This article was originally published on LinkedIn.

One of the things I enjoy most about my work is the chance to interact with such a wide range of people and companies in the NetSuite ecosystem. I get to work with clients across many industries — from small, fast-moving startups to large, established enterprises — and at every stage of their ERP journeys. I talk with developers, administrators, finance leaders, and executives. I collaborate with partners. I even get to connect with key people inside Oracle NetSuite itself.

I think that variety gives me a somewhat unique vantage point. I get to see how NetSuite is actually used in the real world — what's working, what's not, and where the opportunities for improvement or innovation really are.

Over the past several months, that perspective has expanded even more through my work with AI — building projects, training teams, and helping organizations think about what "intelligent ERP" can actually mean in practice. My network has grown significantly, and so has my understanding of how quickly the platform is evolving.

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about where NetSuite stands today — and, based on the many conversations I've had with people across the community, where it's headed next. More importantly, what it needs to do to keep growing and leading in this new, AI-driven era.

I think NetSuite's next decade will depend on how well it executes five key strategies — from embedding intelligence at the core to scaling its ecosystem with integrity.

ERP has entered a new era. It's evolving from a system of record into a system of intelligence — one that learns, adapts, and anticipates. And no platform is better positioned to lead that transformation than Oracle NetSuite.

With more than 43,000 organizations relying on it — from high-growth startups to global enterprises — NetSuite has become the operational backbone of the modern mid-market. But scale brings new challenges. AI is redefining expectations. Customers want outcomes, not just software. Partners are stretched thin. And a new generation of AI-native competitors is emerging with faster, lighter, more automated solutions.

To sustain its momentum — and to define what intelligent ERP really means — I think NetSuite needs to double down on the following five strategies.

1. Embed Intelligence at the Core

Success in enterprise software is no longer about feature depth — it's now about how much "intelligence" is included.

NetSuite has already made a decisive bet: AI should be built in, not bolted on. Rather than treating intelligence as an optional add-on, Oracle is weaving it directly into the fabric of the platform — from transaction entry to financial close.

That shift does more than differentiate; it changes how people work.

When intelligence becomes part of the experience, people don't have to adopt it — they just use it. Finance teams get variance explanations in plain English. Operations managers see predictive demand forecasts before issues arise. Executives receive narrative reports generated automatically from live data.

By embedding intelligence at the core, Oracle is transforming NetSuite from a system you operate into a system that operates with you.

In a world where trust, transparency, and time-to-insight matter more than dashboards, that's a real strategic advantage.

2. Streamline and Standardize Implementations

Breadth has always been one of NetSuite's greatest strengths — but it's also a source of friction. Every project looks a little different. Every partner has its own playbook. Every vertical has its nuances.

To scale globally without sacrificing quality, Oracle needs to think differently about how implementations are approached. It's time to replace one-off projects with standardized, industry-based blueprints that accelerate time-to-value. Each blueprint should embed best practices, process KPIs, and pre-trained AI models tailored to the customer's specific industry or sector.

This is the natural evolution of SuiteSuccess — moving from bundles to true industry operating models that make a 90-day go-live the norm, not the exception. And when that happens, speed becomes a competitive weapon.

In markets where buyers measure ERP success by how quickly it delivers outcomes — and tell me a market where that isn't the case — NetSuite's ability to onboard new customers faster, without compromising quality, becomes critical.

3. Capture the Mid-Market Before It Grows Up

Beneath NetSuite's current customer base lies a massive untapped segment: companies doing roughly $5–50 million in annual revenue — too big for QuickBooks, too small for full NetSuite.

For these businesses, ERP adoption is often delayed by perceived cost and complexity — until it's almost too late.

Oracle can change that dynamic with what I've been calling NetSuite Lite: a pre-configured, streamlined edition that delivers the essentials — general ledger, billing, inventory, and reporting — along with an automated, low-friction path to upgrade into the full suite when the time is right.

I see NetSuite Lite as a kind of gateway ERP for growing companies: fast to deploy, easy to use, and built to scale.

And my hunch is that once those companies are in the NetSuite ecosystem, they'll rarely leave. The lifetime value of a NetSuite Lite customer could be four to five times the initial contract — especially when expansion is built into the experience from day one.

This isn't cannibalization — it's cultivation.

By owning the mid-market before it matures, Oracle could add tens of thousands of new customers while simultaneously reducing acquisition costs — turning NetSuite Lite into one of the most effective growth engines in its history.

4. Leverage the Partner & Developer Ecosystems

NetSuite's partner network has always been both its multiplier and its constraint. When partners are well-trained and aligned, implementations thrive. When they're not, projects stall — and reputations take a hit.

I think NetSuite needs to take a hard, honest look at its partner ecosystem — and listen. Gather feedback from current partners. Hear from potential partners who've struggled to get in. Talk with independent developers who want to contribute but need better support. (I know at least one of those "indie developers." Hint hint.)

Here's what I'd like to see:

• Major investments in enablement — advanced certification, AI-tool training, and ongoing education
• Elite partner tiers with clear standards for delivery excellence
• Reusable playbooks and accelerators that compress implementation time
• Co-marketing and shared-intelligence tools that align global sales motions
• Affordable (or free) sandbox instances for developers

And while we're at it — free training. Seriously. Training shouldn't be a profit center.

I've done research on this, and the data backs it up: a 10 percent increase in partner capacity translates into roughly a 6 percent increase in revenue leverage for NetSuite.

For a product so dependent on implementation quality, partner enablement isn't operational — it's existential.

By the way, I'm working on a separate piece about what NetSuite can learn from ServiceNow when it comes to partner programs and developer support. Stay tuned.

And if anyone at Oracle NetSuite wants to chat about this, I'm here.

5. Build Credibility Through Responsible Intelligence

The final strategy extends beyond technology. It's about trust.

Across EMEA, APAC, and from what I understand, soon the U.S., new ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) regulations are forcing organizations to measure and disclose sustainability metrics.

Most ERP vendors treat this as an afterthought — a compliance module or a bolt-on report. NetSuite has the opportunity to go further: to embed ESG directly into the operational layer.

Imagine dashboards that tie procurement decisions to emissions targets, or variance reports that show both cost and carbon impact. By weaving ESG and ethical AI into the core, NetSuite turns compliance into credibility — a differentiator that investors, regulators, and customers will soon expect by default.

In a market defined by transparency and accountability, responsible intelligence isn't just good ethics — it's good business.

The Road Ahead

Out of all of the major ERP platforms, I honestly believe NetSuite is the one best positioned for sustained success and future growth. It has the data, the ecosystem, and the momentum to lead this next chapter of intelligent enterprise software — and I can't wait to see it unfold.

If NetSuite executes on even some combination of these five strategies — embedding intelligence, streamlining and standardizing implementations, capturing the mid-market, expanding partner capacity, and building responsible intelligence — it will redefine what ERP means in the decade ahead.

NetSuite is evolving from a transactional platform into a living, learning operating system for modern business.

The next chapter isn't about adding more modules or features. It's about mastering the strategies that help the entire ecosystem think, scale, and evolve together.

Because the future of ERP won't be powered by transactions — it'll be powered by strategy and intelligence working as one.