4 Expensive NetSuite Administrator Gaps Firms Miss & How to Fix Them

Your company has already gone live on NetSuite. The implementation is finished, the system is in daily use, and the expectation is that everything should now run smoothly. 

But here’s where many executives get caught off guard: the biggest costs don’t come during implementation. 

They show up later, when your NetSuite Administrator doesn’t have the depth of skills needed to manage and evolve the system.

On the surface, it might look like your ERP is working. Reports get pulled, scripts mostly run, and users can log in. 

But under that surface, hidden gaps in administrator expertise can quietly drain thousands of dollars. They show up as delayed closes, broken upgrades, access risks, and heavy consultant bills.

So what are the most expensive blind spots? Let’s look at the four skill gaps that cost companies the most after go-live.
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What Are the Top 4 Skill Gaps That Cost Companies Money?

Skill gaps don’t always appear as system crashes or headline-worthy failures. They often creep in quietly, disguised as inefficiencies or extra steps that everyone just accepts as normal.

Each of these situations is common in post-implementation environments. And each one comes from a skill gap you may not realize your administrator has.
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1. Reporting and analytics blind spots

One of the most common admin gaps is reporting depth. Plenty of admins can run a basic saved search. 

But not all of them know how to use advanced joins, formulas, or SuiteQL to deliver the insights leadership actually needs.

The impact is real:

• Executives wait on spreadsheets because dashboards don’t provide accurate KPIs.
• Finance wastes hours reconciling numbers manually.
• Department heads base decisions on partial data instead of the full picture.

One administrator admitted they were “self-taught” and leaned heavily on trial and error for reporting. 

The result? Leadership teams didn’t trust the numbers and projects stalled while everyone tried to verify data outside the system.

Without deep reporting skills, NetSuite turns into little more than a data warehouse. The system might hold the information, but your company pays for it in delayed closes and missed opportunities.
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2. Mismanaged roles and access control

Roles and permissions are often treated as routine housekeeping, but mistakes here are expensive. It’s not just about who can log in. It’s about who has access to sensitive data and how efficiently your team works.

We see two extremes:

• Overly restrictive roles: Employees can’t complete simple tasks without filing access requests. Productivity grinds down as everything funnels through the admin.
• Overly permissive roles: Financial data, payroll information, or customer records end up visible to people who should never see them.

There’s also the access tug-of-war between IT teams and consultants. 

Some companies refuse to grant external partners the true Administrator role, instead creating “copied” roles that don’t have full visibility. 

What sounds like a safe move usually backfires, dragging out projects and making troubleshooting more expensive.

When roles and permissions aren’t managed with expertise, you don’t just get bottlenecks. You also inherit real security and compliance risks.
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3. Upgrade instability from fragile scripting

Quarterly NetSuite upgrades should improve your system. But when scripts and workflows aren’t designed or documented properly, those updates create unexpected issues.

Admins in this situation often see:

• Scripts that suddenly stop working because no one documented their dependencies.
• Workflows that fail quietly, forcing teams to switch to manual processes.
• Custom code copied from other environments that breaks once NetSuite pushes new changes.

Instead of focusing on new features, your team spends extra time fixing problems and bringing processes back online. 

The cost shows up in overtime hours, higher consulting fees, and delays to projects that should have moved forward.
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4. Lack of system documentation and knowledge transfer

Documentation is one of the least glamorous parts of administration, but it’s also one of the most critical. Too many companies run on what NetSuite administrators carry in their heads. When those admins leave, the system becomes a black box.

Here’s what usually happens:

• A new NetSuite administrator takes over and spends months trying to untangle undocumented customizations.
• Projects get delayed because no one knows what scripts are connected to which workflows.
• Consultants are brought in to map the environment, billing hours just to figure out the basics.

One IT manager shared that their NetSuite setup had “zero documentation” after a senior NetSuite administrator left. Every change had to be discovered by trial and error, creating delays and costly fixes.

The absence of documentation doesn’t cause daily noise, which is why it’s often ignored. But the moment someone leaves or the system needs a change, the true cost becomes obvious.
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What Is the ROI of Closing These Gaps?

Closing these skill gaps isn’t just about smoother administration. It directly improves your bottom line:

• Faster closes: Strong reporting chops cut days off the monthly process.
• Reduced risk: Proper permissions and documented changes prevent compliance disasters.
• Fewer consultant hours: Clean scripting and documentation save thousands in external support.
• Better decisions: Accurate dashboards give leadership the confidence to move faster.

The ROI is straightforward. An administrator with the right depth of skills doesn’t just prevent issues. They turn NetSuite into the reliable growth platform you paid for.

Should You Upskill or Hire for NetSuite Administrator Expertise?

Companies usually face two choices:

• Upskill your current admin through certifications like SuiteFoundation or Administrator. This can work if you already have someone motivated and capable of learning.
• Hire or contract a skilled admin who brings expertise from day one. This avoids the costly learning curve and protects your system from trial-and-error mistakes.

Some choose a hybrid approach: an in-house admin for daily support and an external expert to train, document, or handle advanced projects.
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Where Can Companies Find Skilled NetSuite Administrators?

That’s where Atticus comes in. We connect businesses with certified administrators who already know how to avoid these hidden costs. 

Our candidates bring the depth of reporting, security, scripting, and documentation skills that protect your investment long after go-live.

Working with Atticus means:

• Faster access to vetted, experienced NetSuite talent
• Post-implementation support that scales with your needs
• Confidence that your ERP won’t bleed money from hidden skill gaps
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Close the Gaps That Are Already Costing You

Your company doesn’t just need a NetSuite Administrator. You need one with the right skills. 

Reporting gaps, access mismanagement, fragile scripting, and missing documentation all cost money—often in ways that don’t become obvious until it’s too late.

The good news is that these risks are avoidable. With the right talent in place, you stop paying for hidden inefficiencies and start getting the ROI you expected from NetSuite.

Ready to close your skill gaps? 

Book a call with Atticus and get the NetSuite Administrator expertise your company needs to protect and grow your system.

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