The NetSuite 2025.2 release is officially rolling out this September, with upgrades landing in most accounts between now and early October. If you’re running a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, chances are you’re already hearing about the new features: AI-driven forecasting, smarter financial close tools, and enhanced dashboards.

But here’s the truth: knowing what’s in the release is only half the battle. The real question is how you prepare so that the update doesn’t just land quietly in your system but actually moves the needle for your business. That’s where a little foresight in September makes all the difference.

Start With the Release Portlet

Every NetSuite account has its own upgrade window, and you’ll find yours in the New Release Portlet. It’s worth checking now rather than waiting until the week of the rollout, because that timeline impacts everything else - when you’ll test, when you’ll train, and when your team should expect changes in production.

If you haven’t already, request access to your Release Preview environment too. Think of it as a dress rehearsal: the same account, but with the new 2025.2 features switched on. The brands that get the most out of these updates are the ones that spend a few weeks running side-by-side comparisons and ironing out kinks before go-live.

Focus on What Matters Most

Here’s where many companies stumble: they try to test every single new feature at once. The result? Overwhelm, scattered priorities, and no real adoption.

Instead, zoom in on the areas that matter most to your D2C business. If forecasting drives your inventory planning, spend time playing with the new multivariate models and see how they respond to campaign calendars or seasonal shifts. If the financial close is always a fire drill, take the Job Analytics Insights for a spin and see whether they actually surface the issues that slow you down. And if your warehouse team is constantly fighting spreadsheets, the new CSV bin imports and auto-generated serial numbers will be the features to put under a microscope.

The point isn’t to master every corner of the release. It’s to make sure the updates that could directly impact your bottom line are working the way you need them to.

Don’t Forget the Human Side

Technology only gets you so far if your team doesn’t know how to use it. September is the perfect time to start training the people who’ll be most affected by these changes. Finance and operations leaders can benefit from a walkthrough of the new AI-driven insights. Planners and marketers should get hands-on with the forecasting tools so they’re ready to run “what-if” scenarios before the holiday rush. And customer success teams will need to understand the tweaks to the Customer 360 dashboards.

Think of it as setting your team up for success before the release is initiated. A little training now saves you a lot of support tickets later.

Align the Release With Your Growth Goals

Not every shiny new feature is meant for you, and that’s okay. The trick is to tie what’s new in 2025.2 to what your business actually needs. 

If global expansion is on your radar, the Text Enhance translation features will make your teams’ lives easier. 

If you’re doubling down on subscriptions or auto-ship programs, the SaaS metrics dashboard is where you’ll want to focus. 

And if you’re scaling omnichannel fulfillment, the warehouse automation updates should be at the top of your list.

Final Thoughts

The NetSuite 2025.2 release isn’t just another round of product updates. It’s a chance to refine your operations, equip your team, and make smarter decisions heading into Q4. But only if you take the time in September to prepare.

At Ekwani Consulting, we help D2C brands turn upgrades into growth opportunities. From building test plans to training cross-functional teams and aligning features with business goals, our role is to make sure the technology supports your strategy - not the other way around.

👉 Ready to make the most of NetSuite 2025.2? Let’s build your rollout plan together.