Frequently Asked Questions

Manual tracking methods (spreadsheets, clipboards, memory) create blind spots. Materials get used without being logged, counts drift from reality, and nobody notices until the production line stops. StockForge tracks every material movement in real time and alerts you when stock drops below thresholds you set, so you catch shortages before they halt production.

More than most people think. Stockouts, overordering, expired materials, and the hours spent manually counting add up to 2-5% of revenue for a typical manufacturer. On $5M in revenue, that is $100K-$250K per year walking out the door. Inventory software usually pays for itself within a few months.

Yes. Spreadsheets break down when you need accurate counts across multiple users, unit conversions (gallons to pounds, yards to meters), bill of materials with wastage calculations, or automated reorder alerts. Manufacturing inventory software handles all of this while also providing barcode scanning, production batch tracking, and predictive purchase orders.

Regular inventory software tracks finished goods on a shelf: what you have and where it is. Manufacturing inventory software also manages raw material inputs, bill of materials (recipes), production workflows that consume materials, unit conversions between different measurement types, wastage tracking, and predictive reordering based on production schedules. If you make products from raw materials, you need manufacturing-specific software.

If you manufacture products from components or raw materials, MRP (Material Requirements Planning) software calculates what materials you need, in what quantities, and when, based on your production schedule and supplier lead times. Simple inventory tracking tells you what you have now. MRP tells you what you will need next week. If you have ever been surprised by a stockout, you need MRP.

MRPeasy charges per-user ($49-$137/user/month), which gets expensive as you add production floor workers. StockForge uses flat-rate pricing ($149-$499/month) regardless of user count on most plans. StockForge also includes AI-powered inventory forecasting, image recognition for materials, and density-based unit conversions that MRPeasy does not offer. MRPeasy has more mature scheduling and Gantt chart features. See full comparison →

Fishbowl requires a $6,500+ one-time purchase plus annual renewals. It is best suited for businesses deeply invested in QuickBooks. StockForge is $149/month with no upfront cost, has a mobile-first design for production floors, and AI features are included rather than sold as add-ons. See full comparison →

Katana uses usage-based pricing that charges per sales order delivered, which can be unpredictable. Their base plan starts at $299/month. StockForge offers predictable flat-rate pricing starting at $149/month. Both have strong e-commerce integrations, but StockForge adds density-based unit conversion and AI-powered material identification that Katana lacks. See full comparison →

StockForge is built on a modern tech stack (TypeScript, React, PostgreSQL) that is cheaper to develop and maintain than legacy platforms. We do not have decades of technical debt or enterprise sales teams to fund. We pass those savings on as lower prices. No catch: BOM management, barcode scanning, predictive POs, and AI features are included at every tier.

Lot and serial number tracking are on our near-term roadmap (Phase 1). If these are critical for your compliance requirements today, we recommend evaluating your timeline against our release schedule. Contact us at sales@stockforge.ai for the latest development timeline.

Yes. StockForge supports CSV and Excel import for materials, recipes, vendors, and purchase orders. If you are migrating from MRPeasy, Fishbowl, Katana, or spreadsheets, you can export your data as CSV and import it directly.

Yes. Every plan includes a 14-day free trial with full feature access. No credit card required. You can import your real data and test your actual workflows before committing.

Starter ($149/month): Small manufacturers with under 500 materials and up to 5 users. Includes core inventory, BOM, barcode scanning, and alerts.
Professional ($299/month): Growing manufacturers who need predictive POs, AI forecasting, QuickBooks sync, e-commerce integrations, and multiple warehouses. Up to 25 users.
Enterprise ($499/month): Established manufacturers who need unlimited users, electronic signatures, GDPR compliance tools, API access, and dedicated support.

Monthly plans can be cancelled anytime. No contract, no cancellation fees. Annual plans are billed upfront at a 20% discount and can be cancelled at the end of the billing period.

Yes. You can change plans at any time from your account settings. Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated billing. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.

You can export all your data (materials, recipes, production history, purchase orders) as CSV or Excel at any time. After cancellation, your data is retained for 30 days in case you change your mind, then permanently deleted per our data retention policy.

Yes. StockForge uses AES-256-GCM encryption at rest, TLS in transit, JWT-based authentication, role-based access control, and full audit logging. We also support account lockout after failed login attempts and multi-factor authentication.

All plans include documentation and email support. Professional plans include priority support. Enterprise plans include a dedicated account manager who helps with setup, data migration, and team training.

Yes. Annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly pricing. Starter drops from $149 to $119/month, Professional from $299 to $239/month, and Enterprise from $499 to $399/month when billed annually.

The StockForge REST API is available on Enterprise plans and above. Full OpenAPI 3.0 documentation is available at your-instance/api-docs. Authentication uses JWT tokens. You can programmatically manage materials, recipes, production batches, purchase orders, and more.

Go to Settings → Webhooks → Add Endpoint. Specify your URL and select which events to listen for (inventory threshold crossed, production batch completed, PO status changed, etc.). All webhooks are signed with HMAC-SHA256 so you can verify authenticity. Failed deliveries retry with exponential backoff.

Yes, on Professional and Enterprise plans. Each warehouse or production facility is a separate location with its own inventory counts, transfer tracking, and reporting. You can view consolidated reports across all locations or drill down into individual sites.

StockForge supports full data export in CSV and Excel formats for materials, production history, audit logs, and purchase orders. The audit trail logs every inventory movement, recipe change, and user action with timestamps and electronic signatures. Works for FDA, HACCP, and ISO audits.

When a barcode scan fails or is unavailable, tap "Identify by Image" and photograph the material. The AI analyzes color, shape, and texture patterns and returns matches with confidence scores: High (>85%), Medium (60-85%), or Low (<60%). You confirm the match before any inventory action is taken. The system learns from confirmed matches to improve accuracy over time.