Snapshot Tables
Understanding how NetSuite copies master data to transactions at creation time, and why changes to master records don't update existing transactions.
The Snapshot Pattern
THE SNAPSHOT PATTERN EXPLAINED
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
MASTER RECORD TRANSACTION
(Customer, Item, BOM) (Sales Order, Work Order, Invoice)
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ │ │ │
│ Address: 123 Main │ ─── COPIED AT ───▶ │ Address: 123 Main │
│ Price: $100 │ CREATION │ Price: $100 │
│ Terms: Net 30 │ │ Terms: Net 30 │
│ │ │ │
└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
│ │
▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
│ AFTER UPDATE: │ │ REMAINS UNCHANGED: │
│ │ │ │
│ Address: 999 New │ ─── NO SYNC ───X │ Address: 123 Main │
│ Price: $120 │ │ Price: $100 │
│ Terms: Net 15 │ │ Terms: Net 30 │
│ │ │ │
└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
The transaction keeps the ORIGINAL values as a legal/audit snapshot.
Why NetSuite Does This
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Legal Compliance | Invoices must reflect the address at time of sale |
| Audit Trail | Historical transactions must remain unchanged for auditors |
| Financial Accuracy | Prices and exchange rates locked at transaction date |
| Tax Compliance | Tax calculations based on original jurisdiction |
Key Concept: Reference vs Copy
| Behavior | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reference | Points to master record, updates automatically | Customer name on open transactions |
| Copy/Snapshot | Duplicates data at creation, never updates | Shipping address on saved transactions |
What Gets Snapshotted?
| Category | Master Source | Transaction Snapshot | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addresses | Customer/Vendor Addressbook | TransactionShippingAddress, TransactionBillingAddress | Address Tables |
| BOM Components | AssemblyItemMember, BomRevisionComponentMember | Work Order TransactionLine | BOM Tables |
| Prices & Rates | ItemPrice, CurrencyRate | TransactionLine.rate, Transaction.exchangerate | Other Snapshots |
| Terms & Settings | Customer.terms, Item defaults | Transaction.terms, Line defaults | Other Snapshots |
Common Questions
"Why doesn't my invoice show the updated customer address?"
When you create a Sales Order, the customer's address is copied to the transaction. If you later update the customer's address, the Sales Order keeps the original. When you create an Invoice from that Sales Order, it inherits the SO's snapshot - not the current customer address.
→ See Address Tables for details
"Why didn't my Work Order update when I changed the BOM?"
When a Work Order is created, components from the BOM are copied to the Work Order's line items. Changes to the BOM after Work Order creation don't affect existing Work Orders.
→ See BOM Tables for details
"Why is the old price showing on my transaction?"
The item's price at the time of transaction creation is copied to the transaction line. Price changes don't retroactively update existing transactions.
→ See Other Snapshots for details
Section Overview
| Page | Content |
|---|---|
| Address Tables | Entity addresses vs transaction addresses, query examples |
| BOM Tables | Assembly components vs work order components |
| Other Snapshots | Prices, exchange rates, terms, and other snapshotted fields |
Quick Tip: Identifying Snapshot Issues
If transaction data doesn't match master data, ask:
- When was the transaction created? - Data reflects that point in time
- When was the master record updated? - Changes after creation won't sync
- Is it referencing or copying? - Check if field is a snapshot type
-- Compare current customer address vs transaction address
SELECT
t.tranid,
t.trandate,
-- Transaction snapshot
tsa.addr1 AS transaction_address,
-- Current customer default
ea.addr1 AS current_customer_address,
CASE WHEN tsa.addr1 != ea.addr1 THEN 'DIFFERS' ELSE 'SAME' END AS status
FROM Transaction t
INNER JOIN Customer c ON c.id = t.entity
LEFT JOIN TransactionShippingAddress tsa ON tsa.nkey = t.shippingaddress
LEFT JOIN CustomerAddressbook cab ON cab.entity = c.id AND cab.defaultshipping = 'T'
LEFT JOIN EntityAddress ea ON ea.nkey = cab.addressbookaddress
WHERE t.type = 'SalesOrd'