NetSuite OpenAir April 2021 Release: These are a Few of Our Favorite Things

NetSuite OpenAir releases new features twice each year to enhance the product and user experience. Here are four of our favorite features in the April 2021 release we would like to highlight.

Redesigned User Experience

We would be amiss not to mention the redesigned user experience, or UI4. With the past several releases, NetSuite OpenAir has released the new UI in phases. The time has come to consolidate the features into a single switch. Implementing the Redesigned User Experience has now taken on a simpler and streamlined approach. In addition to the elimination of phases, NetSuite OpenAir has greatly improved column searches by replacing the column filter value search [previously included in Phase 3, UI4] with the ability to search for values using search terms.  You can learn more about UI4 in our eBook.

NetSuite OpenAir has announced an automatic upgrade of all accounts to this new interface in April 2022. Now is the time to enable the UI4 in your sandbox, familiarize yourself with the features, and ensure that end-users understand the changes. It is worth noting that any environment that was previously on Phase 1 or Phase 2 only will automatically be upgraded to the entire new UI as of the April 2021 release. Most notably, this changes the navigation on the Administration > Global Settings page.

Project Center Enhancements

The latest updates to the Project Center, which is enabled by an internal switch once UI4 is enabled, offer welcome features. Adding additional booking-related information columns helps project managers who also perform bookings and act as resource managers for their projects. The inline editing enhancements for deleting and adding multiple bookings is also a nice, new feature that will help project managers avoid context switching between the Project and Resource Modules.

Drag and Drop Expense Attachments

Finally! We are very excited about this one. Add attachments to your expense reports and receipts using file drag and drop. This feature seems like a no-brainer to enable and enhance the user experience. With this internal switch enabled (Switch Name: Attachment File Drag and Drop feature), users no longer have to endure as many clicks to locate an attachment and upload to the expense report or worksheet. As an added bonus, using this feature, users can drag and drop multiple attachments at once.

Allow Employees to Modify Projects Without Permission

If you have ever wanted to allow a user to modify a component of a project, such as a billing rule, project issue, or budget line, without having access to modify the project itself, the time has come. This feature is helpful when multiple users or teams are working on a single project. Great use case examples would be if a project manager should be the only one updating the project properties form. However, other team members are expected to enter or update other project-related items.

In addition to the above features, several smaller enhancements worth noting make the use and navigation of NetSuite OpenAir just that much easier. Simple updates such as having the service column available in time entries, the notes column on the receipt list, and support for job code filtering and rollup in reports, provide easy visualization of the related detail when reviewing data in list views and reports.

Ok, so these are more than just a few of our favorite things, but all things we are excited about nonetheless.

Need help with evaluating, implementing, or using the new features?  Watch our webinar on the April release features.   Or you can contact us anytime with your questions.