If you own or manage a small or midsize business in the manufacturing industry, you’re likely aware that manufacturing software helps companies manage orders and schedule production jobs using accurate bills of materials and inventory management to ensure all components are available.
With plenty of manufacturing software available in the market to choose from, making the right decision for your business requires careful evaluation and consideration. To help you shortlist the right tool, we’ve created a list of top-rated manufacturing software solutions that have been rated well by real software users like you.
This report recognizes twelve products that stood out among 1000+ applications in 4 manufacturing-related categories to deliver excellent value, according to feedback from thousands of reviews from software users.
Here’s our list of twelve products, selected based on their appearance in at least seven FrontRunners reports—our annual reports that rate the top software products based on user reviews. The products that appeared in the most FrontRunners reports appear at the top of the list.
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 7
Odoo is a business management platform that offers various applications to streamline your every business need or process including CRM, POS, accounting, manufacturing, email marketing, invoicing, and many more.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Odoo:
Pros:
- “This software has every module of a business management software. Very easy to use and learn.”
- “Odoo comes with integrated apps for CRM, eCommerce, accounting, PoS, and project management. The software is easy to implement with detailed documentation and active community support.”
- “I love that multiple users can use Odoo and that it had many dimensions. Use what you need, don’t pay for what you don’t need.”
Cons:
- “Customization is not easier, with depth documentation is required, which is unfortunately is not publicised.”
- “Can’t even import data – have to pay their techs to do everything – which, of course, they flatly deny. So you keep paying them and paying them thinking that one day you’ll be able to use the system.”
- “It is actually quite a rigid software meaning it may not adapt well to industries that it wasn’t used in prior. Of course we can customize it but that adds time, money and complexity.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Odoo in 2022: Purchase Order, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality Management, Production Scheduling, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 5
Genius ERP is a manufacturing ERP software designed for custom manufacturers. The solution helps the manufacturers to reduce cost, increase productivity and improve business performance with tools including accounting, scheduling, product engineering, production planning, and job costing.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Genius ERP:
Pros:
- “Genius is a very easy user friendly system. If you know how one module works you can navigate your way through every single module with ease.”
- “We like the ability of this software to be able to handle custom BOM’s that we use in our manufacturing processes. This allows us to load BOM’s to the system and manage our manufacturing for each course.”
- “The engineering lifecycle module is extremely powerful for custom manufacturers where a BOM can be adjusted infinitely with various versions.”
Cons:
- “Shortage of formulating quantities, shortage of built-in analytical tools.”
- “Prepare to pay for every little thing, while a service contract has updates included in them, there are still fees for them to install those updates.”
- “The modification of job-lot brings difficulties, Some job-lot remains empty even if their production is complete.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Genius ERP in 2022: Quality Management, Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 5
JobBOSS is a job shop management solution for manufacturers and job shop owners. The solution can assist you with quote processing, order processing, shop floor control, inventory control, shipping, estimates, and data visualization.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about JobBOSS:
Pros:
- “In the Manufacturing stage, this software helps to track all the time and material of multiple jobs at ease. It was easy to train all the employees the process of scanning time & material.”
- “From orders to invoices all the jobs carry though the process and the reports allow users to see where gaps are.”
- “Modules help keep track of customer orders and any related processes for each order. Can be used on any computer with web access.”
Cons:
- “We do find the search aspect to be a little difficult.”
- “The homepage user interface is difficult to look at. There is a lack of customization options concerning fonts, text size, etc.”
- “The only issue I have struggled with is user access to data. To give a user rights to view certain data, they also are allowed access to edit it.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed JobBOSS in 2022: Purchase Order, Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 5
Kinetic is an ERP solution designed for manufacturers to focus on planning and managing all resources across locations and company boundaries. The solution has all the features you need to scale, compete, and attract top talent to your organization including CRM, advanced planning and scheduling, supply chain management, product lifecycle management, and quality management system.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Kinetic:
Pros:
- “Epicor Advanced MES software is best for big manufacturing industries because in EPICOR, production tracking is awesome. We can estimate the time and cost with that.”
- “Relatively easy to upgrade and stay on current releases. Great administrative tools and ability to add resources as demand grow, including localizing servers for better performance.”
- “I liked the approach of the software despite the fact that it was necessary to take new benchmarks but that is the goal of a new software.”
Cons:
- “We struggle with scheduling complexities and the reporting tools are limited.”
- “CRM is not good, also the web version has so much problems when we compare to other competitors.”
- “There is a lot of glitching and crashing with this software. Most problems require you to restart the software.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Kinetic in 2022: Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, MRP, Manufacturing Execution, Quality Management
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 5
NetSuite is a business management software suite that integrates various applications such as ERP, accounting, CRM, HCM, omnichannel commerce, reporting and analytics. The solution offers real-time insights into operational and financial performance while automating core processes.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about NetSuite:
Pros:
- “Easy of use by business users and capability to build their own reports, Ability to customize by adding desired custom fields etc. fairly easily. NS support is quite commendable.”
- “Ability to write saved searches that use the data any way you wish. It was a lot of work, but I basically implemented the software myself with the NetSuite team.”
- “Endless possibilities with Netsuite. Customization is very powerful and relatively easy to use.”
Cons:
- “Expense reporting is very painful, no scanning of receipts and auto-import. Everything needs to be manually entered.”
- “It comes with standard reports. Unfortunately, If you need customize reports these are billable.”
- “Complex to customize and confusing navigation. It requires deep training before using it.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed NetSuite in 2022: Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, Procurement, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
DEAR Systems is a ERP software specifically designed for small and medium businesses. It is a comprehensive solution that includes various modules such as manufacturing, purchasing, sales, inventory management, accounting, POS, and warehouse management.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about DEAR Systems:
Pros:
- “Very easy to navigate through different tabs and everything is accessible to find. I really like the Auto-Assemble and disassemble feature, very helpful.”
- “A solid inventory management/ERP system that is cloud-based, robust but simple & straightforward to use, and with a solid customer support team.”
- “So glad to be able to maintain what the true physical inventory is and not have to try to keep up with the travelling inventory too.”
Cons:
- “I do not like that the FIFO- Batch feature has no way to be overridden, this makes it very very hard to work with things that may be on hold or larger orders.”
- “Doesn’t automatically update products in Shopify like TG did. Have to split inventory update imports to 1000 lines which is a pain.”
- “Purchase orders only show product name and not variant/option names so if you are trying to order 3 colours of the same product, the PO will show 3 line items of the same product.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed DEAR Systems in 2022: Manufacturing, Purchase Order, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
Fishbowl is a manufacturing and warehouse inventory management software for small and medium businesses. The solution lets you generate work orders and track inventory. It also integrates with accounting software to scale your business.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Fishbowl:
Pros:
- “Fishbowl is very intuitive and user friendly. It allows for quick and easy material movements, reports and easy access to snapshot the entire business’ status.”
- “Relatively easy to implement and lots of integration options. We use it for manufacturing and it gets the job done.”
- “The layout is easy to grasp and teach other. It has multiple levels for tracking inventory, such as lot numbers.”
Cons:
- “To be fair, this may be as much QuickBooks’ problem as Fishbowl’s. The software also tends to be buggy after new releases.”
- “Reports can’t be customized easily, can’t drill down from Part to “receptions” for that part (on what PO it was bought and when where the last receipts).”
- “When I click to a field it will either automatically select all data previously entered, others it will place the curser right where I wanted. Can’t use the Ctrl+Z to undo typing mistakes.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Fishbowl in 2022: Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
Katana Manufacturing ERP is a manufacturing ERP software that enables you to gain clear visibility over the inventory sales and order management. The solution also provides the control over the total shop floor while tracking manufacturing costs based on product operations.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Katana Manufacturing ERP:
Pros:
- “We have been able to track inventory more efficiently and link our shopify orders. Since we both manufacture products and buy products, this was a great place that we could track both in.”
- “Handling of inventory, items, products, ingredients, sales orders – all this is handled in a very efficient, clear and easy to use way. Makes the difference compared to many alternative MRP-/ERP-systems.”
- “The simplicity of the product is what I love the most. Exactly what you need to run manufacturing and inventory.”
Cons:
- “I wish there was a way to have a negative stock variant (a single product that represents a product subtraction rather than having to make a full copy of a product recipe minus that one single item).”
- “I had some issue with the conversions during the product builds, so I am not sure if you could have multiple conversions for a product.”
- “It’s not easy to account for freight costs in the costs of buying raw materials. You can’t work in 2 browser tabs without paying for 2 users, this can be a little frustrating.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Katana Manufacturing ERP in 2022: Manufacturing Execution, MRP, Production Scheduling, Manufacturing
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
MRPeasy is a manufacturing suite designed for small businesses that combines different modules in a solution, such as CRM, procurement, and supply chain management. The solution streamlines the purchasing process while managing every purchase order and organizing purchase cycles.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about MRPeasy:
Pros:
- “It is a complete POS and Management software. They have videos for training that are easy to follow.”
- “It has been very intuitive the learn how to use, and support has been excellent on the odd occasion it was required.”
- “The flow of production through the system is very logical and streamlined. It captures all details and is great at job costing and inventory management.”
Cons:
- “Limited customization on the dashboards and reports are also a bit simple.”
- “No telephone support and this is problematic, as generic solutions are not solving our problem.”
- “All the data I require is in the system, but not always the easiest to access or generate a report about.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed MRPeasy in 2022: Manufacturing Execution, Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, MRP
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
Prodsmart is a manufacturing execution solution designed for portable and mobile devices. The solution can be used by the floor supervisors and machine operators directly from their workstations rather than stepping away from the floor.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Prodsmart:
Pros:
- “Interactive dashboards easy to understand. Quick response time on the support chat.”
- “The Prodsmart team provided great service- they were extremely helpful and responsive during the setup process and were quick to assist with any questions or challenges.”
- “The software is extremely user friendly and customer support is incredibly quick and understanding.”
Cons:
- “There is no automy with making system changes.”
- “Inputting the initial data, but this should get less burdensome as time goes by.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Prodsmart in 2022: Manufacturing Execution, MRP, Production Scheduling, Manufacturing
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
Sage 100cloud is a ERP solution designed for discrete manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and professional service processes. It streamlines the manufacturing business in terms of providing greater visibility into the status of every item and optimized inventory.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Sage 100cloud:
Pros:
- “The production management module helps us keep track of all inventoried products and our built product. It can be easy to use if you know what you are doing.”
- “The software is perfect for billing customers, sending statements, gathering finacial data for financial reporting.”
- “Being able to have different dates used per module is useful when you are able to use them properly.”
Cons:
- “Quite expensive, customer support is dire (when you can actually get anyone) and it’s quite difficult software to use if you are not trained in accountancy.”
- “You’ll notice lag in the system regardless of the hardware resources assigned to it.”
- “We updated and quickly realized some modules hadn’t carried over correctly. It was taken care of fast but could’ve caused problems down the road.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Sage 100cloud in 2022: Manufacturing, Production Scheduling, MRP, Manufacturing Execution
Number of appearances in 2022 FrontRunners reports: 4
Statii is an ERP and MRP software designed for small manufacturing businesses. The solution helps in creating work orders, scheduling, inventory management, managing purchase orders, invoicing, contact management, and reporting.
Here’s what reviewers on Software Advice say about Statii:
Pros:
- “Statii is very easy to navigate and does not take long to understand how it works. It makes your stock levels very easy to track and order if necessary.”
- “I find statii very user friendly and picked it fairly easily. The dashboard allows you to access the area you require in order to find out relevant information, i.e. the status of a current order.”
- “It is so easy access all documents relating to a particular job from one screen, eg work orders, delivery notes drawings etc. Very good and easy to use management of inventory items.”
Cons:
- “Sometimes the interface can be a little awkward when entering text e.g. copy/pasting from different sources.”
- “No read receipts on emails, unable to get quotes from the supplier after entering the BOM.”
- “If a part has been fast completed by accident there are no obviously options for the part to be taken back out of delivery notes.”
Source
FrontRunners reports that listed Statii in 2022: Manufacturing Execution, MRP, Production Scheduling, Manufacturing
Find the best manufacturing software to help your business thrive in 2022
Adopting a technological advanced manufacturing software can give your business all of the benefits the tool has to offer without a steep learning curve. Manufacturing software enables you to manage shop floor management and scheduling to time tracking as well as accounting.
Finding a platform that’s simple to use can be a great way to start the software buying process.
Learn more about Software Advice FrontRunners
To come up with this top-rated product list, we looked at all the FrontRunners reports for each manufacturing related category published over the first half of 2022 (January 2022 to June 2022). From there, we noted which products have appeared in multiple FrontRunners reports across the multiple categories.
For qualification, each product must have been featured in at least four of the following categories FrontRunners report: manufacturing, manufacturing execution, MRP, procurement, production scheduling, purchase order, and quality management. In the event that two or more products were featured in an equal number of software categories, we listed them alphabetically.
Software Advice’s FrontRunners data play a vital role in creating this report. To produce our FrontRunners reports, we consider recent, published user reviews for individual software products in order to rank and score them based on their usability and customer satisfaction scores.
The data we collect for FrontRunners reports falls within a set time frame and is not updated after publication (in this case, as of July 28, 2022). For that reason, FrontRunners reports should be interpreted as a snapshot of reviews data.
To learn more about FrontRunners methodology, you can find our current version and explanations for inclusion criteria and scoring here.
Note: Product profile information and review snippets were picked from the product’s Software Advice profile as of July 28, 2022.
Review excerpts are passages extracted from longer reviews written by verified reviewers. We obtain these excerpts by applying an algorithm that considers factors including, but not limited to, word count and topic coverage. Excerpts are evaluated for positive or negative sentiment and receive a sentiment score. We are only highlighting excerpts with the highest positive sentiment scores in this document.
Excerpts represent user opinion and do not represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by Software Advice or its affiliates. Excerpts are not edited for clarity or grammar.
Disclaimer: The full text of the reviews excerpted are from published reviews on SoftwareAdvice.com for the associated product in the listed category on the date this content was published. Software Advice makes no guarantee that the reviews will remain posted for the entire period this report is active.
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