EVEN in an industry already so automated and programmed, artificial intelligence still finds a place to make operations more efficient. Oracle NetSuite used its SuiteConnect Manila event last April 28 to introduce a suite of AI-driven tools designed to reduce the complexity of adoption while embedding intelligence directly into everyday operations.
“Across Southeast Asia, organizations are navigating how to bring AI into their operations in a way that fits their processes and supports long-term growth,” said James Chisham, vice president for product management at Oracle NetSuite. “To meet this need, we continue to expand the AI capabilities within NetSuite and will be making NetSuite Next available in the region so our customers in Asean can increase productivity, expand insights and accelerate growth.”
Central to the announcement is NetSuite Next, the next generation of the platform, which integrates conversational intelligence, agent-driven workflows and natural language search across the system. Through tools such as Ask Oracle, users can query, analyze and act on enterprise data using plain language, effectively turning ERP into a more intuitive decision-making environment.
WHAT’S NEXT From left: Rizalito Oades, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Unilogix GOC; Aaron Jeffrey Montenegro, president and chief executive officer of JDN Realty Group; and Edward James Inocentes, assistant vice president and BSDG head for sales and customer development at Unilab. Moderating the chat was Jack Yeo of Oracle NetSuite. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
NetSuite also unveiled its AI Connector Service, giving organizations flexibility in selecting AI models, defining data access and governing how these models interact with enterprise systems. Built on open standards, including the Model Context Protocol, the service is designed to securely connect NetSuite with external AI assistants and agent platforms.
Complementing this are several new capabilities, including tools that help AI systems better understand NetSuite data and workflows, standardize AI use across teams and enable structured interaction with enterprise data through embedded interfaces rather than relying solely on prompts. The company is also extending AI into analytics and risk management, allowing businesses to detect anomalies earlier, improve forecasting and unify insights across transactional and historical data.
During a post-keynote discussion at SuiteConnect Manila, executives from healthcare, logistics and real estate outlined how operational complexity had begun to outpace their legacy systems and how the shift to a unified cloud platform addressed those constraints. They also expressed their anticipation for the Oracle NetSuite Next platform.
Edward James Inocentes, assistant vice president and BSDG head for sales and customer development at Unilab, described the challenge of managing large-scale distribution and customer engagement in a highly regulated environment, where visibility and coordination are critical.
Rizalito Oades, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Unilogix GOC, pointed to the growing complexity of supply chains and the need for tighter integration across inventory, fulfillment and partner networks, particularly for companies supporting major retail and food service brands.
From the property sector, Aaron Jeffrey Montenegro, president and chief executive officer of JDN Realty Group, highlighted the difficulty of scaling operations while maintaining control over finance, leasing and asset management across a rapidly expanding portfolio.
Across all three accounts, a common theme emerged: fragmented systems were limiting speed, visibility and decision-making. Each executive said adopting NetSuite enabled their organizations to consolidate workflows, automate manual processes and gain real-time insights, allowing them to respond more quickly to growth and operational demands.
The Manila Times sat down with Montenegro to further expound on the difficulty of scaling operations while maintaining control over finance, leasing and asset management across the rapidly expanding portfolio of JDN Realty Group, a Philippine-based property developer that has used the platform for over 10 years to support rapid expansion.
Founded more than 60 years ago and based in Angeles City, JDN manages over 65,000 square meters of leasable space across Central Luzon. The company adopted NetSuite to replace legacy systems and improve the speed, accuracy and visibility of its financial and operational processes.
“As our business has expanded several-fold, driven by growing urbanization and strong local economic activity, NetSuite has continued to scale with us to support increasing operational complexity,” Montenegro said. “With a unified platform to manage our financials and operations, we’ve been able to automate key processes, strengthen control across the business, expand insights, accelerate decision-making and grow with efficiency.”
Since implementing NetSuite, JDN has integrated workflows across finance, accounting, procurement and property operations, enabling tighter control and improved coordination across the organization. Financial reporting turnaround time has been reduced from four days to as little as one to two hours, while automation of fixed-asset depreciation and lease accounting has further improved accuracy and compliance. The company also reports a more than 300 percent increase in its tenant base, supported by improved scalability.
“In real estate, success depends on the ability to manage complex portfolios, streamline lease and financial operations and maintain real-time visibility across properties,” said Amit Suxena, group vice president and head of Asia at Oracle NetSuite. “With NetSuite, JDN has been able to unify finance, accounting, procurement and property operations on a single AI-powered ERP system. This has given the JDN team the flexibility, visibility and control it needs to adapt quickly, support growth and scale for long-term success.”
Amit Suxena, group vice president and head of Asia at Oracle NetSuite, said the JDN deployment reflects the broader needs of the real estate sector, where managing complex portfolios and maintaining real-time visibility are critical. He added that unifying core business functions on a single AI-enabled platform provides the flexibility and control required to scale sustainably.
NetSuite Next is expected to be rolled out to customers across Asean within the next 12 months as the company deepens its push to embed AI across enterprise systems while demonstrating measurable outcomes through regional adopters.
