01
R&D and cash runway
Disconnected budgets, purchase commitments and vendor invoices make it difficult to see how much funding remains available for each programme.
BEYOND THE SPREADSHEET
Different growth stages. Different pressures.
An emerging biotech managing runway does not need the same starting scope as a manufacturer preparing a launch. The useful question is not ‘which modules can we buy?’ but ‘which decisions are we struggling to make?’
02
Clinical-trial costs
CRO invoices arrive after activity takes place. Finance needs a defensible accrual process based on contracts, milestones and operational evidence, not just invoices received.
03
An outsourced supply chain
CMOs, CDMOs and logistics partners hold critical data. Inventory, batch and cost visibility suffer when every partner sends a different spreadsheet.
04
Commercial expansion
New entities, currencies, products and distribution channels introduce reporting and control requirements that an early-stage accounting setup may not support.
A CONNECTED OPERATING FOUNDATION
Bring the business around the science together
We start with the processes you need to control. NetSuite capabilities, additional modules and integrations are selected against that scope; specialised clinical, laboratory and quality systems keep their own responsibilities.
Programme and project accounting
Structure budgets and actual spend by programme, study, department or project. Agree cost allocation and reporting definitions before configuring dashboards.
Accruals and vendor commitments
Design a reviewed workflow for CRO estimates, purchase orders, milestones and reconciliation. Automation supports the process; finance still owns the assumptions and sign-off.
Purchasing with accountability
Connect purchase requests, approvals, orders and supplier bills so teams can see committed as well as invoiced spend, with roles appropriate to their responsibilities.
Inventory and batch visibility
Where relevant, configure lot tracking, expiry information and inventory across locations. Define quality-release and traceability boundaries with your quality team and external partners.
Multi-entity finance
Assess OneWorld for subsidiaries, currencies and consolidation. Build reporting that helps leadership compare programmes and understand cash, not merely close the books.
Integrations with clear ownership
Assess SyncBIT for connecting partner and specialist systems. Define the source of truth, access, error handling and reconciliation for each data flow before choosing the connection method.
THE BIT PERSPECTIVE
Start with one uncomfortable question: can you trust the numbers?
Imagine a finance lead preparing a board update: the programme budget is in one file, CRO estimates in another, and purchasing commitments in email. Installing software alone will not make those figures agree. The first step is shared definitions, ownership and a repeatable reconciliation process.
Our starting point is a conversation with Finance, Operations, Quality and IT about the decisions they need to make. We map what belongs in NetSuite, what should stay in specialist systems, and which interfaces and controls are genuinely necessary.
Then we define a first scope that can be tested with representative data: a programme-cost view, an approval chain, a month-end accrual or a partner stock feed. Broader rollout follows agreed acceptance criteria, not a promise that every process will fit out of the box.
“Better ERP design starts with clear ownership of the data, not a longer feature list.”
HOW WE WORK
A practical roadmap, not a compliance shortcut
BIT combines NetSuite implementation, integration and ongoing optimisation. Your quality and regulatory specialists remain essential: an ERP does not automatically make a business GxP-compliant, validated or audit-ready.
Discover before configuring
Map the growth stage, intended use, reporting priorities, stakeholders and data owners before deciding the ERP scope.
Design the boundaries
Separate finance and operational workflows from clinical, laboratory and quality responsibilities. Assess integrations and validation needs together.
Test with real scenarios
Agree migration checks, permissions, approval paths and acceptance tests with the people who will run the processes.
Keep improving
Plan training, change control, interface monitoring and managed support so the setup can evolve as programmes and markets change.
QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING
Life Sciences ERP questions
Is NetSuite suitable for an early-stage biotech?
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It can be, when reporting, purchasing control or multi-entity needs have outgrown the current setup. Start with the business case and a proportionate scope; a complex implementation is not automatically the right first step.
Can it support clinical-trial cost reporting?
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Project accounting and configured reporting can organise study costs and commitments. CRO accruals require reliable activity data, agreed estimates and review workflows; requirements may call for integrations or additional configuration.
Does NetSuite replace a LIMS, QMS or clinical-trial system?
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No. ERP primarily connects business operations and finance. Laboratory, quality and clinical systems have specialist responsibilities; integrations should move only the data needed for agreed business processes.
Does NetSuite guarantee GxP or 21 CFR Part 11 compliance?
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No. Applicability depends on intended use and the relevant records and processes. Your quality and regulatory experts must assess validation, access, audit trails, electronic signatures, procedures and change control. Software alone is not a compliance guarantee.
Can we start with finance and add commercial operations later?
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Yes, a phased approach can be appropriate. Plan data structures and integration boundaries early, then assess inventory, distribution and revenue requirements as commercialisation approaches. Modules and scope depend on your operating model.
Give your next growth stage a stronger foundation
Tell us where your programmes stand, which figures are hard to trust and which systems need to connect. We can discuss a realistic NetSuite scope and the responsibilities around it.