Oracle NetSuite unveils new AI tools for cloud ERP

Oracle NetSuite has introduced a new set of artificial intelligence tools for its cloud ERP platform, including features in NetSuite Next and updates to Ask Oracle.

The release adds AI Workspaces, AI portlets, SuiteSkills, industry-specific agents and SuiteAgent Studio, along with broader data access and business context for Ask Oracle.

The changes are intended to extend automation across finance and operations, while allowing customers to use NetSuite's own AI tools or connect external large language models through the NetSuite AI Connector Service.

Among the additions, SuiteSkills brings more than 45 new AI-driven functions to Ask Oracle and supported third-party models. These tools combine financial and operational information with process knowledge and sector expertise to help users investigate issues and act more quickly.

Examples include identifying the causes of delays in the financial close, spotting possible revenue leakage, and handling inventory and fulfilment exceptions. Access remains tied to existing user roles and permissions.

Workflow tools

AI portlets let users create dashboard analysis, charts and suggested actions through natural language requests. One example is a finance executive building a dashboard item comparing actual sales with projections in a marketing proposal.

AI Workspaces is designed to bring people, AI agents, information and approvals together in one place for more complex processes. One example is an Autonomous Close workspace, intended to help businesses move towards a zero-day close by addressing accounting issues throughout the period rather than at the end.

NetSuite is also adding SuiteFlow Agent to reduce manual workflow configuration. Administrators and advanced users can make natural language requests in Ask Oracle to create workflows, such as requiring purchase order numbers, making fields read-only, or displaying messages when certain business conditions apply.

Users are shown the proposed configuration before anything is created, allowing them to review and confirm the workflow.

Industry focus

The new industry-specific SuiteAgents are built for software, product, healthcare, construction and nonprofit organisations. They are intended to address sector-specific tasks including revenue and grant compliance, inventory management, supply risk and job profitability.

SuiteAgent Studio gives users tools to create their own AI agents and adjust instructions, tools, triggers and execution roles before activation. These user-created agents can run on schedules or respond to business events, subject to configured permissions and approval requirements.

A related management workspace has also been added to give organisations central oversight of those agents. It is intended to let teams manage access and execution permissions, monitor activity and switch agents on or off, while alerts flag execution issues and system notes provide a record of changes.

Ask Oracle expansion

The latest update also broadens the scope of Ask Oracle. New Ask Oracle Connectors are intended to let users work across NetSuite, other business applications and internet sources.

New Model Context Protocol client features will let users search online, compare information across supported systems, review records and documents, and carry out follow-up actions in connected applications where permissions allow. Those actions could include routing an approval, updating an order or placing a payment on hold.

NetSuite Analytics Warehouse has also been renamed NetSuite Data Intelligence. Under the new name, the product adds conversational analysis through the NetSuite Data Intelligence Agent in Ask Oracle and business-focused insights through what NetSuite calls the Deep Insights Agent.

Evan Goldberg, Founder and Executive Vice President at Oracle NetSuite, set out the company's position on how the software should be used. "Businesses want AI that understands how they operate and helps them get things done," said Goldberg. "Our vision is for a suite that understands business goals, anticipates what needs attention, and takes action to achieve results. It will coordinate work across people and agents, learn from outcomes, and continuously improve performance. With our latest AI capabilities, customers can automate more work, resolve issues faster, and stay in control of how AI operates. They can choose NetSuite's embedded AI or their preferred AI service."

The wider AI offering is supported by Oracle Autonomous AI Database, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Oracle AI services, while customer access and permitted actions continue to be governed through the platform's existing roles and permissions model.