NetSuite Technical Consultant vs Solutions Consultant: Roles & Hiring Tips

Your company runs on NetSuite, but cracks are starting to show. 

Reports take longer to generate than they should. Integrations stop working at the worst possible moments. Finance and operations are frustrated because the system doesn’t fully match how they work. 

You know you need help, but should you bring in a NetSuite Technical Consultant or a NetSuite Solutions Consultant?

This isn’t just a staffing decision. 

The right hire keeps your ERP investment productive, efficient, and aligned with business growth. The wrong hire can cost you months of wasted effort, thousands in consulting spend, and credibility with your team.

This article breaks down what each role does, the differences between them, and how to decide whether you need one or both.
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What Does a NetSuite Technical Consultant Do?

A NetSuite Technical Consultant focuses on the behind-the-scenes work that keeps your ERP running efficiently. They dive into SuiteScript, APIs, and integrations so your system adapts to your business, not the other way around.

If your business is dealing with recurring errors, integration gaps, or workflows that don’t quite fit how your team operates, a NetSuite Technical Consultant can help. They:

• Write and maintain custom scripts
• Automate repetitive tasks
• Build advanced reports and saved searches
• Manage integrations with platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, and legacy systems
• Configure permissions and system security

For executives, this role directly impacts ROI. Without a NetSuite Technical Consultant, your team risks losing hours to manual fixes instead of focusing on growth.
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What Does a NetSuite Solutions Consultant Do?

A NetSuite Solutions Consultant is the translator between your business goals and your ERP system. Rather than writing code, they focus on configuring NetSuite to reflect the way your company operates. 

They ask questions like:

• How should invoices flow through finance?
• What’s the right approval process for purchase orders?
• Which KPIs matter most to leadership?

Key responsibilities of a NetSuite Solutions Consultant include:

• Business process mapping
• Module configuration (Advanced Financials, OneWorld, etc.)
• User training and adoption support
• Dashboard and reporting design
• Aligning NetSuite with finance and operational best practices

The result: teams don’t just have NetSuite installed. They have NetSuite working the way it should to support daily decision-making.
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What’s the Difference Between a NetSuite Technical Consultant vs a Solutions Consultant?

The distinction comes down to execution vs strategy:

• NetSuite Technical Consultant: Writes code, builds customizations, and resolves technical challenges.
• NetSuite Solutions Consultant: Defines processes, gathers requirements, and ensures NetSuite aligns with your business model.

Think of it this way: the Solutions Consultant sketches the design, and the Technical Consultant builds the structure. 

Both roles are critical, and hiring the wrong one often means wasted money, frustrated teams, and delayed results.
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10 Signs You Need Both a Technical Consultant and a Solutions Consultant

Sometimes, one role isn’t enough. Here are 10 signs your company requires both:

1. Revenue recognition is misaligned: You need business rules clarified and technical adjustments in reporting.
2. Dashboards lack executive visibility: A solutions consultant designs metrics; a technical consultant builds the reports.
3. Month-end close is consistently late: Processes need refining and scripts need optimization.
4. Integrations frequently break: Workflows must be aligned, and APIs need stable coding.
5. User adoption is low: One consultant fixes usability, the other resolves technical frustrations.
6. Multi-subsidiary operations are messy: Requires process mapping plus custom scripting.
7. Audit preparation is painful: Compliance steps need structure, and system data requires validation.
8. Modules aren’t delivering value: One ensures proper configuration, the other fills coding gaps.
9. Custom workflows fail in practice: The logic needs redesign and the scripts need rewriting.
10. Your last consultant left gaps: You’ve outgrown process-only or code-only fixes. Now both are required.
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10 Common Mistakes Executives Make When Hiring Consultants

Hiring mistakes are common. Here are 10 to avoid:

1. Confusing the roles: Hiring a NetSuite Technical Consultant when you needed a Solutions Consultant, or vice versa.
2. Expecting one consultant to do everything: These are distinct specialties. Asking for both in one person usually leads to weak results.
3. Overpaying for local hires: Offshore specialists are often overlooked despite offering equal expertise at lower cost.
4. Skipping business requirements: Consultants can’t deliver if you haven’t defined what “success” looks like.
5. Relying on internal IT for training: Consultants should bring expertise, not require onboarding by your staff.
6. Not checking certifications: Without verifying credentials, you risk expensive errors.
7. Overlooking module expertise: Skills vary. CRM knowledge doesn’t guarantee proficiency in Advanced Financials.
8. Skipping testing before go-live: Failing to validate deliverables leads to disruptions later.
9. Ignoring retention and continuity: High turnover causes knowledge loss and added training costs.
10. Delaying replacement of underperformers: Keeping the wrong consultant too long can set projects back months.
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How to Choose Between a NetSuite Technical Consultant and a Solutions Consultant

Use this framework to decide:

• Choose a NetSuite Technical Consultant if your issues are system-level: Integrations are failing, automations don’t run, or dashboards can’t be customized. Technical consultants address coding, scripting, and technical performance.
• Choose a NetSuite Solutions Consultant if your issues are process-level: Teams are bypassing NetSuite, finance and operations aren’t aligned, or executives lack KPI visibility. Solutions consultants focus on workflows, usability, and best practice alignment.
• Choose both when your challenges overlap: For example, rolling out Advanced Financials requires a solutions consultant to structure processes and a technical consultant to implement the scripts and integrations.

This isn’t about hiring quickly. It’s about hiring accurately, so the consultant you bring in can fix the problems that matter most.
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Why Offshore NetSuite Technical Consultants and Solutions Consultants Save You More

Executives in the US, UK, and Australia increasingly look offshore for NetSuite expertise. Offshore hiring isn’t simply a cost play. It provides flexibility and reduces risk.

• Wider expertise pool: Offshore consultants often bring multi-system experience, covering NetSuite plus platforms like SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft.
• Faster availability: Access to a global network reduces the waiting period from months to days.
• Lower turnover risk: Many offshore providers emphasize long-term placements, reducing costly re-hiring.

For business leaders, offshore consultants expand options and reduce delays without compromising quality.
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How to Find the Best NetSuite Technical Consultant for Your Business

Hiring the right consultant isn’t about who looks good on paper. It’s about whether they can solve the problems you’re facing today. 

Here’s a balanced framework to guide you:

1. Define the core issue: If Shopify orders fail to sync, you need a NetSuite Technical Consultant. If finance leaders are stuck in Excel because dashboards miss key KPIs, you need a Solutions Consultant.
2. Check certifications: Match credentials to your needs. If you use Advanced Financials or OneWorld, make sure the consultant is certified. Otherwise, you’ll pay for weeks of learning instead of days of fixing.
3. Review project experience: Ask for examples in your industry. A manufacturer should hear how they’ve fixed BOM or inventory issues; a retailer should hear about high-volume Shopify or Magento integrations.
4. Test problem-solving skills: Present a real scenario: “Our revenue recognition reports don’t match the P&L. What would you do?” A strong NetSuite Technical Consultant explains debugging scripts, testing saved searches, and confirming rules with finance.
5. Assess retention: Short-term hires leave unfinished customizations and poor documentation. Look for consultants who stay with clients long enough to provide continuity.
6. Confirm start time: If you’re planning a Q4 rollout but they’re not available until next year, your project stalls. The right consultant can commit when you need them.
7. Explore offshore options: Offshore consultants widen your talent pool and often provide more focus. A US consultant may juggle five clients; an offshore hire might dedicate attention only to your system.

These steps reduce the risk of hiring someone who looks right on paper but underdelivers in practice.
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Stop Guessing Which NetSuite Consultant You Need

Picking the wrong consultant doesn’t just slow projects. It stalls growth and frustrates your team. 

The right NetSuite Technical Consultant or NetSuite Solutions Consultant keeps your ERP running the way it should: supporting strategy, not creating roadblocks.

With Atticus, you don’t wait months or gamble on the wrong fit. 

Our vetted consultants in the Philippines bring both technical skill and business fluency, so your projects keep moving forward.

What if the consultant you actually needed was in place within 3 days?

That’s what we do.

Book a call with Atticus today.

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