What is a Saved Search in NetSuite?
NetSuite's saved search feature is an essential tool that enables quick access to information. To utilize this feature, first, you must set your search criteria and other required details. Based on the parameters defined, it will sift through records to find the required information. These saved searches function as adaptable reporting tools that allow for real-time monitoring, prioritize tasks, regulate data access, and offer simple customization.
Create detailed reports on different record types.
Highlight essential information.
Send email notifications.
Schedule regular distributions of reports.
Update field data as needed.
Keep dashboard KPIs and other portlets current.
Populate custom fields with relevant information.
The saved search feature in NetSuite streamlines operations, tracks progress, and monitors data in real time, enabling users to analyze, visualize, and share critical insights for informed decision-making. This tool serves a wide variety of functions like financial reporting, inventory management, supply chain oversight, sales analysis, and customer segmentation.
Types of NetSuite Saved Searches
How can you create a saved search that meets your business-specific data requirements? Initially, you must choose the appropriate search criteria or type from the provided drop-down menus. Each search type has its designated purpose, so understanding the different available types is crucial.
Here are some common types of saved searches:
Activity Search
A saved search for activities in NetSuite allows the creation of customized reports on records like tasks, events, and calls. This feature helps in monitoring vital business events and customer interactions. Utilizing various filters to sort data yields deeper insights into business operations.
Monitoring sales activities by each sales representative.
Analyzing patterns and trends in customer interactions.
Producing reports detailing the frequency and volume of various activity types.
By using activity saved searches, businesses can gain a more nuanced understanding of operations and improve overall efficiency by leveraging detailed, real-time data.
Customer Search
Leveraging the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionalities in NetSuite, users can access vital customer information such as contact details, purchase history, and payment terms. Utilizing the saved search feature with various filters helps you pinpoint the desired information. Customer data can be categorized based on sales performance, location, industry, payment method, and more.
Identifying top-performing customers.
Analyzing trends and behaviors among customers.
Crafting marketing campaigns tailored to specific audiences.
Item Search
NetSuite's item searches facilitate customized reporting on products and services while providing essential data like pricing and stock levels. Users can effortlessly filter, sort, and organize this data by sales performance, item type, and category.
Identifying best-selling products.
Monitoring inventory trends and stock levels.
Preparing lists of items for purchase orders or sales quotes.
Opportunity Search
Opportunity records within NetSuite include key details about potential sales, covering aspects such as lead sources, estimated closure dates, and deal-winning probabilities. An opportunity saved search grants access to this crucial information for generating valuable reports for users across NetSuite.
Keeping track of the sales pipeline and forecasting revenue.
Recognizing top-performing sales representatives.
Evaluating sales performance by lead source or market sector.
Task Search
Creating a saved search specifically for tasks in NetSuite lets users generate tailored reports based on task records like appointments, calls, and meetings. Users can filter and organize data based on task type, status, priority, or other relevant areas to gain focused insights.
Managing employee workloads and productivity metrics.
Assessing task performance across various projects or departments.
Effectively tracking the completion rates of tasks.
Transaction Search
The saved search function for transactions allows for the generation of tailored reports on transaction records, which is particularly advantageous for financial tasks such as creating sales and purchase orders, as well as invoices. Users can filter and sort this information based on transaction type, date range, customer specifics, and more.
Monitoring cash flow.
Evaluating revenue and expenditures.
Generating accounts receivable and accounts payable reports.
Vendor Search
The vendor saved search functionality enables users to develop customized reports on vendor records. These records encompass essential details including contact information, payment conditions, and purchasing history for suppliers and contractors.
Tracking vendor performance and purchasing habits.
Managing vendor relationships and contract renewals.
Analyzing vendor-related costs and obligations.
This feature is crucial for individuals seeking effective vendor management, aiding informed decision-making based on thorough vendor information stored in NetSuite.
Advantages of NetSuite Saved Searches
NetSuite saved searches provide several significant benefits to businesses: Improved Data Security: Administrators can enforce strict control over information access by implementing filters and criteria. As a result, sensitive data can be restricted to designated individuals.
Efficient Data Management: The ability to quickly retrieve relevant information boosts productivity while eliminating the need to navigate complex menus.
Customization for Specific Business Needs: Users can tailor saved searches to fulfill precise operational requirements, ensuring optimum usability.
Real-time Notifications: Automated email alerts can be sent based on predefined conditions, ensuring timely actions in response to critical events or data changes.
Data-driven Decision Making: Prompt access to relevant data enhances proactive decision-making, leading to better business outcomes and fostering organizational growth.
Creating a Saved Search in NetSuite
To create a saved search in NetSuite follows a few straightforward steps that involve selecting search types and filters. Here's a detailed step-by-step guide:
Navigate through: Reports > Saved Searches > All Saved Searches > New. Choose from available search types.
Click on the Create Saved Search button to access the simple or advanced search definition page.
Alternatively, you can save a search directly from the search results page by hitting the Save This Search button after executing a search.
If modifications to an existing saved search are required, follow: Reports > Saved Searches > All Saved Searches > click Edit next to the search in question.
Every saved search should have a clear title that describes its purpose for better understanding across teams.
Choose an owner for the saved search; by default, this will be the creator.
Determine whether the search should be public or have restricted access through the Audience subtab.
Optionally, you can make the search results available as views for list pages of the searched record type: List View, Dashboard View, or Sublist View.
If you wish, enable the Available for Reminders option to link results from the Reminders portlet.
Check the Show in Menu option to make the search accessible directly from menus.
On the Criteria subtab, establish parameters to filter records that the saved search will retrieve.
On the Results subtab, specify how the results should be displayed, including sorting preferences and output type.
Once all settings are configured, save your search.
Best Practices for Managing and Updating NetSuite Saved Searches
Utilizing saved searches for information retrieval and insights can be highly beneficial. To achieve optimal results, adhere to the following best practices:
1. Define Your Purpose: Understand the specific information you wish to gather with a saved search. This clarity will help ensure accuracy and effectiveness.
2. Use Straightforward Filters: Stick to basic filters using AND and OR operators grouped with parentheses. Avoid using complex or ambiguous filters like NOT, IN, BETWEEN, or CONTAINS.
3. Limit the Number of Criteria: Keeping the number of criteria manageable will yield quicker results. By simplifying criteria, you can get accurate outcomes more rapidly.
4. Select Appropriate Record Types: Each record type in NetSuite has varying fields and filters. Choosing the right record type ensures an efficient and accurate search.
5. Use Joins Sparingly: Joins connect records in more complex searches, but an excessive number may slow down search execution. Include joins only when necessary.
6. Utilize Summary Types: Summary types like SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, and MIN/MAX can consolidate data within a saved search, improving efficiency by reducing the total number of results.
7. Optimize and Test: After crafting your saved search, enhance it by adding indexes to fields, selecting the right summary types, and limiting criteria. Test the search across different situations for fine-tuning.
Advanced Techniques for NetSuite Saved Searches
By now, you're likely familiar with the fundamentals of saved searches in NetSuite. Let's explore some advanced techniques to leverage this feature even further.
Using Formulas in Saved Searches
NetSuite's saved searches feature formula fields, allowing you to refine results or perform specific actions such as converting dates to strings. Here's how to set up a formula filter:
Open the saved search you want to modify and click Edit. Then navigate to the Criteria tab.
Select the formula option best suited to your goals (Date, Numeric, or Text) from the drop-down menu.
Input your formula using NetSuite's specific syntax in the FORMULA box. Click Set.
Preview the results to ensure proper functionality and then save your changes prior to executing the search.
Familiarity with SQL and Oracle SQL (Oracle 10g or Oracle 11i) can be beneficial when working with formula syntax, allowing you to perform calculations or manipulate data based on specific conditions.
Joining Saved Searches
If you wish to consolidate results from different types of saved searches, for instance, to build a comprehensive dashboard, the easiest method is to use an ellipsis.
Navigate to the Results tab of your saved search and select a field with a “...” option from the FIELD drop-down menu. However, on occasions where joins are not available, you can utilize the below advanced technique:
Create two individual saved searches with varying accessibility levels.
In the first saved search, go to the Results tab and create a Formula (Text) field.
Insert the URL of the second saved search into this Formula (Text) field.
Adjust the URL using the CONCAT function and the “||” operator to replace necessary fields in the URL.
This approach allows you to link data from multiple saved searches effectively, enabling the creation of comprehensive dashboards tailored to your specific business requirements.
Exporting Your Saved Search
Occasionally, you'll need to access data from your saved searches outside of NetSuite. Exporting searches allows analysts to manipulate this data offline for detailed reporting purposes.
Follow this path: Reports > Saved Searches > All Saved Searches.
Locate the full list of saved searches available for export.
Open a specific saved search by clicking the View button.
Choose among format options like CSV, Excel, or PDF for exporting the data.
Incorporating Saved Search into NetSuite Dashboards
Integrating saved search results within NetSuite dashboards provides quick access to dynamically updated information. You can add Custom Search portlets to any NetSuite tabbed page, showcasing results from chosen saved searches.
Click "Personalize Dashboard" on the desired page to show saved search results.
Find and select the "Custom Search" item in the "Standard Content" folder on the "Personalize Dashboard" panel.
Click "Set Up" within the Custom Search portlet.
Choose a saved search from the dropdown list.
Optionally, enter a title for the portlet.
Specify how many results to display simultaneously in the Results Size field. If more results exist, you can navigate through them using a dropdown list.
Decide whether to open individual results within the portlet or on a new page through the Drill Down option.
If Inline Editing is enabled, verify whether to allow direct edited records within the portlet by checking the "Allow Inline Editing" option. 4. Finally, click "Save" to complete your setup.
Differences Between Saved Search and Report in NetSuite
While saved searches and reports in NetSuite serve similar functions as data retrieval tools, they have significant distinctions. Let’s examine their differences and specific use cases.
Flexibility and Customization: Advanced features such as complex formulas and summary types facilitate in-depth analysis.
Export Capability: Saved searches allow exporting results into various formats like CSV or Excel.
Data Highlighting: Users can emphasize data meeting specific conditions, aiding in identifying trends or anomalies.
Concise Presentation: Can be crafted using various templates for clear and useful data display.
Exploration Options: Reports enable deeper exploration of data for detailed insights.
Scheduled Delivery: Users can program reports to be generated automatically based on preset criteria.
Choosing Between Saved Searches and Reports
Need for Customization: Opt for Saved Searches if extensive customization and complex data manipulation are required.
Ease of Use: Choose Reports for a straightforward approach employing standardized templates for routine business needs.
Both Saved Searches and Reports play crucial roles in NetSuite, with unique strengths tailored to specific data analysis and presentation demands within an organization.
Conclusion
NetSuite saved searches have revolutionized how businesses access information and make decisions. They provide instantaneous access to critical data, enabling users to customize searches to uncover what they need. This capability allows for trend spotting, performance tracking, and the extraction of actionable insights swiftly and effectively. By simplifying data analysis and reporting, saved searches enhance decision-making, increase efficiency, and propel your business forward.
Versich offers extensive documentation to assist businesses in maximizing the value of the saved search feature. It streamlines relevant information retrieval through detailed guidance on different criteria, formulas, and results. Moreover, it allows for the tracking of changes made to saved searches while comparing different versions effortlessly to ensure accuracy and consistency.
