Netsuite
Miranda F, Finance Executive
What is the average expenditure with raw material suppliers for R&D between year N1 and N2?
This is a common request in finance and operations. NetSuite can answer it, but only if you know how to set up the right saved search. Here’s how to do it step by step, why it’s complex, and how AskPiston provides the same answer instantly.
NetSuite method
You need a transaction saved search.
1. Create a new search
Go to Reports > Saved Searches > New > Transaction
2. Add filters (criteria tab)
Type → Vendor Bill (or Purchase Order if you want commitments)
Vendor: Category → Raw Material Suppliers
Department or Class → R&D
Date → between N1 and N2
3. Add results (columns tab)
Amount → Summary type: Sum (total spend)
Period (Month/Year) → Summary type: Group
4. Calculate average
Add Amount again → Summary type: Average (transaction-level average)
For average per period, group totals by fiscal period and calculate manually, often in Excel
5. Save as Avg Expenditure Raw Materials R&D
Why this is complicated in NetSuite
Vendors must be properly categorized as raw material suppliers
R&D must be consistently tagged in transactions
Average in NetSuite is per transaction, not per fiscal year
Teams often export to Excel for correct yearly averages
A question that should take 30 seconds usually takes 20–30 minutes, even for experts.
The AskPiston alternative
With AskPiston you don’t need saved searches, filters, or exports.
You simply ask:
“What is the average expenditure with raw material suppliers for R&D between 2020 and 2024?”
AskPiston instantly returns:
The correct average spend
A year by year chart
A list of suppliers included in the calculation
Time to answer: less than 5 seconds.
Saved Search
NetSuite
5 to 10 filters, summary fields, grouping
20 to 30 minutes to answer
High risk of error (transaction vs period confusion)
Accessible by ERP experts only
Conclusion
If you need to calculate average expenditure with raw material suppliers for R&D in NetSuite, the saved search method works but it is time consuming, complex, and error prone.
With AskPiston, you get the answer instantly in natural language, with graphs and supplier details.
