How do I upload a budget to NetSuite from Excel?

Insert the Finsyte Budget template from Record Edit, set the subsidiary, years and budget category, and choose Load Accounts. Enter the amounts in the yellow cells and choose Upload Budget. The budget is saved in NetSuite’s own budget records.

Can I create a new budget, not just edit one?

Yes. If no budget exists for the parameters you choose, the budget columns come in blank. Type the amounts and upload, and the budget is created in NetSuite.

Can I see actuals while I build the budget?

Yes. The template puts an actual column for the period range you choose beside twelve monthly budget columns, so last year’s numbers sit next to the cells you are filling in.

Can I budget by department, class or location?

Yes. Set Department, Class, Location, Item or Customer/Project in the parameters to work on that slice of the budget. Budgets are entered one subsidiary at a time, and NetSuite budgets don’t use custom segments.

Can I build a rolling forecast?

Yes. Keep the annual budget and each quarter’s forecast in budget categories of their own. As each quarter closes, load its actuals beside the next forecast, adjust it in Excel and upload it to that category. Our blog walks through a rolling quarterly forecast step by step.

Do I need NetSuite Planning and Budgeting?

No. The Budget template works with the budgets already in NetSuite and needs no extra NetSuite modules. For teams that prefer to plan in Excel, it’s a simpler option.

Budgets

NetSuite Budgets in Excel

Build next year’s budget in Excel with this year’s actuals beside it, then upload it to NetSuite’s own budget records in one step.

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What It Does

A budget workbook that writes back to NetSuite

The Finsyte Budget template loads your accounts with actuals and budget side by side. Type the new amounts in the yellow cells and choose Upload Budget: the budget is saved in NetSuite’s own budget records, ready for every report that reads them.

Actuals for the period range you pick, beside twelve monthly budget columns
Create a new budget or revise an existing one, in any budget category
Income and expense, balance sheet, or all accounts: you choose which to load
Validate Sheet flags missing or invalid values before you upload
A Review Budget in NetSuite link to confirm the upload

How It Works

From a blank sheet to a NetSuite budget in four steps

Insert the template
On the Finsyte ribbon, choose Record Edit › Budget. A BudgetUpload sheet opens with its parameters at the top.
Set actuals and budget
Pick the subsidiary, then the fiscal year and range for actuals and the fiscal year and budget category for the budget.
Load accounts and edit
Load Accounts brings in the accounts you choose. Type or calculate the new amounts in the yellow cells.
Upload and review
Upload Budget sends the budget to NetSuite, and Review Budget in NetSuite opens it there.

In the docs: Budget Template

Build, Revise and Review

Budget in Excel, and keep NetSuite the system of record

The Budget template is a worksheet with two sets of parameters: one for the actual column and one for the budget. Everything you type into the budget columns goes back to the NetSuite budget those parameters name.

Start next year from this year’s actuals

Set the actual column to the current fiscal year to date and the budget column to next year. Each account shows what it did beside twelve monthly cells, so you can build the budget with Excel formulas: grow last year by a rate, spread an annual number across the months, or carry a run rate forward. When no budget exists yet for those parameters, the budget columns come in blank, and the upload creates the budget in NetSuite.

Revise an existing budget

When the budget already exists, Load Accounts brings its amounts in. Change any yellow cell and upload. Download Budget refreshes the sheet with the latest amounts from NetSuite, and an upload with nothing changed since the last download or upload sends nothing.

Any budget category, any set of accounts

Budget Category picks which NetSuite budget you are working on, such as the annual budget or a forecast. Load Accounts can bring in income and expense accounts, income or expense alone, balance sheet accounts, or all of them.

Build a rolling forecast

Give the annual budget and each quarter’s forecast a budget category of their own. As each quarter closes, load its actuals beside the next quarter’s forecast, adjust the numbers in Excel, and upload to that forecast’s category. The full walkthrough, from setting up the categories to pushing each forecast back to NetSuite, is in how to build a rolling quarterly forecast model in Excel.

By department, class or location

Item, Class, Department, Location and Customer/Project narrow the budget to one slice of the business. A blank segment means the budget with no segment, the way NetSuite stores it, so leaving Department blank doesn’t roll every department together. Budgets are entered one subsidiary at a time, and NetSuite budgets don’t use custom segments.

Catch problems before NetSuite does

Validate Sheet marks any missing or invalid value in red, with a note that explains it. If an upload is rejected, Finsyte marks the cells NetSuite objected to in the same way, and a successful upload clears every mark.

Compare against plan all year

Once the budget is in NetSuite, the budget vs actual template reads it back next to actuals, and so do the BudgetAccountBalance and BudgetAccountNetIncome functions in any report you build. Right-click a budget amount and choose Go To Budget to open that budget in NetSuite.

No extra planning module

The template works with the budgets already in NetSuite, through Finsyte’s connection, and needs no extra NetSuite modules. For teams that prefer to plan in Excel, it’s a simpler option alongside NetSuite Planning and Budgeting.

Questions?