Small businesses are at the core of Oracle NetSuite’s strategy in Southeast Asia, as the company ramps up efforts to bring simplified artificial intelligence tools to firms still early in digital transformation.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE on the sidelines of SuiteConnect Manila 2026 on 28 April, Amit Suxena, group vice president and head of Asia, said micro, small and medium enterprises are not just part of the market — they are central to NetSuite’s design.
“At the heart of NetSuite are small businesses,” Suxena said.
He described the current wave of AI as a “once-in-a-generation shift,” changing what companies should expect from their systems.
“Until now, companies would give an input asking for an output... Now, it’s a fundamental shift. You are expecting systems to proactively give you insights and make suggestions,” he said.
For MSMEs in the Philippines, where 99 percent of businesses fall under the category, the shift presents both an opportunity and a risk.
“If customers don’t do that, they will be left behind,” Suxena said.
Despite this, many smaller firms continue to rely on spreadsheets and fragmented systems.
NetSuite aims to bridge that gap by embedding AI directly into its enterprise resource planning platform, removing the need for separate investments or technical expertise.
“They don’t have to think of AI. They just have to think of their business,” Suxena said.
“It will automatically start generating insights,” he added.
The platform integrates finance, supply chain and customer data into a single system, allowing businesses to generate insights without complex setup.
Suxena said the goal is to make advanced technology accessible without adding complexity.
“It looks like your own system… where you are asking questions on how to improve just about anything,” he said.
NetSuite is also positioning itself as a scalable platform, supporting companies from startups to large enterprises.
“We have the most scalable ERP-CRM system… whether you’re a two-person startup to a multi-billion-dollar company, companies can actually use us,” Suxena said.
He added that ease of implementation is key for smaller firms.
“NetSuite is one of the fastest ERPs to implement,” he said.
At SuiteConnect Manila, the company showcased businesses that transitioned from manual processes to integrated systems.
“They started with a lot of Excel sheets and are now consolidating their businesses into one,” Suxena said.
Some firms have also used the platform to expand beyond the Philippines, including companies such as UNILAB, JDN Realty and Unilogix.