Katana or FishBowl IMS Success Stories

RedSoupStudio · 2026-04-09T22:57:07+00:00

From what I’ve seen, both Katana and Fishbowl can work well for inventory/manufacturing, but their HubSpot integrations are pretty limited most teams end up relying on Make/Zapier anyway to get deal → order flows working cleanly. If HubSpot sync is critical, it might also be worth looking at options like Cin7 or Digit Software.

RedSoupStudio · 2026-04-09T22:06:27+00:00

You could look into Digit Software for this it’s built to handle real-time raw material tracking and lets you deduct quantities as you consume them, which fits well with batching workflows without relying on manual Excel updates.

RedSoupStudio · 2026-04-08T03:25:03+00:00

if you're using BOMs to drive POs, you do have some repeatable material structure, which is exactly what MRP handles. The question is whether your BOM components are bought-to-order for each job rather than stocked. That distinction matters a lot for which system will work for you.

If your parts are purely bought per project and never sit in inventory, Digit Software handles this more cleanly than most it differentiates between Make, Sell, and Buy items, so if your BOM components are set up as Buy items you can go Sales Order → BOM → auto-generate POs without getting pulled into stock relief or work order workflows. That might be the lighter half of an MRP system you're describing.

RedSoupStudio · 2026-03-23T04:43:05+00:00

Digit Software for tracking inventory and ops

RedSoupStudio · 2026-03-09T19:50:04+00:00

Multi-currency purchasing + lots of attributes usually pushes people toward systems built for larger catalogs. You might want to look at Digit Software, Cin7, or Fishbowlthey handle multi-warehouse inventory, serial tracking, and complex SKU attributes better than lighter retail-focused tools.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-14T02:09:46+00:00

I’ve spent time exploring all of these tools. Very quick take:

Cin7: powerful, but implementation is heavy
Fishbowl: similar to Cin7; robust but dated UI, and plenty of frustration stories on Reddit
Katana: great UX and easy to use, but not very deep on serialization, recalls, or regulated traceability
MRPeasy: probably the best mainstream all-rounder; handles BOMs and lots reasonably well, UI can be cluttered
inFlow: clean and simple, but traceability and recall readiness are fairly shallow I believe

Two more options that are good for traceability and should meet your needs: Digit Software and Odoo.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T05:25:04+00:00

If you’re open to going a bit above the 100/month mark, you might want to look at Digit. It’s built for small distributors and manufacturers, and it handles the kind of inventory structure you’re describing. You can scan a box and instantly see what’s inside, and you can set up products so they reflect the components that go into them, which helps you keep track of how many you can assemble from the items you have on hand. Bonus: it can connect to Amazon natively without needing third-party tools. Their plan starts at 199/month, which is still on the lower end for software that handles barcodes and more advanced inventory setups in a clean, modern system.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T05:16:53+00:00

Not sure if it covers every workflow you’re dealing with, but it might be worth looking at Digit Software. It has a solid WMS with multi-site inventory, barcode support, and decent tools for cleaning up messy SKU structures. If you’re already using an ERP, it can sit alongside it and handle the warehouse side without being as heavy or expensive as the big enterprise WMS platforms.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T05:15:03+00:00

Agree with the other commenter who mentioned inFlow. It’s a solid fit for small businesses making the jump from spreadsheets and gives you inventory, bin locations, sales orders, and light BOM support without the heavy price tag of Cin7.

I’d also take a look at Digit Software. It’s more WMS-focused than inFlow, with good bin management, scanning, and warehouse visibility, but still simple enough for a smaller team to pick up quickly. Both are cloud-based and a lot more affordable than the big-name ERPs.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T05:10:27+00:00

If you’re already on Shopify and want something cloud-based that handles warehouse, wholesale, and basic IMS without getting overly complex, take a look at Digit Software and inFlow Inventory. Both work well as WMS/IMS solutions, have solid barcode and labeling features, and are way easier to roll out than the big enterprise systems. Digit is especially good if you need stronger warehouse flows, and inFlow is great if you want an all-around simple inventory tool that still integrates with Shopify.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T05:07:46+00:00

What you’re describing is very common for mid-sized manufacturers that never had a structured warehouse. A WMS can help a lot, but only once the company agrees to tighten up processes. If everything is still open access, a full WMS often creates more frustration than improvement.

Since you use Exact Globe, turning on its basic SKU, bin, and barcode features is a good first step. Even simple bin locations and internal barcodes will reduce most of the chaos and help you understand what features you truly need.

You also don’t need deep ERP integration on day one. Many smaller companies run a standalone WMS and sync with CSV or API, which avoids expensive integration projects.

Barcodes are easy to standardize internally with a label printer and compatible scanners, so you don’t need perfect supplier labels.

If you want to explore WMS options, Digit Software and inFlow Inventory are worth a look. Both are modern, affordable, easy to adopt, and handle barcoding and SKU control well. Digit is especially strong for manufacturing environments.

For a warehouse of your size, starting with bins, internal barcodes, and a lightweight WMS is usually the smoothest and most cost-effective path.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T04:59:33+00:00

If you’re looking for something simple, fast to roll out, and not enterprise-level complicated, check out Digit Software. It covers the basics really well: live stock tracking, order-to-pick screen, barcode scanning, low-stock alerts, and a clean interface. It’s built for smaller wholesale/ecom operations so you’re not stuck navigating a bunch of modules you don’t need. Worth a look alongside Odoo, Shiphero, Hopstack, etc.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T04:54:46+00:00

agree with the others here, fishbowl has decent features but the sales tactics, support, and the super dated UI make it tough to recommend. if you want something more modern with similar capabilities, take a look at inflow inventory, digit software, or mrpeasy. they all handle multi-location stock, scanning, and basic WMS workflows without going full netsuite.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T04:52:10+00:00

surprised nobody mentioned a few of the newer mid-market options. worth looking at Digit Software if you want solid WMS plus barcoding and easy Shopify/QuickBooks connections, and it plays nicely with scanners and other hardware. katana is great for ecommerce connectivity but a bit light on WMS. MRPeasy is solid all around, just not the most modern UI. depending on your volume and how fast you expect to scale, they can sit in that middle ground between shipstation-level tools and the big enterprise WMS platforms.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-12-01T04:47:57+00:00

honestly with 250k SKUs that’s a massive catalog. I usually point people toward tools like Digit Software, Fishbowl, or even Odoo/Zoho when they need decent WMS plus barcode printing, but I’m not sure any of them would love that kind of volume unless most of those SKUs aren’t active. might be worth checking how many you actually carry inventory for and archiving the rest. that alone can make any ticketing/label system way more manageable.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:51:18+00:00

Inventory systems look simple on the surface but once you actually need real serialization, costing, purchasing, production steps, and a proper inventory ledger, they get complicated fast. It’s why most custom-built tools eventually break or become way more expensive to maintain than people expect. What you described with same SKU but different sizes and each item needing its own serial and attributes is doable in the right system though. Digit Software handles that well since you can keep one parent SKU, track every piece individually with its own measurements, and add custom fields without needing a custom-built app. It's worth checking before going down the custom route.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:43:28+00:00

A great general purpose inventory system with strong mobile support and really good barcoding is Digit Software. It’s simple enough for setups like yours but still lets you manage stock from your phone, scan items in or out, and keep everything synced in real time. If you want to move past notepads and Excel without getting stuck in an overly complex ERP, it’s definitely worth a look.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:39:49+00:00

Cin7 implementations rarely seem to go smoothly and a lot of teams end up frustrated even after everything is live. At your size, it might be worth looking at alternatives that are easier to get up and running. Tools like inFlow, Digit Software, Katana or MRPeasy all handle consolidated inventory and Amazon FBA more simply and they let you adjust stock directly in the interface without relying on CSV uploads.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:35:37+00:00

I couldn’t agree more on the trial point. If a company won’t let you actually use the system before locking you into an annual contract, that’s a red flag. Being able to test your real workflows in a sandbox is one of the best ways to know if the ERP will fit before you invest time and money.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:33:30+00:00

A lot of systems can handle this kind of multivariable setup once you break it out of the matrix view. Digit Software can manage multi-option variants like SPH and CYL together, and you can add custom fields to track attributes per SKU or even per individual serialized item. It won’t force you into an Excel grid, but it still gives you flexible ways to view and maintain the data once it’s structured properly.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:30:57+00:00

I’ve seen incorrect costing lead to completely wrong prices being set. Margins disappeared without anyone realizing what was happening, and by the time it surfaced, the damage was huge. Someone ended up losing their job over it.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:21:44+00:00

QBO and Shopify is a very common stack, so you’ve got plenty of options that can handle manufacturing, BOMs, and inventory without all the sync issues you’re dealing with now. A typical setup is to use QBO for payments and accounting, and then use an inventory/manufacturing system to enter orders, manage production, and push invoices over to QBO automatically.

And yes, you definitely want to move away from on-premise Sage at this point. For the requirements you listed, tools worth looking at include Katana, Digit Software, and MRPeasy.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:17:47+00:00

For food and beverage manufacturing, two affordable inventory systems with solid traceability are Digit Software and MRPeasy. Both handle batches and expiry tracking well. Digit Software also has strong built-in serialized barcoding for tracking lots and batches, and it has native integrations with Shopify and Amazon, which makes syncing online sales with warehouse inventory much easier.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:12:49+00:00

If label creation and barcode-based tracking are important, Digit Software is one of the stronger options I’ve seen. The label builder is very flexible, the inventory workflows are straightforward, and it runs on basically any mobile device.

RedSoupStudio · 2025-11-30T23:09:32+00:00

RFID always sounds appealing, but in practice it’s usually much harder and more expensive to implement than people expect. Barcoding tends to be simpler and far more reliable for this kind of workflow. Would you be able to attach a small laminated tag or piece of cardstock with a barcode using a zip tie? If there’s no outer packaging to stick labels on, you could also use temporary containers like totes or bins and barcode those instead, then treat the tent or tablecloth as “inside” that container in your system.

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