Struggling with production delays and high costs?
Managing complex workflows with outdated systems leads to constant firefighting, eating into your profits and time while causing supply chain bottlenecks.
This manual approach makes it nearly impossible to get real-time visibility into your operations, leading to quality control issues and unplanned downtime.
This skills gap puts immense pressure on your existing team. Deloitte reports nearly 1.9 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled, making operational efficiency more critical than ever.
But you can overcome these hurdles. The right software gives you the tools to streamline your entire production process from start to finish.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through my top picks for the best manufacturing software to help you boost productivity and cut costs.
You will discover solutions to improve quality control, enhance scheduling, and make smarter, data-driven decisions for your business.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katana → | Manufacturing managers | |
| 2 | Plex → | Large-scale manufacturers | |
| 3 | Fishbowl → | Multi-location businesses | |
| 4 | Global Shop Solutions → | Mid-sized manufacturers | |
| 5 | Epicor → | Enterprise manufacturers |
1. Katana
Struggling with complex production workflows and missed deadlines?
Katana offers real-time inventory and production management to give you full visibility.
This means you can say goodbye to those constant production delays and finally gain control over your entire manufacturing process.
It’s time to streamline your operations.
Katana helps manufacturing managers and operations executives gain real-time visibility into their entire manufacturing process. This means your team can optimize production, manage purchases, and track sales orders from one centralized platform, reducing manual errors.
You’ll find features like the real-time master planner, which automatically allocates resources, and the Shop Floor App for optimizing production. This comprehensive oversight ensures better quality control and reduced wastage, helping you improve efficiency. Additionally, Katana integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and accounting tools like QuickBooks, making it simpler to manage omnichannel sales and keep your financial data in sync.
The result? Streamlined operations and enhanced decision-making.
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Key features:
- Real-time inventory and production management: Get live insights into stock and end-to-end traceability, optimizing inventory levels and ensuring on-time deliveries.
- Integrated sales and purchase management: Consolidate all online/offline sales channels and issue purchase orders, complete with AI-powered automation and sales insights.
- Advanced planning and forecasting: Improve inventory planning and reduce lead times by automating demand predictions using historical data, supporting MTS and MTO workflows.
Katana features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Katana is an excellent choice for manufacturing managers seeking the best manufacturing software to cut costs and boost efficiency. Its powerful real-time visibility and comprehensive integration capabilities help businesses like Found Surface scale textile manufacturing 5x and Peace Collective increase on-demand product ranges by 50%.
2. Plex
Struggling with production chaos and unexpected downtime?
Plex’s Smart Manufacturing Platform connects your people, systems, machines, and supply chains.
This means you can eliminate manual errors and drive efficiency across your operations.
Here’s how to gain clarity.
Plex brings together Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Quality Management System (QMS) functionalities. This creates a unified view from the plant floor to the top floor, allowing you to track and analyze critical data.
You can also leverage Supply Chain Planning (SCP) and Production Monitoring to anticipate issues, optimize resource allocation, and ensure smooth production flows. Plus, Asset Performance Management (APM) and Connected Worker solutions help you prevent unplanned downtime, boost quality control, and improve overall operational efficiency. This results in informed decisions, reduced waste, and adherence to compliance, driving significant cost savings and enabling scalable growth.
The result is smarter, more agile manufacturing.
Key features:
- Unified Platform: Integrates MES, ERP, and QMS to connect people, systems, machines, and supply chains for end-to-end visibility.
- Automation & Monitoring: Automates business processes and provides real-time production monitoring for improved efficiency and reduced errors.
- Data-Driven Insights: Tracks and analyzes data from the plant floor to the top floor, enabling better decision-making and continuous improvement.
Plex features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Plex stands out as a leading contender for best manufacturing software by offering a comprehensive platform that addresses the core challenges of production workflows and supply chain bottlenecks, ensuring streamlined operations, better quality control, and enhanced data-driven decision-making.
3. Fishbowl
Struggling with manufacturing inefficiencies and high costs?
Fishbowl offers comprehensive inventory, warehousing, and manufacturing solutions to streamline your operations.
This means you gain real-time visibility across all locations, eliminating costly manual errors and delays.
Let’s transform your production workflow.
Fishbowl empowers you to manage everything from simple to complex manufacturing processes, ensuring resources are properly allocated for measurable success. You can handle Bill of Materials (BOM) for single or multiple builds and connect inventory and sales directly to manufacturing workflows. Additionally, Material Resource Planning (MRP) ensures you know precisely when and where parts are needed, tracking progress for better efficiency.
Their AI Insights deliver on-demand business data and actionable analytics, helping you make informed decisions instantly. Plus, with Fishbowl Commerce Suite, you can keep stock in sync across all sales channels, preventing stockouts and overselling while streamlining order fulfillment. The result is increased accuracy, traceability, and overall operational efficiency.
Boost your manufacturing success today.
While optimizing your operations, managing your cash flow effectively is also crucial. My article on best accounts receivable software covers solutions for improving financial health.
Key features:
- Real-time Inventory Management: Track inventory across all locations, automate low stock alerts, and integrate asset tracking for complete visibility and reduced errors.
- Comprehensive Manufacturing Control: Manage simple to complex processes with Bill of Materials (BOM), Manufacture and Work Orders, and Material Resource Planning (MRP) for efficient production.
- Seamless Accounting Integration: Connect inventory and manufacturing data with QuickBooks, Xero, and other accounting solutions for effortless data sharing and accurate financial insights.
Fishbowl features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Fishbowl is a highly effective manufacturing software solution, offering robust inventory and warehouse management features that directly address common pain points like production delays and manual errors. Its powerful integrations with QuickBooks make it an excellent choice for businesses aiming to cut costs and boost efficiency.
4. Global Shop Solutions
Struggling with production chaos and unexpected delays?
Global Shop Solutions offers integrated ERP software designed to simplify your manufacturing operations from start to finish. This means you can gain control over complex workflows.
Their system provides comprehensive modules, ensuring you can deliver a quality part on time, every time. This helps address common pain points like production delays and quality control issues.
You need tools that empower your team.
Global Shop Solutions’ integrated software includes essential modules for production, finance, and management. You can efficiently schedule jobs, collect shop floor data, and manage quality control. This allows you to identify and resolve production bottlenecks quickly. Additionally, features like inventory management, purchasing, and shipping help avoid stock-outs. Plus, with modules for accounting, HR, payroll, and CRM, you gain full visibility into your operations, enabling smarter decisions.
The result is streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency.
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Key features:
- Integrated Production Management: Manage scheduling, shop floor data collection, quality control, and routing to ensure parts move through your shop faster and on time.
- Comprehensive Financial Control: Track job costing, manage accounts payable and receivable, handle HR and payroll, and generate financial statements for complete financial visibility.
- Real-time Business Intelligence: Utilize dashboards and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor operations from any device, empowering data-driven decision-making for management.
Global Shop Solutions features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking to streamline complex workflows and boost operational efficiency, Global Shop Solutions is a top contender for the best manufacturing software. Its comprehensive suite, from production and inventory to finance and CRM, helps you gain real-time visibility and control, ensuring your team can schedule jobs and deliver on time, every time.
5. Epicor
Struggling with complex production workflows and delays?
Epicor offers specific manufacturing solutions like Epicor Kinetic and MES to optimize your plant’s efficiency.
This means you can address supply chain bottlenecks and resource allocation issues, leading to streamlined operations and better quality control.
Simplify your processes with smart software.
Epicor’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms and AI-driven applications combine deep industry knowledge with smart software solutions tailored for your manufacturing business. This includes Epicor Kinetic, designed to transform your business operations.
With smart factory technology and People-Centric AI, you can elevate your manufacturing by optimizing efficiency, staying nimble, and being flexible. Additionally, Epicor’s solutions help with big-picture inventory management, accurate forecasting, and timely delivery. Their Business Intelligence and Data Management tools empower you to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and make faster, more informed decisions by building a robust data supply chain across your enterprise.
This provides the real-time visibility you need.
Key features:
- ERP Platforms: Provides end-to-end Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions like Epicor Kinetic for comprehensive management of manufacturing operations.
- AI-Driven Applications: Offers People-Centric AI and automation features that empower your team, optimize supply chains, and manage inventory efficiently.
- Data Management & Business Intelligence: Delivers tools for data accuracy, security, collaboration, and unlocking insights for faster, more informed decision-making.
Epicor features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Epicor stands out as a best manufacturing software choice, helping you tackle production delays and resource inefficiencies. With its focus on future-proof ERP and smart factory technology, Epicor empowers you to optimize operations, enhance data-driven decision-making, and achieve sustainable business growth.
6. QAD
Are production delays and rising costs slowing you down?
QAD offers Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to streamline your operations from sales to manufacturing. This means you can integrate your entire business on one platform.
You can centralize data, automate workflows, and gain visibility, helping you avoid complex production workflows and manual errors. This leads to improved efficiency.
Here’s how to simplify your manufacturing processes.
QAD provides solutions like Production Execution, Inventory and Traceability, and Data Collection, which directly address common operational pain points. These features help you manage everything from the shop floor to inventory accuracy.
Additionally, QAD’s Quality Management System (QMS) includes features like document control, training management, and auditing. This means you can ensure compliance and maintain high product quality. Plus, its robust Supply Chain Planning tools, including Demand Planning and Advanced Scheduling, optimize resource allocation and reduce bottlenecks. The result is better quality control and less wastage.
Ultimately, QAD helps you achieve streamlined, data-driven manufacturing.
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Key features:
- Comprehensive ERP system: Integrates manufacturing, sales, financials, and supply chain, providing a unified view to eliminate data silos and improve decision-making across your organization.
- Advanced Quality Management: Features like auditing, risk management, and NCR/CAPA tools help maintain high product quality and compliance, reducing defects and rework costs.
- Integrated Supply Chain Planning: Tools for demand, production, and distribution planning optimize inventory, enhance scheduling, and mitigate supply chain disruptions for efficient operations.
QAD features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you are seeking to streamline complex operations, reduce costs, and gain real-time visibility, QAD stands out as a strong contender for the best manufacturing software. Its comprehensive features and integrated platform help you tackle production delays and achieve greater efficiency, with customers like Elizabeth Arden reducing overtime by 25%.
Conclusion
Ready to end production chaos?
I know the struggle. Picking the right tool from a crowded market is tough, and the wrong one just adds complexity instead of solving it.
The industry is moving fast. Statista reports that manufacturing sector productivity increased by 4.5% in Q1 2025 alone. Without the right digital tools, you risk falling behind your more agile competitors.
Here is what I recommend.
After reviewing these options, Katana clearly stands out. It’s built to give you the real-time visibility you need to finally fix production delays.
For deeper insights into long-term organizational goals, my article on best strategic planning software can guide your next steps.
Its master planner and shop floor app provide the control needed to scale, like helping other businesses grow 5x. It’s the best manufacturing software to boost your efficiency.
I suggest you book a free demo of Katana today. You can see for yourself how it handles complex workflows with ease.
Your team will thank you for it.
