NetSuite Technical Debt Audit Checklist

Complete the full audit before beginning remediation. Starting remediation mid-audit introduces the risk of addressing symptoms before understanding the full scope.

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Pre-Audit Setup

• Confirm Administrator-level access to the NetSuite account
• Open a blank findings document with three sections: Critical, High, Maintenance
• Note the current date and NetSuite version for the audit record
• Check whether a previous audit or health check report exists and note its date

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Layer 1: Script Deployments

Navigate to: Customization > Scripting > Script Deployments

Inventory

• Export or record the full list of Active script deployments (name, script type, record type, event type)
• Note the total count of Active deployments

Per-deployment review (repeat for each Active deployment)

Basic information

• What record type does this script run on?
• What event triggers it (beforeLoad, beforeSubmit, afterSubmit, Scheduled, Client, Map/Reduce, RESTlet, Suitelet)?
• Does the script record include a description of its purpose?
• Does the script source code include inline comments explaining what it does?

Execution history

• Open the execution log for this deployment
• Is the script actually executing? When did it last run?
• Are there recent error entries in the execution log?
• What governance units does it consume per execution?

Classification triggers

• CRITICAL: Recent errors in execution log indicating active Production failures
• HIGH: Governance consumption above 80% of the available budget per execution
• HIGH: No executions in 90+ days on a deployment that should be running regularly
• HIGH: SuiteScript 1.0 script using APIs on Oracle's deprecation list
• MAINTENANCE: No executions in 90+ days (verify before flagging)
• MAINTENANCE: No description and no inline comments
• MAINTENANCE: Deployment status Active but underlying business process has changed

Overlap check

• For each record type with multiple Active deployments, identify all scripts running on the same event type
• Check whether any two scripts write to the same field on the same event type
• HIGH: Two scripts writing to the same field on the same save path

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Layer 2: Workflow Configurations

Navigate to: Customization > Workflow > Workflows

Inventory

• Filter for Active workflows
• Record the total count of Active workflows

Per-workflow review (repeat for each Active workflow)

Basic information

• What record type does this workflow run on?
• What triggers it (On Create, On Create or Edit, Status transition)?
• What are the entry conditions (if any)?
• Does the workflow description field explain its purpose?
• When was this workflow last modified?

Logic review

• Open the workflow editor and map the states and transitions
• Are there branches with no defined exit path?
• Are there notification actions sending to inactive employees or outdated email addresses?
• Are there approval routing actions pointing to employees who no longer hold that role?
• Does the workflow touch a field that a script from Layer 1 also touches on the same record type?

Classification triggers

• CRITICAL: Workflow actively creating duplicate records or incorrect status transitions
• HIGH: No entry conditions on a workflow for a high-volume record type (Sales Order, Invoice, Vendor Bill)
• HIGH: Workflow and script both writing to the same field on the same record and trigger
• HIGH: Approval routing pointing to inactive employees
• MAINTENANCE: No description field entry
• MAINTENANCE: Workflow for a business process that has been replaced or retired
• MAINTENANCE: Broad entry conditions that were intended to be tightened and never were

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Layer 3: Saved Searches

Navigate to: Reports > Saved Searches (or Lists > Search > Saved Searches)

Inventory

• Pull the full list of public saved searches
• Note the total count
• Identify searches that power dashboard portlets (check active dashboards)
• Identify searches referenced in workflow entry conditions (check workflows from Layer 2)
• Identify searches used as data sources in scripts (check Map/Reduce getInputData functions)

Per-search review (for searches used in automations or dashboards)

Performance check

• Open the search criteria
• What is the first filter criterion? Is it on an indexed field (Type, Status, Date, Posting Period, Transaction Type)?
• If the first criterion is not on an indexed field, what is the expected result set size?

Usage check

• Is this search referenced in a workflow entry condition?
• Is this search used as a data source in a script?
• Is this search powering a dashboard portlet? For which dashboard, and how many users have that dashboard?

Currency check

• Do the search criteria accurately reflect the current business logic for the automation that uses it?
• Have new record statuses, item types, or transaction types been added since the search was built that the search does not cover?

Classification triggers

• HIGH: Unindexed first criterion in a search powering a high-traffic dashboard portlet
• HIGH: Search criteria that no longer accurately reflect the workflow logic they are driving
• MAINTENANCE: Duplicate searches returning overlapping data
• MAINTENANCE: Private searches with no clear current user
• MAINTENANCE: Search result sets returning zero records for more than 30 consecutive days

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Layer 4: Custom Fields and Records

Navigate to: Customization > Lists, Records & Fields

Custom records

• Review the list of custom record types
• For each custom record type, check the record count (how many records exist)
• For each custom record type with zero or very few records, check whether it is referenced in any active script or workflow

Classification triggers

• MAINTENANCE: Custom record type with zero records and no active references in scripts or workflows
• HIGH: Custom record type storing data that duplicates data in a native NetSuite record type

Custom fields on high-traffic record types

Work through custom fields on: Sales Order, Invoice, Purchase Order, Vendor Bill, Customer, Item

For each custom field on each record type:

• Is this field on any active form for this record type? (Customization > Forms > Transaction Forms / Entry Forms)
• Is it referenced in any active saved search as a result column or filter criterion?
• Is it referenced in any active script or workflow?
• What percentage of records of this type have a non-empty value in this field?

Classification triggers

• MAINTENANCE: Field not on any active form, not in any active search, not in any active script or workflow, and fewer than 5% of records have a value
• MAINTENANCE: Field with an ambiguous name (no label that explains what it stores)
• HIGH: Two fields storing the same data under different names, with scripts or workflows writing to one and reading from the other

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Layer 5: Integrations and Documentation

Navigate to: Setup > Integration > Manage Integrations

Integration records

• List all active integration records
• For each integration, what external system does it connect to and what data does it sync?
• Review sync logs or error logs for each integration (check both NetSuite side and middleware platform side if applicable)
• When did each integration last successfully sync records?

Coverage check

• List the record types and item types currently in the account
• For each integration, confirm it covers all current record types and item types
• Check whether item types or record types were added to the account after the integration was built

Classification triggers

• CRITICAL: Integration with recent error log entries indicating active sync failures on high-volume data
• HIGH: Integration that does not cover record types or item types added to the account since it was built
• HIGH: Integration sync log unavailable or not monitored
• MAINTENANCE: Integration with no documentation of its transformation logic

Documentation review

• How many active scripts have no description and no inline comments?
• How many active workflows have no entry in the description field?
• How many custom fields have ambiguous names or no description?
• Is there a current-state account inventory document accessible to the team?

Classification triggers

• MAINTENANCE: Each undocumented script, workflow, or custom field (these are maintenance-level findings; volume determines priority within that tier)

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Findings Summary

After completing all five layers, compile findings by classification:

Critical findings

(List each Critical item with: layer, description, impact, recommended action)

High-priority findings

(List each High item with: layer, description, risk, recommended action)

Maintenance findings

(List each Maintenance item with: layer, description, recommended action)

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Prioritization within tiers

Within Critical findings: address items causing data integrity issues before items causing performance issues before items causing cosmetic errors.

Within High findings: address items likely to become Critical at the next NetSuite release, then items with the broadest impact on active users.

Within Maintenance findings: prioritize items that are actively confusing current developers, then documentation gaps on the most-modified customizations.

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Related resources

• NetSuite technical debt: how technical debt accumulates and how to address it
• NetSuite health check: independent structured audit with written findings report in 5-7 business days
• NetSuite account optimization: remediation of findings from this audit
• NetSuite technical debt audit blog: detailed walkthrough of the audit methodology