The Client
NetSuite is great fit for businesses, large and small. Just ask Kaz Bhati, who’s business has just 3 employees, but is up and running on Oracle’s premier ERP. Naturally his fingerprints are all over the business with such a concentrated workforce – accounting, customer relations, working with vendors, and a plethora of other focuses.
Gold Coast Produce is a produce distributor, specializing in the buying and selling of various types of berries, as well as other fruits and vegetables. With over 10 years of hands-on experience in the industry, Kaz was well aware that they were ready to take the next step. One of the focal points of Gold Coast Produce’s decision was that they wanted to be prepared for their incoming growth, as opposed to drowning in it once it arrived.
One particular nuance they had grown weary of was the double entry between Quickbooks Online and a smaller industry specific system. It had worked for a long time, but eventually they had been outgrown and the time spent didn’t justify the results.
With that, Kaz set out to do his research, looking at over 200 ERP options of varying size to see what he thought would best help Gold Coast Produce reach its long and short-term goals. He eventually wound up giving NetSuite a hard look. The decision was made to go with NetSuite, who eventually introduced Paapri to assist.
Service and Delivery (Paapri ERPCare)
While Paapri directly handles the full implementation of many clients, some work with NetSuite themselves to get up and running on the software, and then bring in Paapri to do supplementary and customization work, which was the case here.
This service is called ERPCare, and is offered to all Paapri Clients after they go live on NetSuite, as well as to existing NetSuite users who may need some additional work done. It is done on a time and material basis, where you’ll sit down with the project team to map out exactly what you want done, and our team will find the solution and implement it. However, full NetSuite implementations are done by the Paapri team with a fixed bid price.
The NetSuite team got the groundwork laid for Kaz and Gold Coast Produce, but their NetSuite experience really hit its stride when they started working with Paapri.
“The NetSuite team ultimately did get us up and running initially, but if I could go back, I’d have Paapri do the whole thing from square one” – Kaz Bhatti
The Paapri team was “responsive”, “clear with their explanations”, and ultimately made the project “much less intimidating” for the Gold Coast Produce team. Ultimately, that’s our goal for all of our clients, to get them set up on NetSuite comfortably, and give them the knowledge to utilize it confidently.
The Project Team
Gold Coast’s project team consisted of Customer Experience Manager (CEM), Lauren Prestin, and a consulting team led by Bishali Biswas and Anubhav Sharma.
Kaz noted that Lauren was always very reactive and responsive, especially in the early stages where he was still finding to find his legs within the system. This care is what ultimately helped ease the process when he felt he was in over his head at times. Once Paapri took over, the process simplified.
Regarding the consulting team, Kaz was also very impressed. There would be times where something would come up and need adjusted, and those changes were finalized by the next day. With such a unique business, there were certainly new solutions that had to be found, and the Paapri consultants managed to find bridges on all fronts.
Some of Kaz’s more unique requirements were:
- A unique commissions structure
- Third party brokerage
- Sales Order Numbers for invoices, making it easier to match up bills
- And more!
Conclusion
Now that Kaz is live in the system, with his business specific requirements met by Paapri, he truly realizes the power the system holds. However, his customization work isn’t done quite yet, as there are plans for a continued partnership with Paapri as new automation and needs for their business arise.
When asked if there was anything he would recommend to a new NetSuite user, preparing for their implementation, Kaz recommended they,“Call Paapri first thing”.
