Katana Reviews

“Great Tool to Help Growth Progress

Pros

Katana has been a valuable tool for our mid-sized business. It allows us to efficiently track inventory and link our Shopify orders. The ability to manage both manufactured and purchased products in one place has been a game-changer.

Cons

Initially setting up the software was a bit challenging, as expected, since we were trying to quickly connect all our channels. We accidentally zeroed out inventory or duplicated it more than once. However once we got it up and running, it proved to be very useful.

“The Manufacturing Resource Planning software that we needed

Pros

As someone new to Manufacturing Resource Planning tools I was pleasantly surprised by the extremely intuitive user interface of Katana. It has made it easy for our entire team to quickly adopt and utilize the system. The cost of not using this software far outweighs the investment, as it prevents delays and saves us time in tracking inventory and manufacturing status.

Cons

If I'm being very particular, I would like to see more options for documenting the manufacturing operation steps, such as adding images, rich text, and headers.

“Really useful for manufacturers

Pros

Katana has been a lifesaver for us in the raw materials to finished goods process. It has saved us days of work each month.

Cons

Having a dashboard for analytics would be helpful.

“Almost everything we need in one app

Pros

Solving our batch tracking issues is a breeze thanks to this software.

Cons

When raising a purchase order for specific materials from suppliers, it would be beneficial to have a list of all the items supplied by the selected supplier displayed on the screen for easy selection, rather than having to remember which supplier each ingredient comes from.

“Great Software for Custom Production

Pros

The support from Katana is always helpful, with quick responses and detailed answers to our questions. We've been using the app for two months now and are loving it. The adjustment period was simple, and importing our data for setup was straightforward.

Cons

It would be fantastic if we could count inventory using a barcode scanner instead of manually entering quantities and then importing them.

“Smooth Operator

Pros

Katana has made our day-to-day business operations much smoother and stress-free. Building out product lines, uploading SKUs, and going live was easy. It's a game-changer.

Cons

When it comes to the production schedule, I am hoping that eventually, the software will group all the tasks together. Currently, each order from multiple consumers for the same item is listed as its own line item instead of being grouped. This means our production team has to carefully review the tasks before starting production to ensure they capture each item and avoid redundant work.

“Worth every penny

Pros

With its integration with my Shopify store, Katana provides a closed-loop system that tells me exactly what I need to make and how much of each part is required.

Cons

It would be great to have some additional automation features. For example, when I create a make order for a product with subassemblies, the software should automatically create make-orders for all the subassemblies. It would also be helpful if it could generate purchase orders for any missing parts. However, I understand that such a feature could potentially lead to other issues.

“Very Useful

Pros

Katana has multiple features that have significantly improved our manufacturing processes. Creating recipes for each product has been a huge help, considering the number of raw materials we use. The Shop Floor app has been brilliant for tracking production/assembly time accurately, allowing us to determine the cost per unit precisely.

Cons

The batch tracking feature, although excellent, hasn't met our expectations completely. It would be incredibly useful if it could work automatically with our Shopify orders. Currently, sales orders can only be associated with specific batches if they are fulfilled on the Katana dashboard. We need this process to happen automatically when our Shopify orders are fulfilled.

“Easy to use and helpful

Pros

Although it takes some time to set up and deploy, Katana becomes incredibly helpful once it's up and running. Generating purchase orders, updating stock levels, and tracking sales and orders have never been easier. It offers all the necessary functions without the unnecessary complexities found in expensive MRP systems.

Cons

I wish there was a way to have a negative stock variant, where a single product represents a subtraction rather than having to create a new product recipe without that one item. It would also be helpful to group materials together without having to create separate products for them. Each product generates its own make order, but sometimes it's not something that can be made individually. Instead, it represents all the parts that make up an assembly. Currently, there is no way to create a group of materials that doesn't become its own product, which the system thinks needs to be made as an inventory item.

“Worth the Price

Pros

Katana is easy to learn, set up, and use. The visual tool provides an immediate overview of available production orders and inventory levels. It's userfriendly for shop floor workers, improving communication between the shop and office. Scheduling becomes quick and effortless.

Cons

It would be great if the software had an integrated scheduling calendar that could be personalized and blocked out according to production times per order. Additionally, when backing up, it would be more convenient if it took you back to the previous page instead of the main sell or make page, saving the time and effort of finding your place again. These minor improvements would make the software nearly perfect for our needs.

“Inventory Software

Pros

Once we had our products in Katana, we realized the power it gave our small global company to gain control of inventory across all locations.

Cons

We got a bit sidetracked with the materials aspect, which seemed promising initially but ended up complicating things for us.

“Intuitive and well designed

Pros

The implementation of Katana was intuitive and easy. I appreciate the ability to prioritize builds and customize where products go, especially when we're short on supply.

Cons

I wish there was a way to add materials to sales orders. Sometimes, we sell different parts, and it would be nice to include them in a sales order.

“Katana lacks of basic user functionality

Pros

The clean deployment and user-friendly interface of Katana make it a joy to use.

Cons

Unfortunately, there is no change log feature, multi-currency support, or the ability to print purchase orders.

“Super easy to use while not compromising on functionality

Pros

Katana is a visual, modern, and easy touse solution.I love how Katana provides a visual, modern, and userfriendly experience. It gives me an instant overview of our standing without overwhelming me with unnecessary features. Both the managerial team and the production unit find it highly effective in fulfilling orders. The customer support is exceptional, with quick responses and attention to detail. Integration with our existing sales software was a breeze.

Cons

Honestly, there's nothing to complain about. The customer support team promptly addressed all my questions and concerns.

“Best MRP/inventory manager for small business

Pros

Katanas user friendly interface and clutter free design make it incredibly easy to use. This was the deciding factor for me when comparing it to other similar products. Everything is wellorganized and easy to navigate, while still offering almost everything I need. I particularly appreciate how any changes in the inventory are immediately reflected in open orders. It's a seamless experience, and I see the impact across all areas as soon as I make a change.

Cons

There's one feature I am missing, but I understand it may be specific to my business. It would be fantastic if I could organize my inventory not only by total combined weight but also by individual units. For example, if an order requires 500g of plastic in one piece, but I have two separate pieces of 250g each Katana will show that I have enough resources, even though I cannot fulfill my order since I need one unbroken piece. I've already contacted their support team, and they assured me that my request is on their wish list. I'm fairly confident it will be implemented eventually.

“Our Katana Experience

Pros

The ease of use and cost calculation features in Katana are incredibly helpful. I also appreciate the convenience of easily editing existing orders.

Cons

Adding a financial module to the software would make it a complete solution for manufacturers.

“Katana is great for inventory and stock adjustments!

Pros

Personally, I'm a big fan of the fact that I can save my product's SOPs and quickly access them when I need to make more. It's such a handy feature. Additionally, the process of adding inventory through a stock adjustment after making a product is simple and straightforward. I really enjoy using it!

Cons

The only thing I don't love is the stock adjustment process. I have to manually calculate the correct total for each item. For example, if I start the week with 35 of a specific item and throughout the week 17 get purchased, I have to use a calculator to figure out the correct total by subtracting 17 from 35. And I have to do this calculation for each individual item.

“Simple but Effective Inventory Management

Pros

In my experience, Katana has several pros. Firstly, it's really user-friendly, and the interface is great. The support team is responsive, although we didn't require much support because the knowledge base is comprehensive and detailed. Compared to other inventory management systems, the price is reasonable. The integrations with Shopify, Quickbooks and other platforms are good. As a manufacturer, it has made inventory tracking much easier for us. The time saved on Excel updates alone would cost more if we had complex operations.

Cons

CONS: - The integration with QuickBooks can be a bit iffy if I don't log in to QuickBooks beforehand. - The software lacks a multicurrency feature for purchase orders, which becomes an issue when buying inventory in a currency different from my main currency. - It's not easy to account for freight costs in the costs of purchasing raw materials. - Working in two browser tabs without paying for two users is not possible, and this can be frustrating.

“Most Intuitive MRP Ever

Pros

When I was looking for a solution for our seasonal manufacturing workers, I needed something that wouldn't require extensive training. I found that Katana's UI is the most intuitive out of all the MRP systems I explored. The ability to re-prioritize jobs and the automatic stock refactoring feature are awesome. Moreover, the team behind Katana is highly responsive to feature ideas and issues. The seamless integration with WooCommerce makes fulfilling customer orders super easy.

Cons

The software doesn't have everything we need, some of which I thought would be basic features (such as Bin Locations, Supplier Product Codes, and Purchase Orders that can be emailed directly to suppliers). However, there are workarounds for all of those, and I've been assured that they are planned for future development.

“Inventory management for small businesses

Pros

I found the setup process for Katana to be a breeze. With just a few tutorial videos, I was able to set up our entire inventory management system. It's easy to train staff on and maintain as well

Cons

I appreciate the integration with QuickBooks, but I wish there was not only an invoicing feature but also a feature for estimates.