If you run on NetSuite and your business operations involve logistics, integrating NetSuite with 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) and WMS (Warehouse Management Systems) will streamline your supply chain, ensuring better inventory visibility and faster order fulfilment. These integrations automate the exchange of critical data – such as inventory levels, shipping updates, and order statuses – giving you real-time transparency into your logistics processes. As your business grows, a 3PL or WMS integration becomes even more vital, as they allow you to efficiently manage complex supply chains and consistently meet customer expectations.
In this blog, you will learn the key benefits of integrating NetSuite with 3PL and WMS systems, and the best practice steps involved in making your integration a success. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of how you can optimise your logistics operations through NetSuite integration.
Why integrate NetSuite with your 3PL and WMS?
By linking NetSuite to your 3PL and WMS systems, you cut out the need for manual data entry – the leading cause of errors and inefficiencies. You’ll also get real-time updates on inventory levels, shipments, and order statuses, ensuring everything is in sync across your systems. And when your 3PL system connects directly with NetSuite, you gain clearer visibility into costs, helping you make smarter, more profitable logistics decisions.
The benefits don’t stop there. Orders in NetSuite automatically flow into your 3PL or WMS system, keeping your inventory data aligned between NetSuite and any third-party systems. This ensures you maintain better stock control, process orders faster, and deliver accurate shipping updates – all leading to happier, more satisfied customers.
Common 3PL and WMS Systems to integrate with NetSuite
For businesses in Australia and New Zealand, several 3PL and WMS systems offer robust integration with NetSuite, streamlining operations and ensuring seamless supply chain management.
Below we list some of the most commonly used options in the region, keeping in mind that NetSuite can integrate with any 3PL or WMS – common or not.
RF-SMART
One of the top WMS choices globally, RF-SMART provides real-time inventory management, picking, packing, and fulfilment capabilities that are fully integrated with NetSuite. Its popularity stems from its ability to support complex warehouse operations with mobile and barcode scanning solutions, helping businesses reduce errors and improve order accuracy.
Key features: Mobile picking, packing, inventory tracking, and bin management.
StarShipIT
For businesses handling large volumes of shipping across ANZ, StarShipIT is a popular 3PL integration partner with NetSuite. It automates shipping and tracking processes while seamlessly syncing with NetSuite for order fulfilment, making it a great choice for eCommerce businesses managing multiple carriers.
Key features: Automated shipping and tracking, carrier integration, real-time updates.
ShipStation
ShipStation is a robust 3PL solution that simplifies order fulfilment and shipping. It connects with NetSuite to automate tasks like shipping label generation and tracking, allowing businesses to manage multiple carriers efficiently. It’s ideal if you handle high volumes of shipments.
Key features: Shipping automation, real-time tracking, and multi-carrier support.
StarTrack
A major player in Australia’s logistics landscape, StarTrack integrates with NetSuite to streamline freight, parcel, and express deliveries. This integration is ideal for businesses handling large shipment volumes, automating fulfilment processes and tracking across Australia.
Key features: Freight and express shipping, tracking automation, seamless NetSuite sync.
Australia Post
As the go-to postal service for businesses in Australia, Australia Post integrates with NetSuite to automate shipping, tracking, and fulfilment processes. This integration is particularly valuable for eCommerce businesses managing high volumes of national deliveries.
Key features: Shipping automation, real-time tracking, eCommerce integration
Don’t see your existing 3PL or WMS above? You always have the option of leveraging iPaaS through Celigo, a widely adopted integration platform in the ANZ region. Offering pre-built connectors between NetSuite and various 3PL and WMS systems, Celigo’s versatility and flexibility make it a valuable tool for businesses looking to automate logistics processes while maintaining full control over data flow.
Does NetSuite have a native WMS module?
Yes, NetSuite has its own Warehouse Management System (WMS) module, which is specifically designed to optimise day-to-day warehouse operations. The NetSuite WMS module natively works with other NetSuite ERP modules, providing real-time inventory management and automation capabilities. Here’s what makes it stand out:
- Mobile RF barcode scanning supports real-time inventory tracking and processing, from receiving goods to picking and shipping, all via mobile devices.
- The system offers real-time visibility of inventory levels and item statuses across multiple locations, providing businesses with full transparency over their stock.
- Efficient strategies are built in to optimise the picking and putaway processes, helping reduce time and improve order accuracy.
- Automates cycle counting to ensure accurate inventory management, reducing the need for costly full inventory counts.
- As a part of NetSuite’s connected suite of applications, there’s no need to manually sync inventory or order information. All systems work off the same real-time data.
- NetSuite’s WMS follows industry best practices, ensuring businesses can quickly see efficiency improvements without lengthy customisation processes
NetSuite’s native WMS is particularly suited for businesses looking for a fully integrated solution within the NetSuite ERP ecosystem, helping warehouse operations work in harmony with other business functions, such as order fulfilment, accounting, and customer relationship management.
In short, NetSuite WMS is an excellent solution for companies that need streamlined warehouse management without the need for complex third-party integrations.
Why choose a third-party WMS over a NetSuite native option?
Even though NetSuite’s native WMS offers solid functionality, businesses may still choose third-party integrations for a few reasons:
- Third-party systems often provide advanced or industry-specific features, such as more complex multi-warehouse management or specialised picking and packing processes.
- Larger operations with complex logistics may benefit from the enhanced scalability and flexibility of systems like RF-SMART.
- Third-party WMS options tend to offer more flexibility for custom workflows, tailored to unique business needs.
- Many third-party WMS solutions integrate more effectively with 3PL providers, automating complex logistics across multiple carriers.
In short, businesses with unique or complex needs often choose third-party integrations for the extra customisation and specialisation capabilities.
Steps to achieve 3PL integration with NetSuite
Assess your current setup
Begin by analysing the structure of your WMS or 3PL system to identify critical workflows and data dependencies. This involves reviewing how your inventory, orders, and shipping details are currently processed and understanding what data needs to flow between NetSuite and your 3PL/WMS systems. Specifically, you’ll need to identify key touchpoints such as:
- How inventory levels are managed in real time.
- What data is required for the successful fulfilment of orders.
- Tracking numbers, carrier details, and expected delivery times.
You should also assess whether your existing system can handle real-time data exchange and whether there are manual processes that could be automated.
Choose an integration solution
Depending on your business needs and the complexity of your 3PL or WMS, there are several approaches to integration:
- NetSuite’s SuiteCloud platform offers tools like SuiteTalk (web services API) and SuiteFlow (workflow automation) that allow for customised integration without extensive development.
- If you require more flexibility or deal with multiple external systems, middleware solutions such as Celigo can help by acting as an intermediary that syncs data between NetSuite and your 3PL or WMS. These platforms often provide pre-built connectors and integration templates for quicker deployment.
- For highly specific integration needs, building custom APIs might be the best option. This allows for a bespoke integration that can handle unique workflows or data structures between NetSuite and your external systems.
Map your data flow
Once the integration method is chosen, it’s crucial to map out the data flow between NetSuite and the external systems. This includes:
- Ensure that inventory levels, stock transfers, and product movements between warehouses or third-party locations are tracked in real time.
- Map the flow of orders from NetSuite to your 3PL or WMS, including how orders are processed, fulfilled, and updated. Take care to align fields such as order numbers, items, quantities, and statuses.
- Include fields for tracking numbers, carrier details, and expected delivery times. If returns are a part of your process, make sure return authorisation workflows are captured in the data map.
- Map how errors in the data flow – such as stock discrepancies or incomplete orders – will be managed and communicated between systems.
Test and optimise
Comprehensive testing will ensure the integration works as expected, before going live. This involves:
- Validate individual workflows like inventory updates, order placement, and shipping confirmations.
- Test the entire fulfilment process, from order creation in NetSuite to 3PL or WMS fulfilment and shipping. Ensure data synchronisation happens correctly at each step.
- Assess how the integration handles large data volumes or peak order times, particularly for businesses with seasonal spikes in order volumes.
- Test how the system responds to unexpected issues like stock discrepancies, missing shipping information, or failed synchronisation attempts. Automated notifications or alerts for such errors should be set up.
After the initial testing phase, it’s important to optimise the integration by identifying bottlenecks or opportunities for further automation. For example, adding automation to frequently recurring manual tasks (e.g., triggering purchase orders based on inventory thresholds) can significantly improve efficiency.
Partner with integration experts
When custom integrations are required, partnering with experts like Annexa – who specialise in NetSuite implementations – will smooth the process. Annexa’s expertise covers connecting systems but also making you’re your integration is scalable, efficient, and tailored to the unique workflows of your business.
As a leading NetSuite solution provider in Australia and New Zealand, Annexa has extensive experience in connecting NetSuite with various third-party WMS and 3PL systems. The team brings a deep understanding of the NetSuite ecosystem, helping businesses design integrations that meet their current logistics needs and future-proof their operations as they scale.
Ready to integrate your WMS or 3PL solution with NetSuite?
The Annexa team is here to guide you through the integration process, ensuring your systems work together smoothly to enhance productivity and support your growth. Contact us today to discover how our expert integration solutions can bring new value to your NetSuite ecosystem.
Even more integration resources
- Everything you need to know about integrations for NetSuite
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- A fast guide to the most popular NetSuite integrations for CRM
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