Complementing NetSuite with MHE-ready WMS integrations will ensure that the technology decisions you make today will positively impact your company’s competitiveness tomorrow.
Organizations are looking into material handling equipment (MHE) integration to gain operational efficiency. At the same time, they want to preserve their long-term growth investments in NetSuite, but the capabilities remain with what the ERP does best: finance and business management. Scaling fulfillment through MHE automation is a crucial stepping stone in transitioning from a perceived cost center to a strategic differentiator.
NetSuite meets modern warehouse operations
With NetSuite providing financial operations and Deposco powering an MHE-ready warehouse management system, your organization can activate the foundation to transform fulfillment network capabilities at scale. The traditional view of warehouses as mere cost centers has given way to a more strategic perspective—one where fulfillment operations directly impact customer satisfaction, inventory efficiency, and ultimately, business growth.
However, this evolution comes with significant challenges with NetSuite alone:
- Escalating fulfillment costs eroding margins
- Excessive inventory tying up capital
- Limited operational visibility hindering strategic decision-making
- Difficulty scaling operations without proportional cost increases
The warehouse maturity journey: where do you stand?
Before making investment decisions about MHE integration, it’s essential to understand your organization’s current warehouse maturity level. According to industry research highlighted in Deposco’s comprehensive guide, warehouse operations typically progress through five distinct maturity levels:
- Basic: Manual operations, minimal technology, paper-based processes
- Developing: Partially digitized operations, basic barcode scanning, limited automation
- Established: Digitized core processes, moderate automation, performance metrics
- Advanced: Highly optimized processes, significant automation, sophisticated orchestration
- Leading Edge: Highly automated, AI-driven optimization, predictive capabilities
How ready is your warehouse for MHE? Try our interactive warehouse maturity assessment.
The business case for NetSuite WMS MHE integrations
Integrating MHE into your warehouse operations isn’t just about following industry trends—it delivers measurable business benefits when properly implemented with modern warehouse management software like Deposco:
Inventory Optimization
- Reduce inventory carrying costs while maintaining service levels
- Accelerate inventory turns through automated, data-driven replenishment
- Improve space utilization through optimized storage solutions
Operational Efficiency
- Improve labor productivity through mechanized and automated workflows
- Scale fulfillment operations without proportional staff increases
- Significantly reduce errors in picking, packing, and shipping
- Decrease worker fatigue and injury risks
Business Growth Enablement
- Increase throughput capacity to handle higher order volumes
- Enhance your ability to meet customer expectations for faster delivery
- Flex to support multiple fulfillment channels without operational bottlenecks
When is the right time to invest in MHE?
One of the most critical questions facing supply chain leaders is: When should we expand into automation and MHE? Is there a volume threshold to monitor? Which technologies—conveyors, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), cobots, autobaggers, or something else—will best serve our product assortment and how will it all work with our NetSuite environment?
The answers depend on multiple factors unique to your business, but there are key indicators that suggest you’re ready to consider NetSuite WMS MHE integration:
Performance Indicators
- Labor costs exceeding industry benchmarks as a percentage of fulfillment expenses
- Significant overtime expenses during peak periods
- Error rates impacting customer satisfaction and profitability
- Inability to meet competitive delivery timeframes with current processes
- Increasing worker compensation claims or safety incidents
Operational Triggers
- Order volumes consistently at 70-80% of manual process capacity
- Increasing complexity in order profiles (e.g., growing SKU count, channel diversity)
- Persistent challenges recruiting and retaining warehouse staff
- Physical space constraints limiting expansion of manual processes
- Seasonal spikes creating significant operational strain
MHE implementation with NetSuite
The phased approach
Rather than pursuing a “big bang” implementation, a phased approach to NetSuite WMS MHE adoption minimizes risk while delivering incremental value. This strategy ensures each stage delivers measurable results before proceeding to the next level of investment:
Phase 1: Foundation Building (3-6 months)
- Focus on operational stability, data accuracy, and process discipline
- Implement core WMS functionality for inventory management, receiving, picking, shipping
- Establish performance baselines for future comparison
- Identify high-impact areas for initial MHE deployment
Phase 2: Process Optimization (3-6 months after Phase 1)
- Implement advanced WMS features for wave management, order consolidation, demand forecasting
- Deploy performance analytics and KPI dashboards
- Extend technology through mobile deployment and voice enablement
- Prepare operational processes for MHE integration
Phase 3: MHE Introduction (6-12 months after Phase 2)
- Deploy targeted MHE in high-value areas (e.g., conveyors, vertical lift modules, pick-to-light)
- Establish integration between NetSuite and Deposco’s WMS with automation systems
- Develop hybrid workflows combining manual processes and mechanized equipment
- Monitor MHE ROI and identify optimization opportunities
Phase 4: Advanced Automation (6-12 months after Phase 3)
- Implement more sophisticated automation (e.g., AMRs, sorters, ASRS)
- Extend MHE footprint across your NetSuite operations
- Deploy advanced orchestration to coordinate human and machine workflows
- Implement predictive capabilities for forecasting and proactive adjustments
Common MHE selection pitfalls to avoid
As a NetSuite user, selecting and implementing material handling equipment requires careful planning to avoid costly mistakes. Here are key pitfalls to avoid:
Overbuying Equipment Capabilities
Implementing advanced automation before your operation is ready often results in underutilized equipment, operational complexity, and diminished ROI. Start with targeted MHE that addresses specific pain points and add more sophisticated systems incrementally as your processes mature.
Underestimating Complexity with NetSuite MHE Integration
Integration between your WMS, ERP (NetSuite), and MHE hardware can become a significant challenge. Prioritize WMS solutions like Deposco that offer pre-built MHE integrations and have proven experience connecting to various automation technologies.
Neglecting Workflow and User Experience
Even the most advanced equipment won’t deliver full value if your workflows aren’t optimized or if employees resist adoption. Involve frontline staff in equipment selection and redesign workflows to maximize the effectiveness of both human workers and machines.
Focusing on Technology Over Process Fundamentals
No amount of automation can fix fundamentally flawed processes. Before investing in MHE, ensure your operation has addressed basic process inefficiencies and established strong inventory management practices.
Overlooking Flexibility Requirements
Many operations invest in fixed infrastructure that becomes a limitation when business needs change. Prioritize flexible and modular WMS MHE solutions that can be reconfigured as your product mix, order profiles, and volume requirements evolve.
Integrated foundation for MHE success
NetSuite + Deposco
The combination of NetSuite and Deposco provides a powerful foundation for integrating material handling equipment into your warehouse management operations. NetSuite delivers the business backbone—maintaining inventory accuracy, providing enterprise-wide visibility, and supporting standard business processes. Deposco complements this with specialized fulfillment capabilities that manage everything from basic inventory to sophisticated automation orchestration.
This integration enables:
- Seamless communication between business systems and physical equipment
- Enhanced inventory visibility across all storage locations, including automated systems
- Streamlined fulfillment processes with coordinated handoffs between manual and automated steps
- Data-driven optimization of equipment utilization and workflow efficiency
Evaluating MHE-ready WMS solutions
When selecting a WMS that will support your long-term MHE strategy with NetSuite, look beyond immediate requirements to consider what you’ll need in the next two to five years. Key evaluation criteria include:
MHE Integration Capabilities
- Pre-built WMS integrations to common equipment types (conveyors, sorters, pick-to-light, etc.)
- Support for real-time communication with robotic systems
- Ability to manage both automated and manual processes in a unified workflow that communicates seamlessly with NetSuite systems
Technical Architecture
- Modular design that allows for incremental adoption of new technologies
- Open APIs that simplify integration with current and future equipment
- Configuration flexibility to adapt as processes evolve
Orchestration Capabilities
- Intelligent task allocation between human workers and automated systems
- Dynamic workload balancing across different fulfillment zones
- Exception handling that maintains throughput when disruptions occur
Emerging MHE technologies to consider
As you plan your NetSuite WMS material handling equipment strategy, several key technologies are worth considering based on your specific operational needs:
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
Applications: Goods-to-person picking, cart transport, case movement
Benefits: Flexibility, scalability, modest infrastructure requirements
Best for: Operations with changing layouts or workflows, organizations seeking incremental automation
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS)
Applications: Dense storage, high-throughput retrieval, buffer management
Benefits: Space efficiency, high throughput, inventory security
Best for: Operations with space constraints, high-value inventory, or fast-moving SKUs
Pick/Put-to-Light Systems
Applications: Order picking, sorting, put-away verification
Benefits: Accuracy improvement, productivity gains, training reduction
Best for: High-volume operations with many SKUs or complex picking requirements
Conveyor Systems
Applications: Transport between zones, routing to packing stations
Benefits: Consistent throughput, reduced walking, process standardization
Best for: Operations with predictable workflow paths and steady volume
Voice-Directed Technologies
Applications: Picking, cycle counting, receiving
Benefits: Hands-free operation, language flexibility, training efficiency
Best for: Operations with varying pick paths or complex product identification
Future-ready NetSuite WMS fulfillment operations
The warehouse of tomorrow requires technology decisions today that balance immediate operational needs with long-term flexibility. By understanding your warehouse maturity level, implementing a phased approach to MHE adoption, and selecting flexible technologies like Deposco that integrate seamlessly with NetSuite, you position your organization for sustainable growth and competitive differentiation.
Select solutions that allow you to start where you are. Address current pain points with targeted equipment—while providing a clear path to more advanced automation as your business evolves. This approach minimizes risk, accelerates ROI, and ensures your fulfillment operation remains an asset rather than a constraint as your business grows.
In a world where supply chain excellence increasingly differentiates market leaders from followers, organizations that successfully integrate MHE with NetSuite and flexible WMS systems create lasting operational advantages that directly impact the bottom line.
This article is based on industry research and expert insights from Deposco’s comprehensive MHE warehouse solutions guide: “Beyond the Basics: A Comprehensive Guide to Warehouse Management Maturity and Flexible Solutions.”
