Updating Document Number Prefixes: Historical and New Transactions

To change the prefix of a document number in NetSuite for both future and existing records, you can follow this structured and safe process:

Disable Advanced Numbering (if enabled)

• Navigate to: Setup > Company > Setup Tasks > Auto-Generated Numbers
• Uncheck the “Use Advanced Numbering” checkbox.
• Click Save.

Enable “Allow Override”

• Still in the Auto-Generated Numbers page:
• Check the “Allow Override” checkbox for the relevant transaction type (e.g., Invoice, Sales Order).
• This allows you to edit numbers manually or via script for existing records.

Update Existing Records

We have two options:

1. Manual Update (for small volumes):
2. Open each transaction.
3. Change the document number manually to include the new prefix (e.g., from INV123 to NEW-INV123).
4. Map/Reduce Script (for bulk updates):

• Use a Map/Reduce script to safely bulk-update historical records. Here’s a brief logic flow:

record.submitFields({
    type: record.Type.INVOICE,
    id: invoiceId,
    values: {
        tranid: 'NEW-' + currentTranId
    }
});

Revert “Allow Override” Setting

Once all historic transactions are updated:

• Go back to Auto-Generated Numbers
• Uncheck the “Allow Override” option for the transaction type.
• Click Save.

Re-enable Advanced Numbering (optional but recommended)

• Check the “Use Advanced Numbering” again.
• Click Edit next to the transaction type and configure:
• Prefix (e.g., NEW-)
• Minimum digits
• Suffix or date-based components (if needed)
• Save the rule.