NetSuite ERP vs. Salesforce ERP: Which CRM-ERP Combo is Right for You?

Staying connected with customers and effectively managing relationships are crucial yet challenging tasks for any business. Selecting the right business management software is equally important but often overwhelming, given the myriad options available, technical jargon, and promises of streamlined operations. In this article, we compare two leading CRM-ERP combinations: NetSuite ERP and Salesforce ERP, to help you determine which solution is the best fit for your organization.

NetSuite and Salesforce ERP Systems frequently emerge as top contenders when discussing the best enterprise resource planning systems. Both platforms are robust, offering comprehensive and versatile features that cater to businesses with varying needs and preferences.

In this blog post, we will delve into the features, usability, strengths, and weaknesses of both Salesforce and NetSuite ERP Systems. By the end, you'll have the insights needed to make an informed decision about the software that will empower your teams and drive your business growth.

But before getting started, let’s understand about NetSuite ERP and Salesforce CRM in brief. Continue reading to find out more!

About NetSuite ERP

NetSuite is a comprehensive cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software designed to unify various departments and enhance overall business operations. Beyond its robust customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, NetSuite offers an all-encompassing suite that integrates ERP functionalities with a range of additional business tools. This seamless integration helps businesses streamline processes, improve efficiency, and achieve a holistic view of their operations.

According to Grand View Research, the global enterprise resource planning market size is projected to reach $86.4 billion by 2027, which highlights the significance of platform among businesses.

By integrating NetSuite with Salesforce, you can leverage the strengths of both platforms to manage your business's sales, finance, operations, customer interactions, support, inventory, and more, all within a single platform. This unified interface promotes efficiency and productivity while providing a comprehensive view of your organizational operations. The seamless NetSuite Salesforce integration ensures that data flows smoothly between systems, enhancing decision-making and enabling a cohesive approach to business management.

About Salesforce ERP

Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform, is renowned for its robustness, customization, flexibility, and comprehensive functionality. Salesforce ERP extends these capabilities, offering an integrated solution that combines CRM and ERP functionalities. This powerful combination allows businesses to streamline processes, improve customer engagement, and achieve greater operational efficiency. Salesforce ERP is particularly well-suited for organizations seeking a highly customizable and scalable solution to meet their evolving business needs.

Salesforce focuses primarily on enhancing customer relationships through its versatile clouds and comprehensive features, including sales management, marketing automation, and customer service. It also offers basic ERP functionalities through add-ons like Salesforce CPQ (Cost Price Quote).

Salesforce CPQ is a cloud-based sales tool that empowers organizations to deliver accurate pricing for product configurations. It enables configuring and calculating prices based on product features without human intervention, resulting in more precise outcomes

According to a Salesforce study, currently, over 150,000 organizations worldwide leverage Salesforce CRM to streamline business operations and drive growth, underlying the need for a platform to bring sales, marketing, and support together.

Comprehensive comparison: NetSuite ERP vs. Salesforce ERP

Now that you have foundational knowledge of what Salesforce ERP offers and what distinguishes NetSuite ERP System in the market, let's compare them to see how they align with various business operations.

#1. Salesforce vs NetSuite: Core focus

NetSuite ERP: It’s a unified system that prioritizes core ERP features like finance, inventory and business management and CRM capabilities for businesses aiming to manage every aspect of their operations. 

Salesforce ERP: Salesforce + Salesforce CPQ offers basic enterprise resource planning system features through Salesforce CPQ. At its core, Salesforce provides highly customizable capabilities, prioritizing sales and marketing with some focus on ERP requirements. 

#2. Integration 

NetSuite ERP: It promotes seamless native integration between its CRM and ERP modules, ensuring uninterrupted data flow between departments with everyone having access to the latest information. 

Salesforce ERP: Integration often requires additional configuration to connect with other ERP systems from different vendors. While this may add complexity, it also offers flexibility, allowing businesses to tailor their integrations to meet specific needs and leverage diverse solutions. 

#3. Ease of use 

NetSuite ERP: Due to its extensive features and capabilities, NetSuite can have a steeper learning curve, making it somewhat challenging for new users to master. However, once familiarized, users can take full advantage of its powerful functionalities to optimize their business operations. 

Salesforce ERP: While not as user-friendly as HubSpot, Salesforce ERP is more intuitive than NetSuite ERP. Its unified view and comprehensive features might initially pose a challenge, but its flexibility and customization options contribute to a more user-friendly experience over time. 

#4. User-interface 

NetSuite ERP: Offers a highly customizable interface, allowing users to tailor workflows to their specific needs. While the extensive customization options can be overwhelming for first-time users, experienced users find the interface intuitive and efficient, enhancing overall usability. 

Salesforce ERP: Features a clean, intuitive, and visually appealing interface that is easy to navigate, even for new users. Its user-friendly design and straightforward layout make it accessible, promoting quick adoption and efficient use. 

#5. Customization and flexibility 

NetSuite ERP: It comes with a bundle of robust customization frameworks while allowing alternations in workflows, reports, and the user interface to meet specific needs. 

Salesforce ERP: Excels in customization, providing high flexibility to optimize both ERP and CRM functionalities. With Salesforce's powerful customization features, businesses can maximize the potential of their integrated solutions, ensuring that the system aligns perfectly with their operational needs and strategic goals. 

#6. Platform comparison 

NetSuite ERP: As a unified platform, NetSuite ERP platform allows native integration with its pre-built applications, eliminating the time and complexity associated with third-party app integration.  

Salesforce ERP: To unlock the capabilities of enterprise resource planning for your business, you need to integrate Salesforce CRM with Salesforce CPQ, which maximizes complexity. Also, with the AppExchange marketplace, you can pick apps to integrate with CRM. 

#7. ERP software 

NetSuite ERP: It offers a comprehensive, versatile, and robust enterprise resource planning suite with exceptional features for financials, inventory control, project management, and more. Being a robust platform, it's best for businesses seeking a single platform to manage business operations in every aspect. 

Salesforce ERP: It lacks in-depth expertise and a dedicated enterprise resource planning system. With basic Salesforce ERP integration, you can ensure quote management, order processing, invoicing, and more. We can say covers a single aspect or feature of ERP but not as a whole even after integration. 

Salesforce vs NetSuite: Comparison in brief 

For a discerning audience, evaluating NetSuite ERP and Salesforce CRM reveals distinct functionalities, strengths, and weaknesses. NetSuite excels as a unified solution managing operations comprehensively—from financials to inventory and customer relations. Conversely, Salesforce CRM caters adeptly to sales and marketing needs, offering scalability and customization. Additionally, a combo of Salesforce ERP integration empowers businesses to unlock the true potential of both worlds - ERP and CRM.

Conclusion

As there is no single winner in this battle, the optimal choice depends on your specific needs, priorities, and business goals. Consider the following:

• Do you require unified, pre-built NetSuite Salesforce integration capabilities or a best-of-breed approach?
• How extensive is your need for customization?
• What are your core business functions: sales, marketing, or operational efficiency?

Deciding between them hinges on your strategic goals. Therefore, seeking assistance from NetSuite ERP Consultants like Entartes is highly recommended. They analyze your unique business needs and objectives to recommend the optimal CRM-ERP synergy for maximizing revenue and expansion.