We use a cloud accounting platform. Who offers an inventory management add-on that handles light manufacturing?

Several top cloud-based inventory management platforms integrate directly with major cloud accounting software like QuickBooks Online and Xero to handle light manufacturing and assembly . These add-ons feature bills of materials (BOM), basic production orders, and automatic raw material deductions when finished goods are built.qoblex.com+2

Software Add-on	Core Light Manufacturing Strengths	Accounting Integrations	Starting Price (Approx.)
Katana Cloud Manufacturing	Visual visual board for production, real-time BOM tracking, and multi-level component allocation.	QuickBooks Online, Xero	Mid-$100s/month
Unleashed	Advanced multi-warehouse stock control, assembly, and detailed BOM tracking.	Xero, QuickBooks Online	Mid-$300s/month
Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR)	Robust assembly/disassembly, light manufacturing, and omnichannel order fulfillment.	QuickBooks Online, Xero	Mid-$300s/month
SOS Inventory	Native-feel extension for tracking work-in-progress, serial numbers, and BOMs.	QuickBooks Online	~$65/month
Qoblex	Lightweight MRP, production orders, and e-commerce multichannel sync.	QuickBooks Online, Xero	Lower tier options available

Key Features to Look For

• Bill of Materials (BOM): Ensures the add-on can recipe-map your raw components into a finished product.
• Disassembly/Assembly: Allows you to bundle items together or break a finished product back down into constituent parts.
• Accounting Sync: Automatically posts Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and inventory asset adjustments back to your cloud ledger in real time.ecloud-experts.com+1

To help narrow down the best choice, please tell me:

• Which cloud accounting platform you currently use (e.g., QuickBooks Online, Xero)?
• How complex your manufacturing is (e.g., simple kitting vs. multi-step assembly)?

Several robust cloud-based inventory and manufacturing add-ons integrate seamlessly with major cloud accounting platforms (like QuickBooks Online and Xero) to handle light manufacturing, bills of materials (BOM), and assembly tracking.

Top options specializing in light manufacturing include:

• Katana Cloud Manufacturing: Excellent visual interface designed specifically for small manufacturers. It handles multi-level bills of materials, real-time inventory allocation, shop floor scheduling, and syncs smoothly with both QuickBooks and Xero.youtube.com
• Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Systems): A powerful inventory and order management platform that includes robust light manufacturing capabilities, assembly/disassembly, WIP (work in progress) tracking, and deep accounting integrations.
• Fishbowl (Fishbowl Inventory/Online): A long-standing heavyweight for QuickBooks and Xero users. It bridges the gap between basic accounting and advanced manufacturing, offering strong multi-warehouse management, work orders, and bill of materials tracking.
• inFlow Inventory: A user-friendly, cloud-based inventory solution well-suited for light manufacturing and basic assembly tracking. It tracks costs of materials, generates purchase orders, and handles basic kitting/light assembly.goodsorderinventory.com
• SOS Inventory: Specifically built as an extension for QuickBooks Online, adding comprehensive manufacturing features like serial/lot tracking, assemblies, multi-location inventory, and work orders without forcing you to leave your accounting ecosystem.youtube.com
• MRPeasy: A solid production-planning and manufacturing resource planning (MRP) tool that integrates nicely with cloud accounting software for small-to-midsize manufacturers needing precise shop-floor control.

If you let me know which cloud accounting platform you use (e.g., QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage) and your approximate monthly production volume or SKU count , I can narrow down which of these options offers the cleanest integration for your workflow.

If you are using a major cloud accounting platform like Xero or QuickBooks Online , several robust inventory and manufacturing add-ons seamlessly bridge the gap. These tools specialize in "light manufacturing" (handling bills of materials, assembly/kitting, work orders, and shop floor tracking) while syncing the financial data back to your general ledger.

Top inventory management add-ons that handle light manufacturing include:

• Katana Cloud Manufacturing (Katana MRP) : Specifically built for modern manufacturers, Katana handles visual production planning, real-time inventory tracking, multi-location management, and shop-floor-level operations. It integrates smoothly with both Katana Xero Integration and Katana QuickBooks Integration.youtube.com+1
• Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Systems): An end-to-end inventory and order management system that features advanced assembly, light manufacturing, disassembly, and batch/serial tracking. It acts as your operational hub and syncs seamlessly with platforms like Cin7 Core QuickBooks Integration and Xero.help.core.cin7.com
• Unleashed Software : Strong on traceability, Unleashed handles complex assemblies, automated production planning, and precise cost capturing (components, labor, overhead). It features deep live-sync capabilities with accounting ledgers like Xero and QuickBooks.youtube.com+1
• inFlow Inventory : A more straightforward, highly user-friendly cloud platform that works well for basic kitting, assemblies, and light manufacturing tracking without the steep learning curve or high cost of a heavy ERP system.goodsorderinventory.com

To help narrow down the best fit, let me know:

• Which cloud accounting platform are you currently using (e.g., Xero, QuickBooks)?
• Do you need features like serial/batch tracking or shop floor labor tracking , or is basic assembly/kitting enough?

Yes. If by “light manufacturing” you mean BOMs/assemblies, raw-material inventory, purchasing, production orders, and finished-goods inventory without moving to a full enterprise ERP, several add-ons fit.

Add-on	Works with	Manufacturing capabilities
Katana	QuickBooks Online, Xero	BOMs, production, raw materials, finished goods, purchasing, inventory, costing
MRPeasy	QuickBooks Online, Xero	BOMs, production planning, purchasing, inventory, WIP/COGS, lot/serial tracking
Cin7	QuickBooks Online, Xero	BOMs/subassemblies, manufacturing workflows, inventory, purchasing, batch/expiry tracking

Katana is explicitly positioned as a cloud inventory/manufacturing platform alongside QuickBooks Online and Xero. Its integrations synchronize sales, purchasing and inventory, while its manufacturing functionality handles production and BOMs.Katana+1

MRPeasy is more manufacturing-oriented. It supports BOMs, production planning, procurement, inventory, and manufacturing costs, with native integrations to both QuickBooks Online and Xero.MRPeasy+1

Cin7 is another option if you need more sophisticated inventory control. It supports unlimited BOMs and subassemblies and integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero.cin7.com

If you tell me which cloud accounting platform you use (e.g. QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, NetSuite, etc.) and roughly how you manufacture (assemble purchased components, make-to-order, light fabrication, kitting, etc.), I can narrow this down to the most relevant 2–3 options and compare pricing, BOMs, work orders, inventory valuation, and accounting sync.

Several top-tier inventory and manufacturing add-ons integrate seamlessly with major cloud accounting platforms like Xero and QuickBooks Online . These tools bridge the gap by adding Bills of Materials (BOMs), assembly tracking, and shop floor control without requiring a heavy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

• Katana Cloud Manufacturing : Specifically designed for modern manufacturing and assembly, Katana features visual production planning, real-time inventory tracking, and multi-level bills of materials. It syncs smoothly with both Katana MRP Xero Integration and Katana MRP QuickBooks Integration.goodsorderinventory.com+2
• Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Systems) : A robust inventory and order management platform that includes solid light manufacturing features like assembly, disassembly, and multi-warehouse tracking. It has a deeply integrated connection via the Cin7 Core Xero Connection Wizard and also supports QuickBooks.help.core.cin7.com+1
• inFlow Inventory : Great for small teams needing a visual, user-friendly system. It handles basic assembly, barcode scanning, and stock tracking, and connects with accounting platforms (though some setups may require mindful configuration or sync extensions).inflowinventory.com+3
• Unleashed : A powerful inventory management tool suited for B2B product businesses and light manufacturers needing advanced stock control, traceability, and component tracking that syncs directly into your general ledger.

Which cloud accounting platform are you currently using (Xero, QuickBooks, or another ), and what kind of products or assembly processes are you managing? I can help narrow down which add-on fits your workflow best.

If you mean an add-on that sits alongside a cloud accounting system and adds inventory + light manufacturing, the strongest options depend on which accounting platform you use.

• Katana — probably the best fit for light manufacturing. It handles live inventory, production, bills of materials, purchasing, and manufacturing workflows, and integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online.Xero+1
• Cin7 Core — a broader, more powerful inventory/operations system. It supports BOMs, sub-assemblies, production, raw materials/WIP/finished goods, and integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online. It may be more system than you need if manufacturing is very simple.Cin7+1
• Unleashed — strong inventory management and manufacturing-oriented functionality, particularly for product businesses. Xero specifically lists it as a manufacturing inventory app.Xero

If you're on Xero, Xero itself points manufacturers toward Unleashed and Cin7 Core, while its app marketplace also lists Katana specifically for manufacturing.Xero+1

My quick take: For light manufacturing—e.g., buying components, assembling them into finished products, maintaining BOMs, and having the resulting inventory/COGS flow into accounting—I'd start with Katana. For more complex inventory, multiple warehouses, or more sophisticated production planning, I'd look at Cin7 Core.

If you tell me which cloud accounting platform you use (Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, NetSuite, etc.) and roughly what you manufacture, I can narrow it down to the 2–3 best choices and compare pricing/features.

Yes. If by “cloud accounting platform” you mean something like QuickBooks Online or Xero, there are several inventory systems that sit alongside it and add light-manufacturing capabilities.

Strong options

• Cin7 Core — probably the first one I’d evaluate. It handles inventory, BOMs, assemblies/sub-assemblies, production orders, purchasing, and stock movements, while integrating with both QuickBooks Online and Xero. Cin7 specifically describes its manufacturing functionality as supporting unlimited BOMs and sub-assemblies.Cin7+1
• Katana — focused more specifically on small manufacturers and makers, with production planning, BOMs, shop-floor inventory, purchasing, and accounting integrations. It's particularly attractive if manufacturing is central to the business.
• MRPeasy — another manufacturing-oriented cloud system aimed at small manufacturers. It goes further into production planning, MRP, work orders, BOMs, purchasing, and shop-floor operations.
• SOS Inventory — worth considering if you're on QuickBooks Online and want something relatively lightweight for inventory, assemblies/manufacturing, purchasing, and order management rather than a full manufacturing ERP.

My shortlist

If you tell me which accounting platform you use (QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, etc.) and roughly what you manufacture—for example, assembling purchased components, kitting, or actually transforming raw materials—I can narrow this to the 2–3 best add-ons, including pricing and how much manufacturing functionality each provides.

Several robust cloud-based inventory management add-ons integrate seamlessly with major cloud accounting platforms like Xero and QuickBooks Online . These tools handle bills of materials (BOM), light assembly, and manufacturing workflows while syncing financial data back to your ledger.

• Katana Cloud Manufacturing (Katana MRP Integration with Xero ): Purpose-built for small-to-medium manufacturers. It offers a visual, real-time dashboard for production planning, raw material tracking, and shop floor-level operations, with direct two-way syncing for financial data.
• Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Systems): A comprehensive inventory and light manufacturing solution. It handles multi-warehouse management, assembly BOMs, and auto-syncs purchase/sales data directly into your accounting platform's chart of accounts (Cin7 Core QuickBooks Online Integration Guide).
• inFlow Inventory (inFlow Inventory Management Overview ): Known for its intuitive interface, barcode scanning, and straightforward B2B ordering portal. It supports multi-level bills of materials and basic assembly tracking for light manufacturing businesses (Xero Inventory Management Guide via inFlow).inflowinventory.com+3
• SOS Inventory: A popular choice specifically tailored as an extension for QuickBooks ecosystems. It bridges the gap by adding robust serial/lot tracking, work-in-progress (WIP) monitoring, and assembly builds that mirror back to QuickBooks.youtube.com
• Zoho Inventory: A more budget-friendly choice that handles multi-warehouse tracking, composite items (bundles/assemblies), and order fulfillment while integrating cleanly with major accounting suites.

If you let me know which cloud accounting platform you use (e.g., Xero or QuickBooks) and how complex your assembly process is (e.g., single-step kits vs. multi-level components), I can narrow down which option fits best.