAW's standout features is its comprehensive set of pre-defined subject areas, encompassing critical business data such as invoices, sales orders, inventory, work orders, and return material authorizations. However, these are just a few examples—NSAW includes many more subject areas that cover different aspects of financials, operations, procurement, customer transactions, and more. These subject areas are designed to provide immediate insights without the need for extensive customization. Moreover, NSAW automates the ETL process, updating the data warehouse nightly. This automation ensures that businesses have access to the most current data without manual intervention, enhancing decision-making capabilities.

Customizing NSAW for Your Unique Data Needs

Does your organization have custom transaction types or data elements that are not standard to NetSuite? NSAW has three different mechanisms to integrate this custom data into your warehouse: Custom Attribute Mapper, Data Augmentations, and Semantic Model Extensions. These features empower you to extend the built-in subject areas or create custom datasets to account for non-standard NetSuite data. A skilled NSAW consultant can help you get the most out of this product and ensure all your custom data is seamlessly integrated into NSAW.

Integrating External Data Sources into NSAW

Beyond NetSuite data, NSAW offers the flexibility to incorporate data from various external sources, such as CRM systems, legacy ERP or accounting platforms, and marketing data. This capability allows organizations to create a holistic view of their operations, facilitating more informed strategic decisions. By centralizing diverse data sets within NSAW, businesses can perform cross-functional analyses that were previously challenging with siloed data systems. These features empower you to extend the built-in subject areas or create custom datasets to account for non-standard NetSuite data.

Cost and Maintenance Considerations

Developing custom ETL processes using SuiteConnect and other technologies can lead to significant costs, both in initial development and ongoing maintenance. These custom solutions often require dedicated IT resources to manage data integrations, monitor data quality, and update pipelines as systems evolve. In contrast, NSAW's prebuilt integrations and automated data management reduce the reliance on extensive IT involvement, leading to cost savings and allowing technical teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.

How NorthCoast Data Can Help with NSAW

If you’re looking for NSAW consulting services, NorthCoast Data specializes in helping businesses unlock the full potential of NetSuite Analytics Warehouse. Whether you need assistance with NSAW implementation, leveraging NSAW for deeper business insights, or support for troubleshooting advanced scenarios and challenges, NorthCoast Data’s expert consultants are here to guide you. Our team ensures that you get the most out of NSAW by tailoring solutions to your unique business needs, integrating additional data sources, and optimizing analytics strategies.