How to create Visio diagrams from NetSuite Data



Automatically update NetSuite data with the changes you make to Visio master shapes.

Automate the process of entering data into Visio diagrams and keeping your diagrams up to date with the CData ODBC Driver for NetSuite. The driver surfaces NetSuite data as an ODBC data source that can be accessed by applications with built-in ODBC support like Microsoft Office. This article shows how to create a simple diagram to start brainstorming about Visio projects linked to NetSuite data.

Connect to NetSuite as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

The User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid NetSuite user credentials. In addition, the AccountId must be set to the ID of a company account that can be used by the specified User. The RoleId can be optionally specified to log in the user with limited permissions.

See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for more information on connecting to NetSuite.

Connect NetSuite Data to Diagrams

Follow the steps below to use the Data Selector Wizard to import data into your diagram.

  1. Open Visio and click File -> New. Open the Brainstorming template.
  2. On the Data tab, click Link Data to Shapes.
  3. Select the ODBC option and select ODBC DSN.
  4. Select the DSN for NetSuite, select the table you want to import, and finish the wizard. This article uses SalesOrder as an example.

Link NetSuite Entities to Shapes

Follow the steps below to create a simple diagram that shows how to create shapes from your data, one of the ways to link NetSuite entities to shapes:

  1. Click Brainstorming Shapes and drag a main topic onto the drawing page. Enter SalesOrder as the text of the main topic.
  2. Click Topic.
  3. Select a row in the External Data window and drag it onto the drawing page.
  4. Right-click the Topic shape and click Data -> Edit Data Graphic.
  5. Click New Item.
  6. In the Data Field menu, select a column. In the Displayed As menu, select how to display them.
  7. Drag a few other NetSuite entities onto the drawing page and add association lines back to the main topic, SalesOrder. New topics have the same configuration: Numeric columns displayed in data bars stand out in contrast to other SalesOrder entities.

You can refresh your diagram from the Data tab, synchronizing your shapes with the external NetSuite data.

Ready to get started?

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The NetSuite ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live NetSuite data, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity.

Access NetSuite like you would a database - read, write, and update Leads, Contacts, Opportunities, Accounts, etc. through a standard ODBC Driver interface.