SUITECOMMERCE (SC) VS. SUITECOMMERCE ADVANCED (SCA): ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET IT RIGHT

The power of NetSuite is undeniable. Considering that you are reading this article, you may already be reaping the benefits of NetSuite or are comparing it to other platforms for your e-commerce business. 

Let’s assume that you are running or getting ready to implement NetSuite ERP. With the rapid increase in digital sales over the past year with no signs of slowing down, you need to stay competitive and require a platform that integrates seamlessly with NetSuite ERP. Here’s where SuiteCommerce (formerly known as SuiteCommerce Standard) and SuiteCommerce Advanced come in. 

With both platforms offering a plethora of benefits and features, it may not seem very clear which is right for your e-commerce business. In this article, we will break down the differences so that you are versed and prepared when you are ready to implement and go to market with a leading e-commerce platform. Having your data streams all in one place is critical, especially as digital business skyrockets across channels. 

Keep reading for SuiteCommerce vs. SuiteCommerce uncovered and all you need to know to Get it Right. 

SUITECOMMERCE (SC) FOR DIGITAL BUSINESS 

Launched in 2018 as a lighter, more cost-effective alternative to SuiteCommerce Advanced, SC is leveraged by thousands of companies to run their online stores. Backed by a team of industry leaders at NetSuite, SC essentially provides a unified commerce platform that creates seamless, omnichannel brand experiences to streamline your business. Built on cloud-based infrastructure, SC unifies business applications and provides a central repository for order management and customer item and inventory data. What’s more, this dynamic platform is trusted by the world’s leading brands and integrates separate systems with natively unified e-commerce, POS, inventory and order management, marketing, merchandising, customer service and financials.

The fact that SuiteCommerce is built by NetSuite for NetSuite and comes stacked with order and inventory management, CRM, and ERP, can save your company thousands of dollars per year. For example, a company using Magento or Shopify as its e-commerce platform would need to pay for a NetSuite ERP integration along with a yearly fee to maintain the connection. In addition to these significant cost savings, SC enables you to run your business with real-time visibility to make informed and critical business decisions. 

When it comes to keeping pace in an ever-changing world, SC provides unmatched agility and the ability to scale and optimize the user experience across B2B and B2C. All the data is at your fingertips, making it easier for you to scale and grow your business while reducing operational costs. For a closer look at SC features, click here. 

SUITECOMMERCE ADVANCED (SCA): THE UNMATCHED SOLUTION FOR NETSUITE ERP 

When looking to create the ultimate online experience, look no further than SCA. Launched in 2012 and available only to existing NetSuite ERP users, SCA takes the online experience to new heights with a multitude of robust features, customization options and so much more. For starters, as with all NetSuite commerce products, SuiteCommerce Advanced unifies e-commerce with your core operational business systems. From inventory and order management, customer support, and financials, SCA delivers a single view of customer orders, inventory, and other vital business data that enables personal and relevant omnichannel experiences. Moreover, SCA allows you to sell through multiple sites in different languages and currencies under the same brand atop a single e-commerce platform.

With SCA, developers have complete access to the source code, enabling them to build and deploy ultra-custom applications that can't be done with SC. Making your storefront a true reflection of your brand and optimized for any device is just one of the many benefits of SCA. Complete layout control and pixel-perfect design capabilities will have your storefront shining bright. Elastic site search, the ability to save shopping carts and create lists creates a delightful shopping experience for your customers.

Additionally, with SCA, you can make finding products more straightforward with a host of features. And if that isn't enough, from a marketing and SEO standpoint, the possibilities are endless. Take a deeper dive into additional SCA features here. 

THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUITECOMMERCE AND SUITECOMMERCE ADVANCED  

Now that you've learned more about SC and SCA let's take a deeper dive into their key differences. Both versions offer fully responsive themes, integrate Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, and support multiple currencies and shipping options. However, the primary difference is the amount of control you receive. With SuiteCommerce Advanced, e-commerce businesses get the most robust omnichannel solution that provides access to the source code for total control. 

Another key contrast is SCA comes with more out-of-the-box features that accelerate your ability to market to your customers. SCA also provides manual updates versus automatic. While SuiteCommerce is still a very powerful e-commerce tool, the sky's the limit with SuiteCommerce Advanced. 

Here's a quick snapshot of SuiteCommerce Advanced's out-of-the-box features: 

• Natively integrates with NetSuite ERP and CRM
• Integrated email
• Social and Web
• In-store campaigns and Searchandising
• and much more 

When looking to go beyond the template and provide a customized user experience, SuiteCommerce Advanced is the way to go. If you are working within a limited budget but still want a phenomenal solution, SuiteCommerce is your choice. And you can always upgrade to SCA when ready, and the budget allows. As NetSuite SuiteCommerce Advanced experts and a certified NetSuite partner, we’ll be sure you Get it Right and guide you through one of the most critical transformations your business will ever make. 

Looking to deploy or upgrade to SCA, reach out to a GIR expert today for a free consultation.

Click Here to Get Started with SuiteCommerce Advanced!