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Solution 7 Training Guide: Basic Concepts

Introduction

Before you begin, there are a few things worth knowing about the exercises in this guide.

NetSuite OneWorld This guide is written from the perspective of a NetSuite OneWorld user. If you're not running NetSuite OneWorld, you can still follow the exercises, but some dialogs may look slightly different (e.g., missing the Subsidiary field). Wherever this guide refers to Subsidiary, substitute as appropriate for your instance of NetSuite.

Activation Solution 7 isn't automatically activated when you open Excel — it only needs to be activated when you're building new report templates or refreshing NetSuite data in existing ones. Once activated, one of your Solution 7 licenses is considered in use; closing Excel releases that license for another user.

To activate Solution 7 within Excel: click Solution 7 > Activate.

If you don't see the Solution 7 menu, or activation fails, see the Troubleshooting Guide or contact support.

Solution 7 Ribbon The Solution 7 ribbon expands after activation and is your starting point for every Solution 7 feature.

Basic Concepts

There are two basic concepts you need to create reports in Solution 7: Functions and Lists. Together, these let you build reporting templates that are interactive, dynamic, and refreshable from your live, real-time NetSuite data.

Functions

Functions are the most fundamental concept in Solution 7. They let individual NetSuite values, and arrays of values, be automatically aggregated and summarized directly into Excel. Solution 7 extends Excel's own function set with additional functions for building your own report templates.

Small and Large fx Buttons

You'll see these two terms used throughout Solution 7 documentation and training:

Small fx button — Excel's native "Insert Function" button, to the left of Excel's formula bar.
Large fx button — Solution 7's own quick-access Function button, found in the Lists & Functions group of the Solution 7 ribbon.

Exercise: Inserting a Function

This walkthrough uses a general ledger account balance function as an example, but the same steps apply to almost all Solution 7 functions.

Start on a blank Excel worksheet with Solution 7 activated:

With the cursor in empty cell C3, click the Large fx button and select NetSuite Balances > NSGLABAL (returns a general ledger account balance by account number).
On the Function Arguments dialog, place the cursor in the Subsidiary argument and click Lookup. This shows a selectable list of Subsidiaries from NetSuite.

If you're not running NetSuite OneWorld, you won't see the Subsidiary parameter.
Select Consolidated at the top of the list and click OK. This returns a consolidated value including transactions from all child subsidiaries.
With the cursor in the Account argument, use Lookup to select a P&L account and click OK.
Repeat these steps to select a From Period.

When reporting a single period, To Period is not required.
Click OK to return a GL account balance for the selected Subsidiary, Account, and Period combination into cell C3.
Use Excel's native formatting features to format the cell value as you normally would in Excel.
In cell A3, type the account number used in step 4 above. In cell B3, type the account name.
In cell C2, type the From Period used in step 5.

The period must be typed exactly as it appears in step 5. Precede it with a single apostrophe so Excel doesn't interpret it as a date — periods are case-sensitive and must be formatted as text (e.g. 'Jan 2026).
Move the cursor to C3 and click the Small fx button.
Change the Account argument to reference the account number cell (A3). Press F4 three times to lock the formula to column A ($A2).
Change the From Period argument to reference the period cell (C2). Press F4 twice to lock the formula to row 2 (C$2).

This function still returns the same balance, but referencing cells this way makes the formula dynamic and reusable across the report.
In cells A4 and B4, type the number and name of another P&L account.
In cells A5 and B5, use an Excel wildcard (* or ?) for simple pattern matching on the account number — e.g. 4* to match all 4xxx codes (income codes in this example).
Copy the formula from cell C3 into cells C4 and C5.
In cells D3 and E3, type the next two periods (remember, periods must be text — precede with a single apostrophe).
Copy the formulas in C3:C5 across through column E.

FAQ: Why have the formulas shown #N/A result?

Solution 7 formulas may show #N/A when first inserted or refreshed. This is normal and just means the formula is loading the amount(s) from NetSuite.

You've now created your first Solution 7 report template. The values aren't static — using Solution 7's refresh options, you can pull the latest NetSuite values at any time (see Exercise 12 — Refreshing Reports).

Lists

Lists let you reference and insert NetSuite information directly into Excel. Solution 7 offers three ways to insert a list into a worksheet:

Into a Column (values populate vertically down the sheet)
Into a Row (values populate horizontally across the sheet)
Into a Pop-up (values populate in a single cell as a drop-down)

Exercise: Inserting a List

In this exercise you'll use a column list to insert a vertical list of accounts and a pop-up list for controlled interaction with a report.

Start on a blank Excel worksheet with Solution 7 activated:

With the cursor in empty cell C3, click Column > Accounts (by Account Number).
On the List Arguments dialog, place the cursor in the Subsidiary argument, click Lookup, and select Consolidated at the top of the list. This includes accounts from all subsidiaries.

If you're not running NetSuite OneWorld, you won't see the Subsidiary parameter.
With the cursor in the Account argument, type 4* — a wildcard pattern matching all accounts starting with "4".
Click OK. All accounts starting with "4" are read from NetSuite and inserted into column C.
Move the cursor to cell C2 and click Pop-Up > Accounting > Account Types, then click OK.

The Account Types list has no parameters to define.
Using the pop-up control, choose the Income account type and click OK.
Move the cursor to cell E2 and click Row > Classification > Locations.
On the List Arguments dialog, place the cursor in the Subsidiary argument, click Lookup, and select a subsidiary. If you choose Consolidated, this will include locations from all child subsidiaries.

Lists are a quick way to pull report dimensions from NetSuite, but they're optional — you can always type a NetSuite account, department, or subsidiary name directly into a cell to drive your formulas instead.

FAQ: What is the - None - value?

' - None - is NetSuite's way of showing balances and transactions that are not segmented by additional classifications. For example, if you are building a P&L by location the '- None - column will return transactions that have not been coded to a location.

Dynamic, Interactive and Refreshable Reports

The following exercises combine lists and functions to build dynamic, interactive, fully refreshable reporting templates.

The report layouts shown in this guide are examples only — you can follow the same layout or format your report however your organization prefers.

Income Statement Reporting

Exercise 1 uses a combination of lists to build the framework for the income section of a Profit & Loss statement. Exercise 2 uses functions to return summarized transactional amounts for the income accounts.

Exercise 1 — Using Lists

Start on a blank Excel worksheet with Solution 7 activated:

With the cursor in empty cell C3, click Pop-up > Accounting > Subsidiaries.

If you're not running NetSuite OneWorld, you won't see the Subsidiaries list option.
To select from the full list of Subsidiaries in NetSuite, leave the list arguments blank and click OK.

The list automatically returns the top-level consolidated subsidiary. Click the pop-up control to change the subsidiary shown on the sheet.
Move the cursor to empty cell B6 and click Column > Accounting > Accounts (by Number).
With the cursor in the Subsidiary parameter, select the subsidiary pop-up list in cell C3.
With the cursor in the Account parameter, click Lookup to view your chart of accounts. Hold Ctrl or Shift to select your income account codes, then click OK.
On the list arguments dialog, click OK to insert your accounts into Excel.

Using lists is optional — you can also enter the NetSuite account, department, or subsidiary name directly into a cell without using the lists.

Exercise 2 — Building a Period Range

This exercise builds a fully dynamic period range using native Excel functions to create a trailing 12-month income statement.

Move the cursor to cell C4 and type the year (e.g. 2026).
In empty cell D1, type: =DATE(C4,1,1)
In empty cell E1, type: =EDATE(D1,1)
In empty cell D4, type: =TEXT(D1,"MMM YYYY")
Copy the formula in D4 into cell E4.
Copy the formulas in E1 and E4 across to column O.

The default NetSuite accounting period format is "MMM YYYY". If your accounting periods use a different format, you can adapt the formula. For example, for a "P YYYY" format:

In cell C2, enter the year.

In cell D1, enter 1.

In cell E1, enter =D1+1 and copy across to column O.

In cell D4, enter =CONCAT("P",D1," ",$C$2) and copy across.

Exercise 3 — Using Functions

This exercise populates the report with P&L amounts from NetSuite.

With the cursor in empty cell D6, click the Large fx button and select NetSuite Balances > NSGLABAL.

Hover over any function to see its description.
With the cursor in the Subsidiary argument, click cell C3 to select the subsidiary. Press F4 once to lock the cell ($C$3).
With the cursor in the Account argument, click cell B6 to select the account number. Press F4 three times to lock the column ($B6).
With the cursor in the From Period argument, click cell D4 to select the period. Press F4 twice to lock the row (D$4).
Click OK to return the GL account balance into the cell.
Format the cell value using Excel's native features.
Copy the formula into each cell to complete the report.
Right-click Sheet1 and rename the worksheet to "IS" (Income Statement).

Complete the report by hiding row 1 and applying formatting, logos, and charts using Excel's own features.

When you insert or refresh a Solution 7 function, the result will briefly show #N/A. Once the amount is returned from NetSuite, the cell updates to display the value.

Wildcards and Arrays

A wildcard is a special character used to match one or more characters within a function or list argument. Solution 7 supports two wildcard types:

Asterisk (*) — matches multiple characters
Question mark (?) — matches any single character

Exercise 4 — Using a (*) Wildcard

This exercise uses the * wildcard in a formula to return summarized P&L amounts from NetSuite.

Right-click the "IS" sheet and copy it to a new sheet in the workbook.
Select rows 6 through the end of your accounts (e.g., rows 6–20) and delete the data, leaving only the Subsidiary and periods.
In cell B6, type 4* to pattern-match your income account codes.
In cell B7, type another account code followed by an asterisk. E.g. 5* to pattern-match expense account codes.
In column C, type total account groupings — e.g. "Total Income", "Total Expense".
With the cursor in cell D6, click the Large fx button and choose NetSuite Balances > NSGLABAL.
With the cursor in the Subsidiary argument, click cell C3. Press F4 once to lock ($C$3).
With the cursor in the Account argument, select cell A6. Press F4 three times to lock the column ($A6).
With the cursor in the From Period argument, click cell D4. Press F4 twice to lock the row (D$4) and click OK.
Copy the formula across the worksheet to complete the report.

When you insert or refresh a Solution 7 function, the result will briefly show #N/A until the amount is returned from NetSuite.

FAQ: How can I change the signage of my balances?

Select the first cell with a balance (e.g. D6) and enter a minus "-" sign at the front of the formula, after the equals "=" sign. This will swap the signage so your income shows as a positive balance and the expense shows as a negative balance.

Arrays

Arrays let you group GL accounts and return amounts for multiple values in a single function or list.

Exercise 5 — Using Arrays in a Function

This exercise uses an array to summarize amounts from multiple account ranges in a single formula.

In empty cell A8, type the account codes and wildcards from the previous exercise using array syntax: {"4*","5*"}
In empty cell C8, type a total account grouping — e.g. "Net Income".
Copy the formula into the Net Income row to complete the report.
Use Excel's AutoSum function to confirm the Net Income line matches the previous two rows.

Using an array like {"4*","5*"} lets you pull and total multiple account ranges — for example, all revenue (4*) and expense (5*) accounts — in a single formula, rather than writing separate formulas for each account grouping and adding them together manually. This makes the report both more compact and easier to maintain, since one formula handles the whole "Net Income" calculation.

Comparing the AutoSum result to the array formula result gives you a quick cross-check between your Excel totals and the underlying NetSuite data. If the two figures don't match, review the account ranges in the array formula for gaps or overlaps.

If you continue to see a mismatch, contact Support.

Balance Sheet Reporting

Balance sheet amounts aren't stored directly in NetSuite — they're calculated over time. To return an account balance in Excel, Solution 7 performs the same calculation via a function.

The report layouts shown here are examples — format your report however your organization prefers.

Exercise 6 — Using Arrays in a List

This exercise uses an array to return multiple account ranges with the Accounts (By Number) list.

Right-click the tab and copy it to a new sheet in the workbook.
Select rows 6 through the end of your accounts and delete the data, leaving only the Subsidiary and periods.
Move the cursor to empty cell B6 and click Column > Accounting > Accounts (by Number).
With the cursor in the Subsidiary parameter, select the subsidiary pop-up list in cell C3.
With the cursor in the Account argument, type your balance sheet account codes using array syntax — e.g. {"1*","2*","3*"}
Click OK to insert your balance sheet accounts.

When building a trial balance, you can return all accounts in a list by entering a single * in the Account parameter.

Exercise 7 — Returning Account Balances

This exercise returns account closing balances.

With the cursor in cell D6, click the Large fx button and choose NetSuite Balances > NSGLABAL.
With the cursor in the Subsidiary argument, click cell C3. Press F4 once to lock ($C$3).
With the cursor in the Account argument, click cell B6. Press F4 three times to lock the column ($B6).
With the cursor in the From Period argument, click Lookup to select your earliest reporting period in NetSuite (e.g. Jan 2001) and click OK.
With the cursor still in the From Period argument, click cell D4 to select the period. Press F4 twice to lock the row (D$4) and click OK.
Copy the formula across the worksheet to complete the report.

When you insert or refresh a Solution 7 function, the result will briefly show #N/A. Once the amount is returned from NetSuite, the cell updates to display the value.

For help with balance sheet calculations such as Retained Earnings or Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA), contact Support.

Exercise 8 — Zero Suppression

The Zero Suppression feature hides entire rows of data that contain a zero balance.

On the Solution 7 ribbon, click Define Suppression.
With the cursor in Suppress Range, highlight every cell containing a Solution 7 function.
Under Options, tick Suppress on cell changes.
Click Add, select cells C3:C4, and click OK to make zero suppression dynamic.
On the Solution 7 ribbon, click Suppress to hide all zero balances within the selected cell range.
Change the subsidiary cell or the year to see zero suppression update dynamically.

Interacting with a Report

Once your report templates are built, there are several ways to interact with them to get more value from your financials — drill down, filtering with pop-up lists, lock/drop formulas, and refreshing templates.

Exercise 9 — Using Drill Down

Go back to the first Income Statement worksheet you created at the beginning of this guide.
Right-click a cell containing an amount and hover over the Drill Down menu to see the available drill-down levels.
Click By Subsidiary to see the amount broken down at the subsidiary level.
On the Drill Down by Subsidiary sheet, right-click an amount to drill down to transaction details.

The Transaction Reference in column A is also a hyperlink — clicking it takes you directly to that transaction in NetSuite.
Click one of the hyperlinks in column A to open the transaction in NetSuite.
To remove all drill-down sheets from the Excel file, select Delete Drill Down from the Solution 7 ribbon.

Exercise 10 — Auto-Refresh Lists

Setting a list to auto-refresh updates it automatically each time the Excel file is refreshed or changed. In this exercise, you'll set the accounts list to auto-refresh so that when you select a new subsidiary from the report's pop-up list, only the accounts associated with that subsidiary in NetSuite will display.

Once auto-refresh is set, click the large Refresh button on the ribbon to update your accounts and balances together from NetSuite. Any new accounts added in NetSuite will automatically appear in your report the next time you refresh — no manual updates required.

If you don't have Subsidiaries in NetSuite, substitute as appropriate for your instance.

Click the List and Table Manager feature from the ribbon.
Select the "Accounts (by Number) 1" list and click Edit > Options.
Select Automatic under the Refresh Mode section and click Close to save.

You can now click the large Refresh button on the ribbon to refresh the accounts from NetSuite alongside your balances. If you add any new accounts into NetSuite, the auto-refresh will add them to your report for you.

Exercise 11 — Filtering Reports

Pop-up lists let you easily change report templates by filtering to different report definitions. This exercise uses the subsidiary pop-up list to change the income statement to a different subsidiary.

If you don't have Subsidiaries in NetSuite, substitute as appropriate for your instance.

Select cell C3 and click the pop-up control when it appears.
From the list, select a different subsidiary and click OK to change the value in C3.
Type a different year value into cell C4 (e.g. 2022).

When refreshing or updating reports, cell values briefly change to #N/A — this means Solution 7 is reading new values from NetSuite. Once available, the values replace the #N/A.

Exercise 12 — Lock/Drop Formulas

The Lock/Drop Formulas feature freezes or removes the formula connections to NetSuite, so non-Solution 7 or non-NetSuite users can view the numbers in a report.

On the Solution 7 ribbon, click Lock/Drop Formulas.
Select Lock Workbook.

Choosing to permanently drop formulas instead removes the Solution 7 functions from the file entirely, leaving only the resulting values — similar to Excel's "Paste as Value" feature.
Click OK on the dialog.

When you lock a Solution 7 formula, its syntax changes to the following:

=IF(TRUE,1804603.42,-NSGLABAL.LOCKED($C$3,$B6,D$4))

Once locked, the formula becomes static and no longer refreshes automatically. This allows users without Solution 7 installed to view the report with its values intact.

FAQ: What does Dropping the formulas do?

Permanently dropping a formula removes the Solution 7 formula entirely, leaving only the static balance amount returned from NetSuite. Both locking and dropping formulas are useful when distributing reports, particularly to recipients who don't have Solution 7 installed.

The key difference is reversibility: locked formulas are temporary and can be unlocked or refreshed at any time, while dropped formulas cannot be undone. Once dropped, the formulas must be rewritten from scratch to refresh the amounts again.

Refresh Options

Solution 7 provides live, real-time refresh functionality so you can update your report templates to reflect the latest NetSuite values. You can refresh the whole workbook, a worksheet, tables, lists, or selected cells.

Exercise 13 — Refreshing Reports

On the Solution 7 ribbon, click Refresh.
From the Refresh menu, select Refresh Workbook.
On the refresh screen, you can choose whether to include locked formulas when refreshing.

Exercise 14 — Refreshing Lists and Tables

If you want to refresh lists in isolation — without including formulas and tables — use the refresh list option from the right-click menu. This is especially useful when new accounts are added in NetSuite and you want your reports updated with them but your lists are set to Manual Refresh in the list options.

Right-click one of the accounts and select Solution 7 List > Refresh List.

Lists are dynamic and connected to NetSuite — refreshing the accounts list pulls in any new accounts from NetSuite.

Lesson Summary

In this guide, you learned the core concepts within Solution 7:

Lists to build the framework for a report
Functions to populate the report with balance values from NetSuite
Wildcards to drive report dimensions flexibly
How to dynamically update a report by changing a single cell value
How Drill Down breaks values down from a summary level to transaction detail

If you need further assistance building a report in Solution 7, contact Support.

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