1. Commerce
  2. SuiteCommerce InStore (SCIS)
  3. SCIS Administrator Guide
  4. Performance Management and Tips for SCIS
  5. Performance Tips using NetSuite Settings

Performance Tips using NetSuite Settings

These topics cover SuiteCommerce InStore (SCIS) performance adjustments to be made in NetSuite by users having an administrator role.

Searches

Forms

Images

Promotion and Payment Processing

Receipts

Searches

The following settings can boost performance when sales associates and other users perform a search in SCIS. The tips are helpful for all search types, including searches for items, customers and transactions.

Clear the option to Search for Transaction by Serial Number

This search option is disabled (cleared) by default. When enabled, the option expands the criteria for searching past transactions to include a transaction item’s lot number or serial number. However, it can slow your search performance.

This additional criteria is only needed if you usually locate transactions by serial item. If searching by serial item is not common in your stores, you should avoid enabling it. In addition to requiring extra resources for transaction searches, the option increases overhead when looking up items and customers.

To clear the Search for Transaction by Serial Number option:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types.

  3. Locate the SCIS Settings record and click List.

  4. Click Edit and open the Order subtab.

  5. If checked, clear the Search for Transaction by Serial Number box.

  6. Click Save.

Order Subtab Search for Transaction by Serial Number Checkbox

For more information, see SCIS Settings for Orders.

Require searching for Transactions Using Exact Match

Searching for a transaction using the default “global” search is the least efficient way to locate a transaction. A global search only needs the first few characters of the Transaction ID, such as the prefix, but the search can return too many results to make it useful during a customer transaction. An “exact match” search requires entering the complete Transaction ID, but it displays only the desired transaction. Although it takes additional effort to enter an entire ID, the user time saved by doing so can be significant.

In addition, the system time used for a global search is much greater than the system time used for an exact match search. The increased overhead incurred by global searches can affect performance for item and customer searches.

Guideline

Use your transaction volume as a guideline on whether to allow searching using a few characters or require entering the complete Transaction ID. The more transactions a NetSuite account has, the greater the overhead needed to search using only a few characters.

Alternatives to Transaction Searches

Regardless if a search uses global or exact match requirements, a typical search needs user time to enter the Transaction ID (partial or full), system time to locate the transaction, and user time to find the transaction within the results. The following methods can provide results faster than using searches:

  • If the transaction has a receipt, locate the transaction by scanning the receipt barcode.

  • If a transaction occurred recently, use the Transaction History.

To require that Transaction Searches use Exact Match:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types.

  3. Locate the SCIS Settings record and click List.

  4. Click Edit and open the Order subtab.

  5. Check the Search Transaction Using Exact Match box.

  6. Click Save.

    Order Subtab Search Transaction Using Exact Match Checkbox

For more information, see SCIS Settings for Orders.

Ensure Custom Searches are Efficient

Custom searches often use many resources and can slow your SCIS performance. For example, a custom search could provide too many results or display results that include details that you do not need. Ensure your custom searches only query the NetSuite backend for information that is essential to your needs. The more specific and unique a search is, the faster it can return results.

For more information, see Modifying Included Saved Searches. Also see Customizing the Configuration File.

Remove any Filters not needed in Customer Searches

You can lower the time required to search for customers by removing any search filters that are not needed for your business processes. For example, if you do not need to search for customers by their email or phone number, you can remove those filters. Keeping search filters at a minimum uses less system resources than searching using the full set of default filters.

You adjust filters by editing your account’s customConfiguration.js file. The following shows the default search filters included in SCIS:

                    //   searchFilters: [
      //       'fullname'
      // ,   'firstname'
      // ,   'lastname'
      // ,   'phone'
      // ,   'email'
   // ,   'companyname'
      // ],

To adjust Customer Search Filters:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Documents > Files > File cabinet.

  3. Locate the CustomConfiguration.js file. In the index on the left, drill down to:

    Web Site Hosting Files > Live Hosting Files > SSP Applications > NetSuite Inc. - POS > SuiteCommerce InStore

  4. Click Edit for the file and remove the search filter lines that are not needed.

  5. Save your changes.

Important:

Be certain to test performance before and after any changes to the CustomConfiguration.js file. These tests are especially important for custom Saved Searches that replace the default SCIS search architecture.

For more information, see Filters for Customer Search under Optional Settings in CustomConfiguration.js.

Forms

You can maintain performance by ensuring forms use as few resources as possible.

Keep Transaction and Entry Forms Minimal

SCIS installs a set of minimal forms for transactions and entries. If you need to create a custom form, start from a minimal form and only add essential fields. The more fields included on a form, the more likely it is that users will experience slower performance. Non-essential fields on a form create extra lag time because the application is waiting to write both essential and non-essential data to the database.

To ensure you use SCIS Minimal Forms:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types.

  3. Locate the SCIS Settings record and click List.

  4. Click Edit.

  5. Open the Other configurations subtab.

  6. Review that Transaction Forms and Entry Forms use the SCIS Minimal forms.

  7. Replace Standard forms with Minimal forms when available.

  8. If you need to modify a form for your business, duplicate the Minimal forms and use only the fields essential to your purpose.

  9. Click Save if you make changes.

    SCIS Minimal Forms setting

Images

Images are assets used in SCIS to illustrate your catalog and reflect your branding. Brand images can include your logo, receipt logo, wallpaper, pictures representing your sales associates, and so on. You can use image compression and image resizing to boost the performance of images in your setup.

Compress your Images

Use an image compressor when an image’s quality and detail are not critical. Compressed images tend to load faster due to their small file sizes. Good candidates for compression are item, brand, logo and wallpaper images, especially images that display on multiple pages.

If you have not compressed your images, we recommend that you do so. Using image compression should improve performance not only for SCIS, but for other channels where the images are used.

To compress item images for your catalog, we recommend using our NetSuite in-house image compressor. For other images, you must use a 3rd-party application. You can find free image compressors online through an internet search.

Note:

NetSuite’s compressor only affects images that are 500 kb or greater. You should use a 3rd-party application to compress images less than 500 kb.

To set up image compression for SCIS:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Commerce > Hosting > Website Hosting Files Setup > SuiteCommerce Advanced > Web Site Hosting Files.

  3. Click Edit next to the image folder to which you want to apply image compression.

  4. Click the Hosted Images Compression subtab.

  5. Select Compress All Website Images. This turns on image compression for all images in the folder that meet the criteria defined in SMT Image Compression.

  6. Select the image quality setting to use from the Compressed Image Quality dropdown. The options are:

    • Low (maximum compression) - minor reduction in quality

    • Standard - minor reduction in quality when images are zoomed

    • Optimum (recommended) – occasional minor reduction in quality when images are zoomed

    • Very High (minimum compression) - no noticeable reduction in quality at any time

    Note:

    Since the SCIS website is often only used internally, a Compressed Image Quality of Low (maximum compression) should be acceptable for most businesses.

  7. Select Strip Metadata to remove all metadata, such as camera details, caption, or copyright information, from the images. Doing this reduces the file size further.

  8. Select Chroma Subsampling to modify the image file in a way that reduces the color information in favor of luminance data. The human eye can detect differences in luminosity better than it can detect differences in color, so using chroma subsampling results in image files that look the same but are smaller in size. This is suitable only for digital images.

  9. Click Save.

When any image in this folder or any subfolders is accessed, the image compression parameters are applied. Image compression will be applied to any images added to the folder in the future as well.

For more information, see SMT Image Compression.

For more information, see SMT Image Compression.

Use Image Resizing aliases in the Web Site Setup record

Use image resizing from the website record used by SCIS to serve images in proportions appropriate for how you use the site.

For more information and a list of Size IDs, see Configuring Item Images for SCIS.

To verify your Image Resizing setup:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Commerce > Websites.

  3. Click Edit next to your SCIS website name.

  4. Open the Images subtab.

  5. Verify that Image Size ID, Minimum Width, and Maximum Width match the recommendations.

    To view the recommendations, see Configuring Item Images for SCIS.

Promotion and Payment Processing

These settings can increase performance when including promotional discounts in transactions and while processing payments via the PIN pad or other payment device. Also included are steps you can take to resolve out-of-date transactions.

Item Saved Search for Promotion Eligibility

When you use an item saved search to define item eligibility in SuitePromotions, the Saved Search Preferences subtab appears on the Promotion record. You can use these preferences to configure the way that the promotion handles saved searches.

For SCIS, using cached saved searches is the fastest method. Saved searches are cached periodically to update the items included. This caching ensures the data is retrieved quickly every time a promotion that uses saved searches is evaluated on a transaction.

You can select one of the following options for each promotion using an item saved search:

  • Use cached saved search – Provides better performance as results are returned faster whenever the promotion is applied to a transaction. This is the default behavior.

  • Run saved search each time the promotion is applied – Uses the most current version of the saved search possible, but results are slower to return.

Saved Search for Promotion Eligibility

To Manage Saved Search Performance on Promotions:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Lists > Marketing > Promotions > New.

  3. In the Item section, choose a search using the From Saved Search field.

  4. Open the Saved Search Preferences subtab that appears.

  5. Choose the desired saved search option.

  6. Complete the remaining promotion options and click Save.

For more information on setting this preference, see Saved Search Performance.

Customer Group Saved Search for Promotion Audience Eligibility

When you use a dynamic customer group to define audience eligibility in SuitePromotions, the Customer Group Preferences subtab appears on the Promotion record. You can use these preferences to configure how the customer group is handled when evaluating the promotion’s eligibility.

For SCIS, using cached customer groups provides the best performance. Caching ensures the data is retrieved quickly when a customer group is evaluated on a transaction.

You can select one of the following options for each promotion targeting dynamic customer groups:

  • Use cached customer group – Provides better performance as results are returned faster whenever the promotion is applied to a transaction. This is the default behavior.

  • Run customer group each time the promotion is applied – Uses the most current version of the customer group results possible, but results are slower to return.

Customer Group Preferences subtab on the Promotions record

To Manage Customer Group Performance on Promotions:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Lists > Marketing > Promotions > New.

  3. Open the Audience subtab.

  4. Select the Specific Customers option.

  5. Select the dynamic Customer Group to use.

  6. Open the Customer Group Preferences subtab that appears.

  7. Choose the desired customer group option.

  8. Complete the remaining promotion options and click Save.

For more information on setting this preference, see Saved Search Performance.

Auto-apply Promotions and SCIS

This NetSuite option automatically applies promotional discounts to items and transactions that meet your promotion criteria. If auto-apply is not enabled, the sales associate must manually add applicable promotions to a transaction. Manual tasks add user time.

However, the system time used to validate whether a promotion is applicable increases when auto-apply is enabled. Auto-apply can negatively affect the performance of every operation that triggers the system to search for promotions.

Guidelines for choosing to Auto-apply Promotions

  • Use Auto-apply Promotions if your account has a few promotions that are applicable to most of your transactions. This scenario reduces user time more than it increases system time.

    If you rarely offer promotions, then auto-apply will not have a significant impact on performance.

  • Do not use Auto-apply Promotions if your account has many promotions, especially if some promotions are rarely used because they are not applicable to most transactions.

Tip:

If you decide to use auto-apply, you should perform frequent reviews of your active promotions list. Inactivating promotions that are expired or no longer apply to your current item catalog can improve system performance.

Note:

The auto-apply option requires enabling the SuitePromotions feature.

To enable Auto-apply Promotions:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Setup > Company > Enable Features.

  3. Open the Transactions subtab.

  4. Scroll down to the Sales section.

  5. Check the SuitePromotions box.

  6. Check the Auto-apply Promotions box.

  7. Click Save.

Enable Auto-apply Promotions

For more information, see Promotions and Coupon Codes for SCIS.

Optimize EMV

This recommended payment setting can improve performance when shoppers use a credit or debit card to tender payment via the payment device, such as a PIN pad. The setting affects the type of records submitted to NetSuite. It also determines the point at which a shopper can begin interacting with the payment device.

  • With Optimize EMV – SCIS submits a Customer Payment and Invoice during the payment device priming process. A shopper can begin using the payment device after the Customer Payment portion saves. The Invoice saves next without affecting the shopper’s payment device activity.

  • Without Optimize EMV – Before the PIN can begin priming, SCIS must submit a Cash Sale to NetSuite. The shopper cannot use the payment device until the Cash Sale is saved. This process is the default EMV method.

The Optimize EMV method can be faster than the default EMV method because Customer Payments do not calculate taxes or typically run user event scripts.

Note:

EMV refers to the secure protocol used by payment gateway providers to safeguard credit and debit card information. On occasion, SCIS will use the term EMV to refer to the flow of events that route though a PIN pad or other payment device.

Warning:

Optimize EMV box changes the payment process. If you want to use this setting, enable it in your sandbox account first and perform tests using typical sales and return transactions.

Choosing whether to use Optimize EMV

The level of customization applied to your account’s Cash Sale and Customer Payment records can affect how the default and Optimize EMV methods perform in your stores. In most cases, the recommended Optimize EMV method is faster than the default.

To determine the best method for your business, you can run test transactions to compare performance when Optimize EMV is checked or cleared. Perform these tests after hours or in your sandbox.

  • Testing should include your entire EMV payment flow.

    Optimize EMV might prime the payment device faster than the default EMV, but it could be slower to accept the response and print the receipt.

  • Test using typical transactions that are common to your store.

    Some factors, such as the number of lines in a transaction, can impact whether Optimize EMV or the default EMV setup performs faster.

Important:

Test performance using typical transactions both with Optimize EMV enabled and with it disabled. Results can vary based on transaction complexity and the types of scripts running on the account.

To enable Optimize EMV:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types.

  3. Locate the SCIS Settings record and click List.

  4. Click Edit and open the Order subtab.

  5. Check the Optimize EMV box.

  6. Click Save.

    Enable Optimize EMV

For information, see Sales Transactions and review the short topics on Invoices and Optimize EMV Enabled Sales Transactions.

Disable Bill Costs to Customers Feature

The Bill Costs to Customers feature creates additional sublists on cash sale transactions, and can slow your SCIS performance. Disabling the feature can improve performance.

To disable Bill Costs to Customers:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Setup > Company > Enable Features.

  3. Open the Transactions subtab.

  4. Under the Billing section, clear the Bill Costs to Customers check box.

  5. Click Save.

    Disable Bill Costs to Customers

For more information, see Enabling Features.

Cancel or Close Out-of-Date Open/Tendering Transactions

This performance tip is a maintenance task, not a setting to enable or disable. The tip is to cancel or close older transactions that have a POS Status of Open or Tendering. Whether to cancel or close an out-of-date transaction depends on your internal business processes.

To Find and Cancel or Close Transactions:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Transactions > Management > Search transactions.

  3. For POS Status, select any of and then Open and Tendering.

    Find and Cancel or Close Transactions

  4. Click Submit.

  5. Review the list for transaction eligible to close or cancel.

    For example, sort the list by Type and look for Invoice.

  6. Click Edit by the transaction to review.

  7. Open the Custom subtab.

  8. Change the Transaction record’s POS Status to Closed or Cancelled.

    Change Transaction Record POS Status

  9. Click Save.

  10. Review the next transaction as desired.

You might want to filter the search criteria to ensure only the desired transactions display. For example, to avoid closing transactions that should remain open for now, you can include a Date filter, such as for transactions created more than three days ago.

Date Filter for Transaction

For more information, see Sales Transactions and Saved Searches.

Receipts

The following settings improve performance by reducing the number of tasks sales associates perform at the end of a sale or return.

Auto-Print Receipts

If your store defaults to printing a receipt for every transaction, you can enable Auto-Print to automatically print the receipt when a transaction is complete. This option saves user time and prevents sales associates from forgetting to provide customers with their receipt.

To enable Auto-Print Receipts:

  1. Log into NetSuite as an administrator.

  2. Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Record Types.

  3. Locate the SCIS Settings record and click List.

  4. Click Edit and open the Printing subtab.

  5. Check the Auto-Print Sales Receipts box.

  6. Check the Auto-Print Return Receipts box.

  7. Click Save.

    Enable Auto-Print Receipts

For more information, see Setting Up Receipt Printers for SCIS.

Related Topics

Performance Management and Tips for SCIS
Application Performance Management (APM) for SCIS
Performance Tips for using SCIS POS Devices
Performance Tips for Network Resources
Performance Tips for Scripts and Workflows
Performance Tips for using Third-Party SuiteApps

General Notices