Adoption and embedded AI steer Oracle NetSuite’s product roadmap

Oracle’s Sullivan says NetSuite’s autonomous close gives firms real-time confidence in their books.

Craig Sullivan, Group Vice President of Product Management at Oracle NetSuite, said customer adoption remains the clearest measure of whether a product roadmap truly meets user needs. Speaking at the sidelines of SuiteWorld in Las Vegas, he discussed how customers are turning to Oracle NetSuite to address challenges in financial accuracy and process efficiency.

Sullivan said one of the key customer priorities is achieving a “zero-day close” or the ability to maintain confidence in financial records throughout the accounting period, rather than waiting until the end.

“Autonomous close is basically designed to help them get to that zero-day close target that they have with high confidence in the books and records throughout the accounting period,” he said.

He explained that continuous oversight and automation allow organisations to ensure accuracy “at every minute of every day,” helping finance teams keep pace with real-time operations.

When asked how Oracle NetSuite ensures its product roadmap aligns with customer needs, Sullivan said it comes down to engagement and results. He added that his team continuously interacts with customers at events like SuiteWorld to understand how they use the system, gather feedback for improvement, and measure the success of new capabilities through actual usage.

Sullivan identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the technology trend that will most reshape how boards evaluate enterprise systems in the coming years. He said AI should be embedded “into the core, not added on,” explaining that it must serve as the “jet engine” driving the system rather than functioning as a separate tool.

He emphasised that AI capabilities should be directed toward solving real business challenges. As AI becomes standard for both business systems and strategies worldwide, Sullivan said organisations should ensure that any system transition integrates AI as a foundational element for efficiency and insight.