Home > Manufacturing Software > Macola > Macola vs Fishbowl Manufacturing

Macola vs Fishbowl Manufacturing

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Our analysts compared Macola vs Fishbowl Manufacturing based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Manufacturing Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Overview Pricing Benefits & Features User Ratings Analyst Summary Screenshots
Macola Software Tool
Fishbowl Manufacturing Software Tool
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Product Basics

Macola provides business solutions to small and medium-sized distribution and manufacturing companies. It increases the accuracy and speed of managing a business and streamlines operations in complex manufacturing and distribution environments. It allows users to configure workspaces at user level without consultants or developers. It also streamlines processes such as workflows, automation and document management. 

It enhances how customers interact with the businesses, improving accuracy, speed and reliability. It offers access via mobile apps and the web, business intelligence, and automated workflows.


Pros
  • Strong inventory management
  • Robust financial reporting
  • Customizable to specific needs
  • Scalable for growth
  • Long-standing industry presence
 Cons
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Limited mobile accessibility
  • Potential customization costs
  • Dated interface (in some versions)
  • Compatibility concerns with newer tech
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Fishbowl Manufacturing is an ERP that keeps users one step ahead of their competitors by automating intricate tasks and time tracking. It monitors inventory and streamlines production to ensure products are delivered to patrons in a timely manner.

Work orders, bill of materials (BOM), shipping, inventory management and barcode scanning are a few of its quintessential features.
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$995 One-Time
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Tailored to your specific needs
$329 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Improved Financial Control: With the general ledger, users can manage core financial information leading to better financial control and decision making that can lower costs and minimize human error. 
  • Streamline Operations: Centralized document creation and management with secure and role-based access lets users streamline operations. This helps users monitor and manage their business operations. 
  • Monitors Business Activity: It monitors business data and executes actions through triggers that can be pre-set by the user. This leads to lowered costs, better productivity and higher revenue. 
  • Ensure Smooth Distribution: Macola maintains inventory in real time, making sure that users avoid overstocking and stockouts. This ensures that investment in excess inventory is reduced while boosting inventory efficiency overall. 
  • Manage Customer Data: It comes equipped with a pre-built platform to manage companies’ relationships with their customers. 
  • Process Payments: Macola has powerful accounting and finance capabilities that enable users to process orders and manage payments. 
  • Critical Job Functions: Macola allows workspaces to be created for specific jobs, such as a human resource workspace, a sales workspace, an order processing workspace or a finance and accounting workspace. 
  • Optimize Time: The personalized workspaces that can be created within Macola help lower the time needed to perform tasks by providing users with critical data and functions. 
  • Always Accessible: Personalized workspaces can be accessed from anywhere at any time using browsers, tablets, smartphones and client servers.
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  • Track Jobs: Track employee hours, overtime, payroll, vacation time and other information with the labor and job tracking module. Users may also implement GPS tracking to verify where employees clock in and out and permit employees to clock in and out from any mobile device. 
  • In-Depth BOMs: Add subassemblies, several finished goods and intricate units of measure via the bill of materials accessory. Users can produce and complete numerous BOMs at once in addition to writing thorough instructions and attaching pictures for each step of a BOM. 
  • Manage Serial & Lot Numbers: Rapidly track parts with serial and lot numbers with the serial and lot number feature. Users may also review expiration dates, batch numbers and revision levels along with lot history and part audit trails. 
  • Work with Multiple Locations: Upkeep inventory throughout several worksites and warehouses, enabling users to get as detailed or extensive as necessary to find the right parts or workpieces. This attribute enables users to automatically restock inventory levels by moving products from one site to another. 
  • Integrate with Other Software: Link CRM software, such as Salesforce and Zoho CRM and other programs, to Fishbowl Manufacturing to check the availability of product amounts, prices and other product intel. 
  • BI Capabilities: Find out manufacturing costs and receive the most accurate costs of raw goods and materials with the BI suite. Users may also produce detailed reports on several business operations and utilize inventory data to formulate smarter business decisions.  
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  • Accounting and Finance: Macola gives users a real-time financial overview of their company. Using the general ledger, users can manage the business’s financial core, cut costs, reduce human error and improve decision making. 
  • Accounts Payable and Receivable: This feature of Macola ensures that the flow of raw materials, services and supplies does not get disrupted, resulting in a good reputation with the vendors. It also helps manage credit and activity to help maximize cash flows. 
  • Excel Add-ins: Macola and Excel link dynamically, allowing users to access data in Excel. It is not necessary to export data and it offers dynamic and immediate reporting capabilities. 
  • Monitoring Business Activity: Macola monitors users’ business information and scans users’ operations every minute. It can send email alerts, update databases, generate reports and initiate workflows. 
  • Business Process Management: Macola comes with document management, customized workflows and CRM capabilities. These features ensure that users store information securely and centrally so that it can be accessed from anywhere, streamlining customer interactions. 
  • Customer Relationship Management: This feature organizes customer data in a single database. Users’ clients, vendors, employees and business partners are connected via Macola, allowing them to capture customer experiences. Users can understand, monitor, maximize and manage sales performance. 
  • Inventory Management: Macola ensures the right products are in stock. It helps also helps users avoid overstocking and stockouts. 
  • Order Entry: It facilitates order entry processes. It also accepts quotes and orders, validates credit and calculates prices. The system supports pickups and shipping by recommending lots to be picked along with order lines. It generates shipping documents like packing slips, labels and bills. 
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  • Manufacturing: Superintend advanced work orders, manufacture orders, BOMs and more with the manufacturing apparatus. Users may also execute automatic custom, batch or repair work orders. 
  • Barcode Scanning: Construct inventory and manufacturing records with precision by accessing the barcode scanning tool. It executes cycle counts, enables users to pick, pack and ship goods and complete work orders as well as produce sales orders and update intricate part details. 
  • Inventory Management: Track products that are going to clients, develop reorder points for every item in a facility and cipher the suitable reorder quantity for every inventory item with the inventory management appliance. 
  • Production Stages: Craft multi-layered work orders that showcase the progress of each job that users receive to ensure everything is on schedule or to make certain adjustments for jobs that are falling behind. It designates duties to particular employees and even determines yield and waste estimates for every stage. 
  • Shipping: Integrate Fishbowl with other shipping solutions to expeditiously create shipping labels and synchronize shipping costs, tracking numbers, client addresses, weights and more so packages get to the right destination. 
  • Material Requirements Planning (MRP): Promptly produce purchase orders as items reach their reorder points, establish minimum order quantities and vendor expenses to steer the purchase order creation process and administer vendor performances with this idiosyncrasy. 
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Product Ranking

#15

among all
Manufacturing Software

#6

among all
Manufacturing Software

Find out who the leaders are

User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 49 reviews
Great User Sentiment 707 reviews
78%
of users recommend this product

Macola has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 78% when considering 49 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

83%
of users recommend this product

Fishbowl Manufacturing has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 707 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

n/a
4.6 (14)
3.7 (15)
3.3 (62)
4.1 (30)
4.2 (629)
3.4 (4)
4.0 (2)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Accurate Inventory Tracking: Real-time visibility into stock levels and locations, minimizing stockouts and overstocking.
Robust Financial Insights: Generate comprehensive financial reports with drill-down capabilities for deeper analysis.
Tailored to Specific Needs: Configure Macola to match your unique workflows and processes, improving efficiency.
Adapts to Growth: Accommodate increasing business volume with Macola's scalable architecture.
Proven Manufacturing & Distribution Track Record: Benefit from Macola's deep understanding of industry-specific challenges.
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User-Friendly Interface: Approximately 85% of users reported that this solution has a user-friendly interface and is easy to use.
Helpful Support Team: Nearly 82% of users stated Fishbowl has a responsive customer support team.
Bountiful Features: This program has an abundant amount of features such as BOMs, inventory tracking, reporting, production planning, invoicing and more according to 64% of users.
Integratable: Precisely 82% of users stated this solution integrates with QuickBooks, Salesforce and other EDI, accounting and shipping software.
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Steeper Learning Curve: Initial setup and user training can be demanding, requiring dedicated resources.
Limited Mobile Accessibility: Interface may not be fully optimized for mobile devices, hindering remote work.
Potential Customization Costs: Extensive customization needs may incur additional development fees.
Dated Interface (in some versions): Older versions may have less intuitive interfaces compared to modern software.
Compatibility Concerns with Newer Tech: Integration with newer technologies might require additional effort or third-party tools.
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Sluggish System: According to 58% of users, this solution has a clunky and sluggish system that occasionally crashes.
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For manufacturers and distributors, Macola is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's praised for its rock-solid core – think Fort Knox inventory tracking, treasure map-like financial reports, and a growth-friendly architecture that scales seamlessly. On the other hand, it's criticized for its learning curve resembling Mount Fuji and a mobile app stuck in a dark labyrinth. Compared to its competitors, Macola lacks the modern sparkle and broader integrations, but its deep industry expertise makes it a master of the manufacturing and distribution tango. Choosing Macola boils down to priorities: if operational power trumps cutting-edge tech, invest the time to learn its intricacies and embrace its classic vibe. For those seeking slick interfaces and mobile magic, Macola might not be the perfect fit.

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Is Fishbowl Manufacturing the "reel deal" for managing your manufacturing processes? Recent user reviews suggest that while Fishbowl Manufacturing offers a robust suite of features, it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. Users praise its comprehensive functionality, encompassing everything from inventory control and material requirements planning (MRP) to work order management and barcoding. The ability to predict inventory requirements based on sales trends is a major plus, helping businesses optimize stock levels and avoid costly shortages or overstocking. Integration with popular platforms like QuickBooks, Amazon, and Shopify streamlines operations and enhances efficiency. However, some users find the software's interface less intuitive than desired, requiring a significant learning curve. Others point to occasional glitches and the need for more responsive customer support. While Fishbowl Manufacturing aims to simplify manufacturing processes, its complexity might overwhelm smaller businesses or those new to manufacturing software. Ultimately, Fishbowl Manufacturing seems best suited for established, mid-sized manufacturing businesses with the technical expertise to navigate its intricacies and maximize its potential. Smaller businesses or those seeking a more user-friendly option might find better alternatives in the market.

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Screenshots

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