AI takes center stage—and what it means for the Nordics

SuiteWorld is Oracle NetSuite’s annual flagship conference. It’s the premier global gathering for NetSuite customers, partners, and product experts. Each year, thousands of business leaders come together to explore how cloud ERP, AI, and automation are shaping the future of enterprise management.

The star of this year's show was NetSuite Next. It’s not a new product, but a new mode within NetSuite that brings conversational AI, intelligent automation, and advanced analytics directly into the daily workflow. The promise is simple but powerful: ask questions in plain language, get smart, transparent answers, and even let AI carry out routine tasks for you.

For Nordic businesses, the announcements offer major opportunities, but also a few challenges to consider before diving in.

Smarter workflows, not just smarter data

One of the headline innovations is Ask Oracle, a conversational assistant built directly into NetSuite. Instead of digging through dashboards or reports, users can now type or speak naturally: “Show me last quarter’s revenue by region” or “Which vendors have overdue invoices?” The system understands context, responds with reasoning, and even lets users take action right from the answer.

Then there’s the introduction of agentic workflows—essentially AI-driven assistants, or “SuiteAgents,” that don’t just analyze data but can act on it. Imagine an AI agent that automatically reconciles transactions, flags exceptions, or even proposes vendor payments for approval. It’s the next step from automation to autonomy, though still under human supervision.

Want to know more about how AI agents can create value in businesses read our blog post: Real AI agents, real impact.  

A more human AI

Unlike the faceless algorithms of the past, NetSuite’s AI approach emphasizes transparency and trust. Every suggestion or insight comes with an explanation of why the system reached that conclusion. This helps employees understand—and trust—what the AI is doing.

The new AI Canvas is another step in that direction. It’s a collaborative workspace inside NetSuite where teams can model scenarios, test “what-if” situations, and simulate outcomes — for instance, how changing prices or supply assumptions might affect profit margins. The idea is to bridge planning and execution, all in one place

AI for finance: From close to continuous

One of the most transformative developments is the vision of an Autonomous Close—the ability to automate up to 98% of the financial close process. Reconciliations, anomaly detection, and report preparation can all run automatically, leaving only exceptions for human review.

For finance teams in the Nordics, where precision and compliance are non-negotiable, this could be a game-changer. It promises faster closing cycles, fewer errors, and real-time insight—but it also demands careful governance and oversight to ensure transparency.

Challenges for Nordic Adoption

While these announcements mark a big leap forward, not all of the new AI features will immediately reach Nordic customers. The initial rollout of NetSuite Next will focus on the U.S. market, with global availability expected to follow gradually over 2026 and beyond.

Language support is another key consideration. Most of the new conversational and narrative AI features are English-first. For Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Finnish users, localization will take time — and until then, English interfaces may dominate.

Data privacy and sovereignty are also at the forefront of the minds of Nordic companies. With the EU’s AI Act and GDPR in play, businesses must ensure that AI models operate within strict regulatory and compliance frameworks. Oracle’s use of its European data centers and the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure should help, but organizations will still need to set clear policies on how data is processed and where it resides.

Lastly, the Nordics have some of the world’s most advanced digital accounting and reporting standards. Features like automated invoicing and payment proposals will need to adapt to regional systems, such as SAF-T, Peppol, and local e-invoicing regulations.

Why It Matters for Nordic Businesses

Despite the rollout and regulatory hurdles, the opportunity here is enormous. Nordic companies are already among the most digitally mature in the world and well-positioned to benefit from AI’s next wave.

1. Productivity and efficiency: AI-driven workflows can eliminate hours of manual work, freeing up teams to focus on strategy, not spreadsheets.
2. Better decision-making: With real-time data analysis and narrative insights, managers get the “why” behind the numbers, not just the numbers themselves.
3. Transparency and trust: Explainable AI helps maintain the accountability and governance that Nordic companies value.
4. Innovation at scale: NetSuite’s new AI Toolkits and Studios make it easier for developers and partners to build region-specific applications using local data and compliance logic.

The Path Forward for the Nordics

For most Nordic organizations, the smartest approach will be incremental adoption. Start with what’s available—narrative insights, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted reporting — and build readiness for more advanced automation as it rolls out in Europe.

Invest in data quality and governance now. AI is only as good as the data it uses, and clean, well-structured information will pay dividends as automation deepens.

And most importantly, prepare your teams. AI adoption isn’t just a technology upgrade — it’s a change in how people work. Training and communication will be crucial to building confidence in AI-supported decisions.

A Nordic perspective on the future

SuiteWorld 2025 signaled a new phase for NetSuite—one where AI isn’t just an optional module but part of the ERP’s DNA. For Nordic businesses, this represents both a competitive opportunity and a leadership challenge.

Those who start planning now—aligning technology, data, people, and governance — will be ready to capitalize when NetSuite Next reaches full availability in the region.

When it does, the companies that have already embraced an AI-first mindset will move faster.

The future of ERP in the Nordics isn’t just digital. It’s intelligent, transparent, and deeply human.

Whant ot learn more about Oracle NetSuite—the #1 Cloud ERP? Click here.

Pictured above is Evan Goldberg, founder and executive vice president of NetSuite. At the opening keynote at SuiteWorld 2025, he unveiled a wave of innovations that mark the beginning of a new era: NetSuite Next. SuiteWorld is where the NetSuite community meets innovation. Every year, leaders, developers, and partners come together to explore how technology can make businesses run smarter and people’s work more meaningful. Hosted by Oracle NetSuite, the conference blends strategy, product deep dives, and real stories from organizations using data and AI to drive real change. 

Antire is the leading Oracle NetSuite partner in the Nordics. We proudly support 80% of Norway’s Oracle NetSuite customers. Let our certified consultants and developers help you use NetSuite's AI capabilities.