Automox Forges the Path to Frictionless Billing with SuiteBilling

Company: Automox

Industry: SaaS

Challenge: The company was using a basic order-to-cash system to manage customer invoices and wanted a way to automate its growing subscription business, gain access to better reporting, and integrate with Stripe

Solutions: NetSuite SuiteBilling, Advanced Revenue Management and Dunning

Results: Bryant Park Consulting implemented three NetSuite modules that help Automox save time, reduce invoice errors, provide robust reporting and KPI tracking, and automate the revenue recognition process.

As phishing, ransomware, and other cyberattacks continue to increase — and as hackers become more sophisticated — organizations need strong defenses against bad actors. By automating the application of IT system patches and fixing vulnerabilities quickly, Automox helps organizations reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

Founded in 2015 in Boulder, CO, Automox is a cloud-native, automated endpoint management platform. Its customers keep their endpoints configured, controlled, and secured, automatically.

Recognized by industry analysts as a leader in the IT operations sector, Automox serves a wide array of customers ranging from small businesses to large enterprises, across a variety of industries.

The Complexities of Managing a Growing Subscription Base
Most of Automox’s customers sign up for one of three subscription-based plans: a Basic plan which includes light asset inventory and automated cross-operating system patching, a Standard plan that adds automated configuration management and a catalog of prebuilt scripts to help administrators automate endpoint management and configuration, and a Pro tier that adds remote control for immediate device access and Automated Vulnerability Remediation to close the loop between IT and security with full cycle vulnerability detection and remediation. Customers only pay for the devices being managed, so their subscription costs scale along with their individual usage.

Managing a growing subscription base and the complexities of recurring revenue reporting were becoming a burden for Automox, which needed a way to automate billing and make that process more efficient overall. The company was using SaaSOptics, which didn’t offer automated billing or advanced revenue management.

Because Automox’s subscriptions can vary between annual or month-to-month durations, the company needed a system that could manage these variances and automate the billing process. It also wanted better visibility into potential up-selling and cross-selling opportunities; a better way of managing contract renewals; and robust reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) like recurring revenue and total customer value (TCV).

Making the Right Choice
Automox was already using Oracle NetSuite for enterprise resource planning (ERP), so it evaluated SuiteBilling, Sage, and Intacct before it selected Bryant Park Consulting to implement SuiteBilling, a native-NetSuite subscription management system that provides businesses with a comprehensive and automated solution for managing subscription-based billing.

NetSuite’s SuiteBilling, ARM, and Dunning modules stood out from the pack because they were built into NetSuite. Another deciding factor was NetSuite’s ability to integrate directly with Stripe for customer payment processing.

In addition to SuiteBilling, Bryant Park Consulting also implemented NetSuite’s Advanced Revenue Management (ARM) and Dunning modules, which provide an automated method of recognizing revenue, complying with ASC 606, tracking overdue invoices, and sending letters to customers to request payment. Combined, these solutions help Automox save time, improve accuracy, reduce its reliance on manual processes, and better serve its growing customer base.

Conquering the Clock
Referred by Oracle NetSuite, Bryant Park Consulting was working with a drop-dead go-live target of early March — just five months after engaging with Automox. Once the pre-planning wrapped up, the NetSuite Alliance Partner had just over three months to finish the three-pronged project.

The urgency was due to the expiration of Automox’s existing SaaSOptics license, which was ending in early March. The company was unable to get a short-term license extension and didn’t want to sign up for another contract term, knowing that the system no longer met its needs. The new NetSuite modules had to be up and running on the day SaaSOptics was shut down.

"The unusually brief timeline for this project was not something we typically anticipate," said Joseph Recupero, Solutions Architect at Bryant Park Consulting. "However, completing it successfully within this tight deadline is a testament to our ability to efficiently handle complex projects, thanks to our team's expertise and Automox's outstanding project management and stakeholder engagement."

Leveling Up with NetSuite ARM
Before implementing ARM, Automox was managing revenue manually and using SaaSOptics’ order-to-cash capabilities. It was aware of NetSuite’s ARM module and the way it automates and streamlines the complete revenue recognition process within NetSuite, but Automox had not yet needed those functionalities.

Today, Automox has automated revenue recognition in a way that complies with accounting standards like ASC 606. It also has granular data about its customer contracts, accurate forecasts based on real-time data, and improved budgeting and financial planning.

The company also has the data visualization tools and reports it needs to be able to quickly address issues, review performance, and make good business decisions. This, in turn, has helped promote both transparency and accountability for the growing company.

Speaking the Same Language
Devon Hopkins, controller, said he liked how Bryant Park’s team listened to Automox’s feedback and tailored the conversations, concepts and designs in a way that the company could understand how everything was going to work at the configuration stage. Because both teams “spoke the same language,” the project moved forward quickly despite the need for some additional customization and configuration.

"Partnering with Bryant Park Consulting was a game-changer for Automox. Their expertise in SuiteBilling and ARM was evident from day one, and their ability to understand our unique needs and implement solutions quickly and efficiently was impressive,” said Hopkins. “The automated billing and revenue management processes have significantly reduced our manual workload, improved accuracy by 40%, and provided us with valuable insights into our financial data.”

Today, Automox has the tools and visibility it needs to be able to make informed business decisions and drive its growth strategy forward. “Bryant Park delivered on a tight deadline and exceeded our expectations,” said Hopkins. “We couldn't be happier with the results!"

Another Happy Customer
After successfully working with Bryant Park Consulting to implement SuiteBilling, ARM, and Dunning, Automox signed up for a Managed Services contract with the NetSuite Partner, which brought deep expertise in both SuiteBilling and ARM — along with general industry knowledge — to the table during the fast-turnaround project. The Bryant Park Consulting team used Slack for quick communications and Automox appreciated the prompt attention and responses.  

“One of our team members was an original SuiteBilling product manager, so we have a unique strength in that area,” said Audrey Bai, senior consultant. “That, plus our ability to quickly adapt to changes, work fast, and communicate well, contributed to a successful project outcome and another happy customer.”