If you’ve been running MYOB Greentree for years, chances are it’s been a solid workhorse for your business, especially if you're in manufacturing, distribution, or services. But as your business grows, expands geographically, or simply adapts to more modern, agile ways of working, you might be feeling the limits of an ageing on-premise system. That’s where NetSuite, a cloud-based ERP designed for scale and flexibility, comes in.
MYOB Greentree and NetSuite offer similar functionalities across various modules. However, when businesses consider investing in a cloud-based ERP, NetSuite is more frequently shortlisted. This trend is due to companies moving away from MYOB Greentree, with new adoptions occurring only if they are acquired by or belong to an existing MYOB Greentree site. Additionally, MYOB has stopped actively marketing or selling MYOB Greentree to new customers in New Zealand.
In this blog, we’ll explore what’s involved in migrating from MYOB Greentree to NetSuite, highlight the key differences, and explain why many New Zealand businesses are making the switch.
Why Businesses Migrate from Greentree
MYOB Greentree was built with a lot of flexibility and depth, particularly for local industries. But let’s be honest: it’s not a modern system anymore.
Common signs it might be time to move on:
- Your team needs remote access or hybrid working capabilities, but MYOB Greentree is still locked behind your office VPN.
- You’re dealing with version control headaches and manual costly upgrades.
- Customisations are holding you back from upgrading.
- You're relying on spreadsheets and bolt-ons for key reports or workflows.
MYOB Greentree’s architecture is based on older technology that’s hard to scale, and even harder to integrate with newer tools. NetSuite, on the other hand, was built for the cloud and has thousands of businesses globally using it to streamline operations.
Greentree vs NetSuite: How Do They Compare?
| Feature | MYOB Greentree | NetSuite |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | On-premise: MYOB Greentree is traditionally installed on your company’s own server infrastructure, managed and maintained by your IT team or hosting provider. This setup gives you direct control but requires ongoing investments in hardware, security, backups, and IT support, and may limit remote access and flexibility as business needs evolve. | True cloud (SaaS): With NetSuite, your ERP is delivered as a fully managed, subscription-based service hosted in state-of-the-art Oracle data centres. This eliminates the need for local infrastructure and lets you deploy, scale, and access the platform from anywhere, with all maintenance, upgrades, and security handled by Oracle. |
| Upgrades | Manual, often disruptive and costly: Upgrading MYOB Greentree is typically a planned IT project, involving downtime, consulting costs, testing, and careful migration of customisations (which sometimes break in the process). Each version upgrade often requires time-consuming effort and resource juggling from both IT staff and business users. | Automatic (twice yearly), customisations preserved: NetSuite introduces seamless, biannual upgrades at no additional cost, with system enhancements and security improvements delivered directly to your environment. All customisations and integrations are automatically preserved, minimising disruption while keeping your business on the latest technology and compliance standards. |
| Access | Office-bound or via remote desktop: MYOB Greentree access is mainly office-based, or requires complex remote desktop or VPN solutions. This can create barriers for remote work or teams operating across multiple locations, and introduces ongoing IT support demand. | Access from anywhere via browser or via mobile app: NetSuite provides secure, browser-based and mobile app access as standard, empowering users to work from the office, home, or while on the go. All you need is a connection—no VPN, no remote desktop, just instant access to real-time business data across devices. |
| User Experience | Dated UI: Greentree’s interface reflects legacy design, making it less intuitive for today’s workforce and often requiring more training or support for new users. | Modern, intuitive interface: NetSuite offers a contemporary web-based UI, designed for efficiency and personal productivity. Features like personal dashboards, global search, and user-based workflows create a streamlined, engaging experience for everyone in your business. |
| Multi-Entity, Multi-Currency, Multi-Language | MYOB Greentree delivers multi-entity and multi-currency features but lacks support for multi-language environments. In addition, foreign currency exchange rates must be manually entered and maintained, increasing administrative overhead—particularly for organisations operating internationally or handling consolidated reporting. Each company in Greentree functions as an independent entity. | NetSuite is purpose-built for global operations, delivering native multi-subsidiary, multi-currency, and multi-language support. Real-time automated exchange rates, built-in tax compliance for each locale, and comprehensive localisation features streamline the management of international subsidiaries, group reporting, and consolidated accounts. Foreign currency revaluation is seamlessly integrated into standard month-end processes, enabling effortless recognition of unrealised gains and losses. NetSuite lets subsidiaries share core data such as chart of accounts and item records, promoting consistency and efficient consolidation across entities. |
| Reporting & Analytics | Qlik Reports / Excel exports: MYOB Greentree users often rely on external reporting tools, batch jobs, or manual Excel exports for analysis—adding extra steps, delays, and often siloed data. Deep business intelligence requires bolt-ons or significant custom effort. | Real-time dashboards, saved searches, SuiteAnalytics: NetSuite delivers built-in, real-time analytics and dashboards, empowering users to generate and interact with insights instantly without leaving the ERP. SuiteAnalytics and saved searches provide dynamic, self-service reporting tailored by role, making decision-making fast and data-driven. |
| Customisation | Code-heavy, Limited flexibility: Customising Greentree usually means engaging developers to work in proprietary code (Jade), increasing cost, timeline, and technical risk. Updates to customisations may complicate future upgrades. | Point-and-click workflows, SuiteScript, SuiteBuilder: NetSuite enables business users to customise processes, workflows, forms, and fields through configuration—not code. For deeper needs, SuiteScript and SuiteBuilder offer developers scalable ways to extend functionality, all while maintaining system integrity through upgrades. |
| Integrations | Full Access API available, additional cost: Greentree offers integration via APIs, but setup and support typically require additional investment, technical expertise, and partner involvement, complicating ecosystem connectivity. | Native API, SuiteTalk, SuiteFlow: NetSuite provides robust, out-of-the-box integration options, including SuiteTalk (SOAP & REST APIs), SuiteFlow (workflow automation), and access to hundreds of certified SuiteApps. This accelerates integrations with CRMs, ecommerce, WMS, and industry platforms—reducing friction and costs. |
| Support & Ecosystem | Dependent on local partner: MYOB Greentree users rely on their partner’s support resources and update cycles, which may be slower or more variable depending on provider capacity and focus. |
Global support, large partner network, SuiteApp marketplace: NetSuite customers benefit from a large dedicated partner network, access to extensive support resources with SuiteAnswers, and the SuiteApp marketplace, ensuring you have both local and international expertise and innovation at your fingertips. |
NetSuite vs MYOB Greentree - vertical industries
NetSuite’s core industries include:
- Wholesale and Distribution
- Manufacturing
- Services and Professional Services
- Retail and e-commerce
- Non-profits
- Advertising, media, and publishing
- Technology and Software
- Financial Services which include businesses just wanting a replacement Financial Solution
NetSuite provides various versions tailored for specific micro-verticals, such as veterinary, apparel, footwear and accessories, restaurants, food and beverage manufacturing, health and beauty, among others. These micro verticals gain from a wide array of SuiteApps, which are specifically designed to enhance NetSuite's capabilities.
Similarly, MYOB Greentree serves clients across diverse industries. It allows customers to develop industry-specific functionalities through its ‘Customisation Framework’, a platform for customisation. This platform utilises a proprietary programming language called Jade, developed in New Zealand. While Jade is still supported by the Jade Software Corporation, potential MYOB Greentree users should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of creating, supporting, and managing customisations in a niche language that lacks a broad global presence.
Business Insights at Your Fingertips
Most ERP systems offer standard reports, but NetSuite goes a step further - right out of the box:
- 250+ pre-built reports
- Role-based dashboards
- Real-time KPIs
- Powerful global search (think Google for your ERP)
- Embedded AI functionality
- Saved searches and personalised reports
This means users don’t just view data, they interact with it. In contrast, MYOB Greentree typically relies on external tools like Qlik Reports or custom setups for similar insight, often requiring IT support or consulting time.
Financial Management: Depth and Flexibility
Both platforms deliver core financial functions - GL, AR/AP, tax, and fixed assets - but NetSuite stands out for its modern architecture and breadth of features.
NetSuite includes advanced capabilities like:
- Multi-book accounting: Keep parallel books for different compliance needs and tax.
- Deferred revenue and recurring billing: Ideal for SaaS and subscription-based models.
- Intercompany and currency management: Seamlessly manage multi-entity structures.
- Custom GL segments and transaction types: Add granularity and context to financial data.
With MYOB Greentree, similar capabilities often require manual workarounds, custom coding, or add-ons that increase complexity and cost.
Ready for International Growth
MYOB Greentree was designed for the ANZ market. While it works well locally, it lacks essential tools for global operations:
- No multi-language support
- Currency revaluations must be done manually
- Limited tax localisations beyond Australia, NZ, and the UK
NetSuite, by comparison, is built for international scale:
- Supports 27 languages
- 190+ currencies
- Tax and compliance localisations for 200+ countries
- Real-time consolidation and currency revaluation
Without these capabilities, MYOB Greentree users often rely on spreadsheets for global reporting - adding risk, complexity, and potential for error.
Built-In Intelligence – Not an Afterthought
Traditional ERP systems require bolt-on tools for dashboards and analytics. NetSuite comes with business intelligence at its core, designed for self-service:
- 250+ prebuilt reports and KPIs tailored by role and industry
- SuiteSuccess editions to accelerate implementation and adoption
- Point-and-click configuration for dashboards, workflows, and custom fields
This helps teams move faster and make better decisions, without waiting for IT.
A Platform That Scales With You
NetSuite’s modular, cloud-native design means:
- You only pay for what you use
- It's easy to expand to new entities or geographies
- Upgrades happen automatically—no disruption
- You benefit from continuous innovation
This translates to a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and faster ROI compared to legacy platforms like MYOB Greentree.
Benefits of Migrating to NetSuite
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Real-Time Visibility.With NetSuite, everything happens in real time—from orders and financials to inventory and reporting. No more waiting or exporting to Excel.
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Scalable Growth.Whether you’re opening new locations, entering new markets, or adding new subsidiaries, NetSuite is built to grow with you, without the need for patchy bolt-ons.
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Anywhere, Anytime Access.Teams can work from anywhere with a browser. No more clunky VPNs or worrying about which version of the software someone’s using.
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Fewer Silos, More Automation.Say goodbye to disconnected tools and manual double handling. NetSuite centralises your data and automates workflows across departments.
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Regular Updates, Without Disruption. NetSuite delivers two major upgrades per year, and your customisations are carried forward, no heavy lifting required from your IT team.
Migration: What to Expect
Moving from Greentree to NetSuite isn’t just a data migration, it’s a business transformation. That’s why choosing the right partner, like Project Salsa, is key to a smooth transition.
A typical migration journey looks like this:
- Alignment & Solution Design
Begin with a comprehensive review of your existing MYOB Greentree environment—detailing current processes, workflows, modules, and any customisations or third-party integrations. Engage stakeholders from finance, operations, and IT to capture business goals and drivers for change, such as the desire for real-time access, automation, or global scalability. Collaboratively establish a vision for your new NetSuite solution, mapping out how current pain points can be addressed and processes improved in the cloud. - Data Migration & Cleanup
Next, focus on the preparation, cleansing, and transfer of data from Greentree to NetSuite. This step involves reconciling historical records, removing duplicates, correcting errors, and ensuring accurate mapping of all relevant fields. The migration isn’t simply technical—it’s an opportunity to streamline the dataset, eliminate legacy clutter, and ensure the new ERP starts with consistent, reliable information. - Configuration & Customisation
Configure NetSuite to reflect your business structure, reporting relationships, and operational needs. Set up your chart of accounts, user roles, hierarchies, workflows, dashboards, and reporting preferences. Customise key business processes using NetSuite’s no-code/low-code tools to replicate or enhance Greentree customisations—delivering an experience that's tailored to your exact needs and ready for future updates. - Training & Change Management
Empower your teams with targeted, practical training—delivered by role and process—to drive adoption and confidence in the new system. Use a mix of in-system guided tours, workshops, and Q&A sessions, ensuring users understand not only new workflows but also the “why” behind changes. Proactive change management fosters enthusiasm and helps troubleshoot issues before go-live. - Go-Live & Support
The transition culminates in a coordinated go-live event, including a final migration of transactional data and a careful cutover to NetSuite. Post-launch, you'll receive ongoing support from your NetSuite partner to help resolve issues, optimise user adoption, and fine-tune configurations. Continuous support ensures your team remains productive, and your business realises the full benefits of a unified, cloud-based ERP—now and into the future.
Is It Worth It?
In short - yes. Businesses that migrate from MYOB Greentree to NetSuite often report:
- Reduced IT costs and complexity
- Faster financial close times
- Greater confidence in their data
- More agile decision-making
- Future-proofing against obsolescence
NetSuite isn’t just a new ERP or a replacement, it’s an upgrade and a new way of running your business.
Considering a migration from Greentree to NetSuite?
MYOB Greentree has been a solid ERP choice for many New Zealand and Australian businesses. But as the pace of change accelerates and global demands grow, more organisations are finding that NetSuite better supports their future.
If your business has outgrown MYOB Greentree, or if you’re simply tired of managing on-premise software and costly upgrades, it might be time to explore your options.
Talk to us, we’ve helped many businesses in New Zealand transition from MYOB Greentree to NetSuite, and we can help guide your decision with real-world advice, not just software sales talk. Let’s chat about your next step.
Migration Checklist: Moving from MYOB Greentree to NetSuite
| Phase | Key Tasks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Initial Discovery | Define business goals and drivers for change | E.g. cloud access, scalability, automation |
| Identify current Greentree modules in use | Finance, Payroll, Job Costing, etc. | |
| Audit customisations and integrations | Important for scoping and mapping to NetSuite equivalents | |
| 2. Partner Selection | Choose a certified NetSuite Solution Provider like Project Salsa | Look for experience migrating from MYOB Greentree |
| Request demos and case studies | Preferably with similar-sized ANZ businesses | |
| 3. Solution Design | Map current workflows to NetSuite | Involve key users to reduce resistance |
| Design NetSuite setup: entities, chart of accounts, roles | Consider opportunities to improve structure | |
| 4. Data Migration | Clean historical data (customers, vendors, transactions) | Remove duplicates, correct errors |
| Map data fields from Greentree to NetSuite | Ensure data integrity during import | |
| 5. Configuration & Customisation | Set up reports, dashboards, workflows | Leverage SuiteSuccess where relevant |
| Replace or redesign Greentree customisations | Aim for configuration > custom coding | |
| 6. User Training & UAT | Train teams on NetSuite processes | Use role-based training sessions |
| Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) | Validate processes with key business users | |
| 7. Go Live | Final data load and cutover | Plan for minimal disruption |
| Set up support channels and super users | Ensure availability post go-live | |
| 8. Post Go-Live Support | Monitor performance, usage, adoption | Review user feedback and refine processes |
| Plan next phases: advanced modules, automation | Think about WMS, CRM, PSA, etc. |
