Organizations that decide to automate their Accounts Payable (AP) processes in NetSuite face a critical juncture. Do they choose a native SuiteApp, such as SquareWorks, or a third-party bolt-on solution?
In the first part of our interview with Rahul Jairaj, Business Analyst within the CloudPaths’ SuitePaths practice, he gave insights into the benefits of automation for AP teams. In the concluding part of this series, Jairaj highlighted that while many options exist, the path that an organization chooses, whether to go with a native SuiteApp or a third-party solution, has a profound impact on the security, scalability, and integrity of the project. He also provided an example of why AI-powered features, such as invoice scanning (OCR), are a must-have for AP teams today.
The Power of a Single Source of Truth
According to Jairaj, the choice is more straightforward than it seems. “While some third-party apps may appear more cost-effective upfront, they introduce a fundamental risk,” he said. “Whenever integrations come into the picture, there are always issues with integration syncs. This can lead to a nightmare scenario where your ERP and your AP tool are out of step, instead of being in sync.”
This is where native applications hold a decisive advantage. “Since the data of systems like SquareWorks, for example, lives within NetSuite, organizations benefit in terms of security and data integrity,” Jairaj emphasized. “It is one system, one source of data.”
This native advantage extends to customization and scalability as well. With a native app, organizations can leverage traditional NetSuite automations, such as workflows and scripts, to then work with apps like SquareWorks.
“This allows for a deeper, more seamless automation experience that can grow with your business. In contrast, solutions requiring a separate integration layer can introduce scalability concerns as data volumes increase,” Jairaj said. “By keeping everything within the NetSuite ecosystem, you ensure your AP automation solution is not only secure, but also scalable.”
Decoding the “Magic” of AI and OCR
AI-powered OCR is one of the most powerful features of modern AP automation. However, it’s not always as simple as plug-and-play, as invoices come in countless formats, and teaching an AI to read them accurately is a process.
Jairaj offered a refreshingly honest look behind the curtain. He noted that a key challenge is ensuring the AI consistently interprets the data correctly, such as mapping a vendor’s unique item codes back to the corresponding items in NetSuite. It requires careful setup and, more importantly, a period of learning. He illustrated this with an example of a client who implemented this solution. “Even after they went live in production, they probably only had about a 70% success rate in the beginning,” he shared.
This is where an expert partner like CloudPaths becomes invaluable. The key is a well-managed implementation and a realistic mindset. “The good news about AI is that it learns and that it can adapt,” Jairaj said.
By starting in a sandbox environment with a rich data set, CloudPaths helps train the AI so that once it recognizes a vendor’s invoice format, it becomes self-correcting. “This methodical approach ensures that the magic of AI delivers on its promise, turning a complex challenge into a reliable, automated workflow.”
What This Means for ERP Insiders
Use the sandbox to train your AI proactively. Expecting 100% OCR accuracy on day one is unrealistic. A 70% success rate is a more practical starting point, according to Jairaj. The key is to leverage a native app’s seamless connection to the NetSuite sandbox. By processing thousands of real-world vendor invoices in a test environment, ERP professionals can actively train the AI to handle specific formats and address challenges such as mapping vendor item codes, thereby drastically improving accuracy before going live.
Reframe roles from data entry to exception handling. When employees ask, “Is my job safe?” show them how AI redefines their value. A native app automates the high-volume, low-value data entry work within the familiar NetSuite UI. This elevates the AP professional’s role to a more strategic one, such as managing the five exceptions that the AI in the automated system flagged and analyzing the resulting data for insights.
Leverage native app data integrity to simplify the month-end close. The biggest headache of the month-end is manual reconciliation of mismatched data. A native app provides a powerful use case for prevention. Because AI-driven OCR and automated approvals happen directly within NetSuite, data is validated and accurate from the start. This clean, real-time data feeds directly into the AP team’s general ledger, drastically reducing reconciliation work and improving the reliability of critical reports like cash flow statements.
