Scaling New Heights Vendors to See: Inventory/Manufacturing Part 1

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Scaling New Heights 2018 is the place to be if you or your client has a need for something ‘more’ than QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online in the way of inventory or manufacturing requirements. The Exhibit Hall has some of the best add-on or add-in software including server-based versions for QuickBooks Desktop or SAAS Apps for QBO.  Insightful Accountant wants to give you a brief view of the products you will find at this year’s conference, so here is Part 1 of our Inventory/Manufacturing 'Vendors to See'.

Boxstorm (SAAS Inventory for QBO)

When it comes to inventory for QuickBooks who knows better than Fishbowl, the # 1 QuickBooks Inventory solution. Almost everyone thinks of Fishbowl as an inventory add-on for QuickBooks Desktop, even though Fishbowl also integrates with QuickBooks Online. But now, Fishbowl is offering an entirely new 'web-based' Software-as-a-service (SAAS) application called Boxstorm that provides inventory features specifically for cloud accounting software such as QuickBooks Online.

No, this isn’t just Fishbowl running on a cloud server connecting to QBO; this is an entirely new application designed for cloud computing.  You can access Boxstorm from any computer browser, as well as tablets and smartphones.

If what I just told you hasn’t already caught your attention, then just wait because I am about to tell you something total amazing.  Boxstorm actually offers one version of their software that is ‘Free’!  The free version allows you to save, scan, move, and cycle count your inventory. It is the first truly free inventory solution to integrate with QuickBooks Online. But that’s not all, it is actually ‘Free Forever’.

In addition to the ‘Free Forever’ version, there are three other versions of Boxstorm with the most sophisticated version being ‘Ultimate.’  With Boxstorm you can: Import/Export Data, Scan, Add/Remove Inventory, Move Inventory, Cycle Count, use Sales Orders, produce Sales Reports, track Lot/Batch Numbers as well as Expiration Dates, set Default and Nested Locations, track sales by Sales Reps, perform Customer Management, configure Item Categorizations, issue Purchase Orders, produce Purchasing Reports, Receive Payments, set Reorder Point Stock Alerts, base purchase, stocking, and sales on specific Unit of Measure conversions, perform Vendor Management, properly configure Taxes for your transactions, assign User Access Rights, make use of Auto Ordering, process payments using Stripe, configure Default Vendors for your items, and allow custom developers full API Access.

If you are an inventory guru looking for a new product to promote to your QBO clients who have or are outgrowing the limited item functionalities of QuickBooks Online, be sure to check out Boxstorm.

Fishbowl (Inventory/Manufacturing/Warehousing)

Fishbowl is a software add-on for QuickBooks Desktop that maximizes inventory. manufacturing and warehousing processes. But, Fishbowl also works with QuickBooks Online, in fact Fishbowl works just as well with QBO as it does QuickBooks Desktop.

There are three different flavors of Fishbowl built around a common core. One flavor is Fishbowl Inventory, the second is Fishbowl Warehouse and the third is Fishbowl Manufacturing. The three versions are not really different products; rather, they are different feature sets.

All three flavors offer Parts, the same as QuickBooks items; they also offer Bills of Materials which QuickBooks calls Assemblies. All three flavors offer barcode capabilities, batch processing, stock categorization, multiple units of measure, multiple vendors per product, processing variables/modifications and product substitutions along with matrix inventory, lot and serial numbering and landed costs.

Fishbowl offers sales orders, work orders, production orders, purchase orders, outsource tracking and parts scheduling as well as pricing rule variability and several cost valuation methods (average, LIFO, FIFO, actual). All three flavors offer a built-in customer relations management feature that supports two-way data exchange with QuickBooks.

Fishbowl’s manufacturing flavor can be configured to meet many assembly, job shop and manufacturing requirements including finished product assembly, disassembly of finished products or sub-assemblies and repair work order processing. 

When integrated with either QuickBooks Desktop or QBO, Fishbowl takes over the sales, manufacturing, and order fulfillment. When sales transactions are finalized they are posted to QuickBooks as Customer Invoices. Fishbowl also performs all purchasing, receiving and stocking. Once purchases have been fulfilled in Fishbowl they are posted to QuickBooks as Vendor Bills. To keep track of all of this, Fishbowl offers built-in customizable dashboards and advanced reporting based upon Crystal Reports.

So, if you are looking for a heavy-duty inventory, manufacturing or warehouse solution that works with either QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online be certain to stop by the Fishbowl booth on the Exhibit Floor.

HandiFox (Sales & Inventory)

HandiFox™ is an award-winning inventory tracking and sales management software designed for seamless QuickBooks data integration across mobile devices. The system allows small to mid-sized inventory businesses to automate their inventory, manage their supply chain pipeline and do sales in the field.

HandiFox™ Online works in the cloud with QuickBooks Online, adding multi-location, sales orders, inventory counting, picking & packing, barcoding and a lot more. HandiFox™ Online lets you be on the top of your inventory management anytime, anywhere.

Utilizing mobile computers and barcodes HandiFox inventory management software for small businesses simplifies business processes, making transparency and control easier than ever. Purchase Orders are automatically generated for all items that are to be replenished based on current quantities and sales rate.

The HandiFox mobile sales management feature provides a powerful tool for operators working in the field by providing them access to sales orders, invoices, sales receipts, credit memos & payments, as well as reviewing and editing customer information, and much more,

HandiFox serves customers in a  wide variety of industries by helping them to offload their cumbersome warehouse operations. So, stop by their booth on the exhibit floor to see this solution serving customers in 10 countries around the globe.

Be on the look out for future editions of 'Vendors to See' including Part 2 or our Inventory and Manufacturing vendors in the near future.