Data. The hottest topic in modern business. While it drives smarter decision-making, uncontrolled data can be counterproductive. This is where ordered information, and specifically SuiteQL in NetSuite, comes into play. SuiteQL serves as an information indexer in a library of data, allowing you to quickly find info you’re looking for.
By leveraging SuiteQL, your business can customize data inquiries to meet a specific mandate.
Understanding SuiteQL
SuiteQL is designed specifically for NetSuite and aims to improve the functionality of complex database operations. Think of it as a language translator for your data. It offers advanced query capabilities, allowing you to perform complex queries with precision and efficiency.
While NetSuite Saved Searches and SuiteAnalytics Workbook allow for this to some degree, with SuiteQL you can execute more complex queries and sort through different subsets of information, easily. For example:
- You can filter through large volumes of data. SuiteQL has an advanced filtering ability that includes sorting through subcategories of data. This allows for a more refined search.
- You can merge data records. Need to consolidate data from different tables to create a comprehensive comparative report? With SuiteQL can sift through data and join multiple records for an in-depth overview.
- You can perform unique calculations. With SuiteQL you can aggregate calculations based on specific data fields. This makes getting the sum total spend for active clients, for example, more straightforward to do within the platform.
Getting Started with SuiteQL
Accessing SuiteQL in NetSuite is pretty straightforward. You can do so via the following main options:
- SuiteScript: Allows you to customize and automate your NetSuite operations. To access SuiteQL via SuiteScript, make sure you have the right permissions and access to the N/Query module.
- SuiteAnalytics Workbook: Allows you to create and visualize data within NetSuite. To access SuiteQL via SuiteAnalytics Workbook, go to the Analytics tab in NetSuite > create a new workbook > and start building your queries.
Note that it is always a good idea to test your queries in a sandbox environment first, so you don’t accidentally mess up your live data. Also, start with small data sets to make sure your queries are correct before applying them to larger data sets.
Simple vs. Complex Queries with SuiteQL
When it comes to pulling specific information from your NetSuite data, SuiteQL allows you to refine data and create comprehensive reports for deeper insights. From adding special conditions to narrowing down your search or combining information from different places, SuiteQL filters groups of data based on your specific criteria. For example:
- Which information you require (via the SELECT tab)
- Where the information must be taken from (via the FROM tab)
- The special conditions that dictate your bespoke search (via the WHERE tab)
- Whether information must be combined (via the JOIN tab) or sorted according to specific visual criteria i.e. columns (via the ORDER BY tab).
Once you have accessed the SuiteQL functionality within NetSuite, you can create custom data sets. This can be done via Simple or Advanced Queries.
Simple queries
These are straightforward requests that typically involve retrieving data from a single table or dataset and use simple conditions to filter data. An example of a simple query would be retrieving the names and emails of active customers from a customer table. To do so you would:
- SELECT name, email: This part of the query shows that you want to retrieve the name and email columns from the data.
- FROM customer: This indicates that the data must be pulled from the customer table.
- WHERE status = ‘Active’: This filters the results to include only the customers who are marked as active in your records.
Advanced queries
These involve more complex operations, such as joining multiple tables, performing aggregations, using subqueries, and applying advanced filtering criteria. They may also include queries to break down complex data retrieval processes, for example retrieving the names of customers and their total order amounts for orders placed after a specific date. To do so you would:
- SELECT customer.name, SUM(order.total), AS total_order_amount: This part of the query selects the name of the customer and calculates the total amount of their orders.
- FROM customer INNER JOIN order ON customer.id = order.customer_id: This joins the customer and order tables based on the customer ID, linking each customer with their corresponding orders.
- WHERE order.date > ‘2024-01-01’: This filters the orders to include only those placed after January 1, 2024.
- GROUP BY customer.name: This groups the results by customer name and aggregates the order totals for each customer.
- ORDER BY total_order_amount DESC: This sorts the results by the total order amount in descending order, showing the highest totals first.
Best practices for crafting data queries
The level of granularity is endless once you understand how to refine your data using this tool. But, to ensure your SuiteQL queries run efficiently, the following best practices can help you.
- Indexing: Ensure that the columns you frequently filter or join are indexed. This can significantly speed up query execution.
- Limit data retrieval: Access only the necessary data by using SELECT to specify the required columns and WHERE to filter the results.
- Avoid excessive data combinations: While JOIN operations are powerful, combining too much data can slow down your queries. Keep join requests simple.
- Test in sandbox: Always test complex queries in a testing environment first to ensure they run correctly without impacting live data.
SuiteQL is not just for querying data; it can also enhance your reporting with its data visualization and deep analysis ability.
- Bump up your custom reports: Use the specific query feature to get deeper, more customized insights into your data.
- Niche dashboards: Embed SuiteQL queries into your NetSuite dashboards to visualize bespoke data in real-time data. You can have your top 10 customers displayed on your sales dashboard, for example.
- Automate reports. You can schedule your SuiteQL-based reports to run at specific intervals (daily, weekly, monthly) and have them delivered to relevant stakeholders.
At Fusion, our NetSuite-certified CPAs can help you leverage SuiteQL to improve data management, automate processes, and enhance financial reporting. We specialize in writing and optimizing complex SuiteQL queries to provide greater financial insights and operational efficiency for your business. Contact us today.
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