NetSuite offers a wide array of tools to help businesses manage data collection and streamline workflows. Among these are Online Customer Forms and Online Custom Record Forms, both designed for gathering data from users online. While they may sound similar, they serve distinct purposes and have unique setups that cater to different types of information collection. This guide will help you understand the key differences, use cases, and customization options for each form type.
What is an Online Customer Form?
An Online Customer Form in NetSuite is specifically designed to create or update Customer records. This form is used when data related to customers, such as contact information or account details, needs to be collected or updated.
Key Features of Online Customer Forms:
- Directly Linked to Customer Records: This form is strictly associated with customer records in NetSuite, making it ideal for capturing information relevant to a customer’s profile.
- Built-In Fields and Custom Fields: While it includes NetSuite’s standard customer fields, the form can also be customized to include any additional fields relevant to your business needs, such as specific preferences or notes.
- Easy Access for Customer-Related Roles: Online Customer Forms are generally designed to be accessible to roles that interact with customers, like Customer Center users. This makes it ideal for use in customer-facing portals or websites where customers can self-register or update their details.
- Common Use Cases:
- New customer registration on websites
- Customer profile updates through self-service portals
- Marketing lead generation forms
What is an Online Custom Record Form?
An Online Custom Record Form is used for data entry on Custom Record Types created in NetSuite. These forms are designed for information not necessarily tied to customers. Instead, they’re used for collecting unique types of data tailored to specific business processes or data-tracking needs.
Key Features of Online Custom Record Forms:
- Flexibility with Custom Record Types: This form can be linked to any custom record type you define, allowing you to collect data unrelated to customer information. It’s perfect for data that falls outside NetSuite’s standard records.
- Highly Customizable Fields and Structure: Because these forms are based on custom record types, they allow you to add or arrange fields according to the specific information you need, whether it’s event registration details, survey responses, or project status updates.
- Broader Access Configurations: These forms can be accessed by different user roles depending on the nature of the data. They can be tailored to employee, partner, or even customer roles, depending on the intended use.
- Common Use Cases:
- Event or webinar registrations
- Customer feedback or survey submissions
- Internal task or issue tracking systems