Project Setup
Complete guide to creating and configuring projects in NetSuite.
Creating a Project
Manual Creation
CREATE NEW PROJECT
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Navigation: Lists > Relationships > Projects > New
Step 1: Primary Information
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Project Name: Website Redesign Project │
│ Project ID: PRJ-00125 │
│ Customer: ABC Company Inc. │
│ Parent Project: (None) │
│ │
│ Project Manager: John Smith │
│ Status: In Progress │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 2: Dates
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Start Date: 01/15/2026 │
│ Calculated End: (Auto-calculated from tasks) │
│ Projected End: 03/31/2026 │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 3: Billing
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Billing Type: Time and Materials │
│ Subsidiary: Parent Company │
│ Currency: USD │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Project Header Fields
Primary Information
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Project Name | Descriptive project name | Yes |
| Project ID | Auto-generated or custom | No |
| Customer | Customer/client | Yes |
| Parent Project | Parent for sub-projects | No |
| Project Manager | Assigned manager | No |
| Status | Current project status | Yes |
Dates
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Start Date | Project start date |
| Calculated End | Auto-calculated from tasks |
| Projected End | Manual projected completion |
| Actual End | Date project completed |
Billing Settings
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Billing Type | T&M, Fixed Price, Milestone |
| Subsidiary | For OneWorld accounts |
| Currency | Transaction currency |
| Terms | Payment terms |
Project Templates
Creating a Template
CREATE PROJECT TEMPLATE
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Navigation: Lists > Relationships > Project Templates > New
Template includes:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Template Name: Standard Implementation │
│ │
│ Pre-configured: │
│ ✓ Task structure │
│ ✓ Task dependencies │
│ ✓ Planned hours per task │
│ ✓ Default billing type │
│ ✓ Charge rules │
│ ✓ Revenue recognition rules │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Creating Template from Existing Project
SAVE AS TEMPLATE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Open existing project record
2. Click "Save as Template" button
3. Configure template settings:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Template Name: Based on PRJ-00125 │
│ │
│ Include in Template: │
│ ☑ Project Tasks │
│ ☑ Task Dependencies │
│ ☑ Planned Work │
│ ☑ Charge Rules │
│ ☐ Resource Assignments (usually exclude) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Using a Template
CREATE PROJECT FROM TEMPLATE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Create new project
2. In "Project Template" field, select template
3. Template elements are copied:
• Tasks and structure
• Dependencies
• Planned hours
• Charge rules
4. Customize for specific project:
• Update dates
• Assign resources
• Adjust project-specific details
Billing Types
Time and Materials
TIME AND MATERIALS PROJECT
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Bill based on:
• Actual hours worked × billing rate
• Expenses incurred (with optional markup)
Configuration:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Billing Type: Time and Materials │
│ │
│ Charge Rules: │
│ ✓ Time-based charges │
│ ✓ Expense-based charges │
│ │
│ Billing Rates: │
│ Use billing rate cards or resource rates │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Fixed Price
FIXED PRICE PROJECT
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Bill fixed amount regardless of actual effort
Configuration:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Billing Type: Fixed Price │
│ │
│ Fixed Amount: $50,000 │
│ │
│ Charge Rules: │
│ ✓ Fixed fee charges (scheduled or % complete) │
│ │
│ Revenue Recognition: │
│ Based on percent complete │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Fixed Bid, Milestone
MILESTONE-BASED PROJECT
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Bill at milestone completion
Configuration:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Billing Type: Fixed Bid, Milestone │
│ │
│ Billing Schedule: │
│ Milestone 1: Requirements Complete 20% ($10,000) │
│ Milestone 2: Development Complete 40% ($20,000) │
│ Milestone 3: Testing Complete 25% ($12,500) │
│ Milestone 4: Go-Live 15% ($7,500) │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Total: 100% ($50,000) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Classification Fields
Standard Classifications
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Department | Project department |
| Class | Project classification |
| Location | Project location |
Custom Segments
| Field | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Project Type | Implementation, Support, etc. |
| Region | Geographic region |
| Practice Area | Service line |
Project Subtabs
Key Subtabs
| Subtab | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Tasks | Define project tasks |
| Resources | Allocate team members |
| Financials | Budgets and actuals |
| Time | Time entries |
| Expenses | Expense reports |
| Charges | Generated charges |
| Billing | Invoices |
Project Status
Status Options
| Status | Description | Billable |
|---|---|---|
| Proposed | Planning phase | No |
| In Progress | Active execution | Yes |
| On Hold | Temporarily paused | Depends |
| Completed | Project finished | Final billing |
| Cancelled | Project cancelled | No |
Changing Status
STATUS CHANGE IMPACT
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Status: In Progress → Completed
System validates:
✓ All time entries approved
✓ All expenses approved
✓ All charges billed (optional)
Impacts:
• No new time can be entered
• Project marked for close
• Final billing triggered (if configured)
Best Practices
Project Setup
| Practice | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Naming | Use consistent naming convention |
| Templates | Create templates for recurring projects |
| Structure | Define task hierarchy before starting |
| Budgets | Set budgets at creation |
| Resources | Plan resource needs upfront |
Common Issues
| Issue | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Can't select customer | Customer inactive | Activate customer |
| Template not available | Template inactive | Activate template |
| Wrong subsidiary | Mismatch with customer | Match subsidiaries |
| Missing manager | Employee not project resource | Add to project resources |
Related Topics
- Project Tasks - Task management
- Resource Allocation - Resource planning
- Charge Rules - Billing configuration