Enhancements to Customer Records: Understanding the New Acquisition Date Field

With the release of NetSuite 2026.1, a new field has been introduced to the Financial subtab of the Customer record: the Acquisition Date. This enhancement aims to provide users with a more accurate representation of customer acquisition timelines within the system.

What is the Acquisition Date Field?

The Acquisition Date field allows administrators and users to manually input the date when a customer was acquired. This date can be crucial for financial analysis, customer lifecycle tracking, and strategic planning. If the field is left blank, it will default to the date of the customer’s first transaction. This ensures that users still have a reference point, even if they don't manually specify an acquisition date.

Real-World Context and Use Cases

The addition of this field is beneficial for companies that want to analyze customer behavior over time. By having an explicit acquisition date:

Businesses can segment customers based on acquisition periods, allowing for targeted marketing strategies.
The sales team can evaluate how acquisition dates correlate with customer lifetime value (CLV).
Financial forecasts can be more accurately aligned with customer acquisition trends.

Best Practice Tips

To make the most out of the new Acquisition Date field, consider the following best practices:

Consistent Data Entry: Ensure that users are trained on the importance of entering the acquisition date for new customers.
Integrate with Other Records: Use SuiteScript or SuiteFlow to automate the process of populating this field based on specific criteria, if feasible.
Regularly Review Your Data: Regularly audit the acquisition dates to ensure accuracy and make adjustments as needed.

Potential Gotchas

If you rely too heavily on default values, there may be discrepancies in your reports, especially if multiple users are entering customer data.
Be cautious with imported records; ensure your data migration wisely populates the Acquisition Date to avoid inconsistencies.

Conclusion

The introduction of the Acquisition Date field in the Customer record is a valuable enhancement for those managing customer relationships and order processing within NetSuite. By leveraging this new feature effectively, organizations can gain deeper insights into their customer acquisition strategies and overall performance.

Key Takeaways

The Acquisition Date field provides clearer visibility into when customers are acquired.
Default dates help ensure data continuity even if manual entries are missing.
Proper training and data management practices can enhance the utility of this new feature.