NetSuite ACS vs Partner Support: Which One is the Best for You?

Getting the proper NetSuite support can make or break your implementation and ongoing success with the platform. But how do you know which support option best fits NetSuite ACS and NetSuite partners? This blog post breaks down the key differences between NetSuite’s Advanced Customer Support (ACS) and NetSuite partner support to help you make the choice that aligns with your business needs.

Is your NetSuite implementation being held back by subpar support? Don’t leave your success to chance—understand the differences between NetSuite ACS and partner support to get your business's expertise.

This blog post compares NetSuite ACS and partner support to help you determine the right support approach for your organization. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each option, from availability and response times to advanced expertise and cost considerations.

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What is NetSuite Support?

NetSuite support assists with the range of ERP and omnichannel commerce capabilities within the NetSuite platform. This includes troubleshooting issues and answering usage questions on:

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• NetSuite Financial Management
• NetSuite Order and Billing Management
• NetSuite Inventory and Fulfillment
• NetSuite CRM and Marketing
• NetSuite SuiteCommerce Sites
• NetSuite Reporting and Dashboards
• NetSuite Workflow Automation
• NetSuite Customizations and Integrations

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Reliable support coverage for all NetSuite components is crucial for businesses to keep their systems stable, meet compliance needs, scale growth, and continuously optimize their platform utilization.

NetSuite Advanced Customer Support (ACS)

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NetSuite ACS enables self-service access to the company's knowledge base with operational best practice content for finance, orders, inventory, and other areas. Users can also submit tickets for technical issues across modules like financial reporting, order workflows, and custom scripts.

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Dedicated account managers provide guidance on ACS entitlements and bundle purchases. But the support itself is siloed across topic-specific teams versus taking a holistic view of each customer's business priorities.

NetSuite Partner Support

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Skilled NetSuite partners have extensive knowledge of the same core areas covered by NetSuite ACS, including:

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• Troubleshooting platform errors and bugs
• Assisting with configuration and customization issues
• Providing guidance on standard functionality 

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Additionally, the best NetSuite partners supplement ACS with a wider range of complementary support strengths, such as:

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• Faster response times based on focused NetSuite expertise
• Direct senior-level support unavailable through standard ACS
• Vertical domain perspective tied to industry best practices
• Personalized account management aligned to business KPIs
• Proactive solution checkups and optimization recommendations
• Ongoing training aligned to changing user roles
• Objective guidance untethered from NetSuite sales  

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Customers benefit from comprehensive support coverage by leveraging both ACS and a partner like Seller Universe. ACS provides the backstop of direct vendor access while partners deliver specialized knowledge and context for greater productivity. The combined approach enables issues to be resolved faster while unlocking more platform value.

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NetSuite ACS: A Complete Overview

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NetSuite Advanced Customer Support (ACS) is the vendor's own technical support offering provided to NetSuite customers. It equips users with guidance and assistance to optimize configuration, utilization, and ongoing enhancement of their NetSuite ERP platform.

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Key features and services of ACS include:

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• 24/7 phone and email access to NetSuite support technicians
• Guaranteed initial response times based on case severity 
• Designated account managers for support planning and entitlements
• Different support tiers aligned to customer needs

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Levels of ACS Support

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NetSuite ACS provides varied support levels to match unique customer requirements:

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• Advise: Entry-level support ideal for new customers covers basic troubleshooting and product guidance to ensure a solid onboarding foundation.
• Monitor: Hands-on support with a designated functional consultant who monitors milestones are met across key workflows and processes. 
• Optimize: For customers with more complex configurations, Optimize delivers deeper and proactive support for maximum utilization. This adds a Customer Success Manager and performance assessments.
• Architect: The highest tier designed for global and highly customized deployments. Adds an assigned Technical Account Manager for strategic oversight.

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Benefits of NetSuite ACS

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The main benefits NetSuite customers gain through ACS include:

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• Direct access to NetSuite product experts who know the software inside and out
• Proactive monitoring and regular platform checkups
• Guidance on new functionality and process optimization

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Limitations of NetSuite ACS  

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Some downsides or constraints of reliance solely on vendor ACS:

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• Incremental cost increases based on higher tiers of access and support
• Impersonal support issues due to high volume of aggregate customers 
• Locked into an annual contract regardless of actual usage or value gained

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Many customers switch to NetSuite Partners for maximum ROI for their support needs.

Overview of Partner Support

NetSuite partners are expert implementation and support firms focused exclusively on the NetSuite platform. They provide a range of specialized services designed to help customers get maximum value from their ERP investment. Partners play an integral role by delivering solutions tailored to each organization's unique industry, business model, and objectives.

Types of Services Offered

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NetSuite partners offer various services spanning the customer lifecycle including:

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• Deployment - New implementations, data migration, integrations
• Customizations - Enhancements for specialized functionality
• Managed Services - Ongoing administration and support packages
• Optimization - Improving and evolving usage over time
• Support - User training to troubleshooting and upgrade guidance

Benefits of NetSuite Partner Support

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Partnering with a skilled NetSuite service provider yields many benefits:

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• Customized Support: Partners provide individualized guidance based on deep understanding of customer goals and contexts. This enables more impactful solutions.
• Flexibility: Leading partners offer flexible and modular services. Customers can mix and match offerings to meet budget and requirements.
• Dedicated Attention: Partners provide senior-level, high-touch engagement and accountability across a customer's journey.

Types of Support Plans

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NetSuite partners mostly offer two types of support plans:

Ad-Hoc Plans

For more transactional or tactical needs, NetSuite partners offer flexible Ad-Hoc support plans. Under this model, customers pay per incident or project for needs as they arise. If an organization only has periodic platform issues or minor enhancements, paying only for specific partner engagements is often the right fit both functionally and economically. The Ad-Hoc approach provides nimble support refinements without unnecessary managed services overhead.

Full Managed Services

For companies that rely heavily on NetSuite to run business operations, Full Managed Services delivers reliable support coverage on an ongoing basis. This proactive model includes regularly scheduled platform reviews, a technical account manager, and continual optimization to improve business process maturity over time.

Instead of reactive troubleshooting, managed services provide end-to-end lifecycle enablement so technology fully aligns to ever-evolving functional requirements. The highest-performing partners offer Managed Services bundled to meet budget thresholds based on company revenue or headcount.

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Comparing ACS vs Partner Support

Service Flexibility

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ACS offers tiered support packages but limited ability to customize service levels. Partners provide more tailored and modular options spanning ad-hoc firefighting to optimized managed services. This empowers a better fit to needs and budget. 

Customization and Personalization

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While ACS furnishes access to technical experts who understand NetSuite intrinsically, the vendor relationship limits customized enhancements aligned to strategic business goals. Specialized partners both conceptualize and deliver personalized solutions factoring industry contexts. 

Cost Efficiency

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ACS packages risk overspending without full utilization, as high-touch options have high labor costs. Partners enable pay-as-you-go flexibility or bundled managed services, driving higher ROI. The long-term TCO with partners can be lowered by distributing costs against value and outcomes vs. fixed ACS subscription fees.

Response Time and Availability

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With massive customer volumes, ACS struggles to match partners’ rapid response times aligned to individual user priorities. Partners average 2-hour SLAs for P1 issues, while ACS urgent response is 8 hours. Users praise partners for 24/7 access and hyper-care during deployments.

Strategic Guidance and Expertise

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While ACS resolves tactical issues, partners excel at strategic visioning and capability enhancements per business objectives. ACS acts as a platform mechanic, while partners serve as virtual CIOs. 

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Why is Seller Universe the Best NetSuite Support Partner?

Comprehensive Solution Breadth

Seller Universe provides an unrivaled breadth of solutions spanning financials, integration, automation, analytics, and custom application development. This enables a tailored fit to address diverse pain points out-of-the-box.

Global and Local Experience

With skilled resources across North America and APAC, Seller Universe delivers in-region support backed by an intimate knowledge of local regulations, languages, and business norms. Our teams blend deep NetSuite expertise with on-the-ground insights.

Industry and Process Specialization

Seller Universe offers pre-configured solutions fine-tuned for manufacturing, eCommerce, logistics, demand planning, AP automation, and more. With 300+ projects delivered, we furnish proven, repeatable models aligned to how you operate.

Technology Depth and Platform Expertise

With 350+ NetSuite certifications and direct participation in NetSuite's product council, our consultants offer an unparalleled technical command of the platform's multidimensional capabilities. We match this with pragmatic implementation experience.

Commitment to Continuous Innovation

Seller Universe builds on NetSuite's core functionality through 250+ custom SuiteApps, integrations with leading complementary solutions, and our AutomationDrive RPA practice. We commit to continuously expanding what's possible, year after year.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, NetSuite customers have options for supplementing the vendor’s Advanced Customer Support (ACS) offerings. However, realizing maximum value requires a partner that goes beyond basic break/fix services. The ideal support partner is a strategic advisor guiding customers through the ongoing enhancement of their ERP investment. This drives innovation aligned to business goals versus just maintaining the status quo.

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Of all specialized NetSuite partners, Seller Universe stands out as the clear market leader. By combining technical prowess with pragmatic implementation experience across hundreds of deployments, Seller Universe delivers unmatched ROI. We offer more than software support – We provide customers with a trustworthy, forward-thinking partner ready to evolve systems as needs grow and change.

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