NetSuite Introduces New PRM Functionality

NetSuite has married two of its applications to provide additional features for clients that use its product to collaborate with partners.

PRM+ integrates the company's partner relationship management, order management and commission management apps, incorporating enhanced functionality. It allows companies outside the extranet to view projected sales commissions, and it provides better visibility into the order pipeline.

Back Office Backbone

NetSuite has been offering PRM tools since 2003, Mini Peiris, NetSuite's senior CRM product manager told CRM Buyer, with features that allow partners to access leads, track opportunities, find product pricing promotions, and check client support cases.

The latest iteration integrates more of the back office into the collaboration process, she explained. For instance, access to real-time inventory information lets partners enter new orders via their portal or convert opportunities into quotes and orders.

This growing focus on the back office sets the application apart from other PRM offerings, NetSuite claims.

"NetSuite is on a mission to correct the misguided course of customer relationship management that other CRM vendors have charted and too many companies have followed -- they've built and sold PRM as a silo separate from core CRM and back-office operations," said CEO Zach Nelson. "NetSuite is setting the correct course with PRM, CRM and the back office, facilitating a seamless business process."

Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) is another on-demand vendor that recently rolled out a PRM application. Called "Partnerforce," the application supports distribution of sales and marketing information across multiple distribution channels, recruiting and retention of partners, sales support, and performance measurement of partners and their customers.

The Compensation Key

Another way NetSuite seeks to differentiate its offering from Partnerforce and other competing offerings is through tight integration with compensation and commission management.

The new application "gives companies greater visibility into the revenue stream as they are able to see what compensation or commission has been approved," Peiris said.

For instance, every time a new order is entered, projected compensation is updated as a key performance indicator (KPI) on the dashboard. Also, the partner commission feature can be used as a stand-alone application or in conjunction with employee commissions for direct sales, which means that commission can be calculated and paid to both internal employees and partners on the same sales transaction, if needed.

PRM+ is available now in NetSuite and NetSuite CRM+. Partner commission is available in the Incentive Compensation module for US$299 per month; Advanced Partner Center access is available for $49 per month per partner.