How to Create Executive Dashboards in NetSuite

📌 Executive dashboards help finance leaders monitor collections performance, stay ahead of risks, and make faster cash-flow decisions. With Oracle NetSuite, you can build dashboards that track real-time AR metrics using built-in tools like KPI Meters, Trend Graphs, custom portlets, and advanced analytics.

Below is a step-by-step guide to help you set up and customize an executive AR dashboard.

Steps to Set Up an AR Dashboard 

Step 1: Identify Key AR KPIs

• Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): Measures how quickly invoices are collected
  
  
• Bad Debt Expense: Tracks AR amounts unlikely to be recovered
  
  
• Aging Analysis: Breaks down invoices by overdue brackets
  
  
• Collection Rate: Shows the percentage of invoices collected within a time period
  
  
• Customer Payment Terms: Compares contractual payment terms vs. actual payment behavior
  
  

Step 2: Use NetSuite's Dashboard Tools

• KPI Meters
  Go to Home Dashboard > Personalize > KPI Meters
  Select KPIs like DSO, overdue amounts, or collection rate. Set thresholds for performance comparisons.
  
  
• Trend Graphs
  Go to Home Dashboard > Personalize > Trend Graphs
  Plot trends for DSO, aging buckets, or total AR over time.
  
  
• Custom Portlets
  Go to Customization > Centers and Tabs > Center Tabs > Custom Portlets
  Display saved searches or visualizations for AR metrics.
  
  
• KPI Scorecard
  Go to Home Dashboard > Personalize > KPI Scorecard
  Compare multiple KPIs across time periods or business units.

Step 3: Build Reports and Analytics for AR

• Standard Reporting
  Go to Reports > Financial > A/R Aging > Summary or Detail
  Use these to pull aging metrics and overdue breakdowns.
  
  
• Custom Reports
  Go to Reports > Saved Reports > All Saved Reports
  Modify or build new reports to track KPIs like bad debt or collection velocity.
  
  
• NetSuite Analytics (if enabled)
  Go to Analytics > Workbooks > New Workbook
  Build pivot-style dashboards with interactive filters.
  
  
• Custom Tables
  Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types
  Store or reference AR data fields unique to your business logic.

Step 4: Configure and Customize Your Dashboard

• Access the Dashboard
  Go to Home > Dashboard
  
  
• Add Portlets and KPIs
  Click Personalize on the top right
  Drag and drop KPI Meters, Trend Graphs, KPI Scorecards, and Custom Portlets
  
  
• Set KPI Preferences
  Go to Home > Set Preferences > Analytics Subtab
  Choose KPIs and customize thresholds or filters.

Step 5: Share and Collaborate with Stakeholders

• Role-Based Visibility
  Go to Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles
  Assign dashboard visibility by role (e.g., CFO, Controller, Collections Head).
  
  
• Collaborative Reviews
  Use dashboard snapshots in executive reviews to align AR strategy and uncover blockers.

Pro tip: For even more visibility, plug in Growfin to your NetSuite dashboard. Growfin tracks collector activities, flags payment risks, and forecasts collections in real time so executives don't just see what happened, but what’s coming next.

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