Material tracking tied to orders

> Cost: Freemium. Katana is free for up to 30 products (SKUs), with all features, unlimited users, the API and a 15-day unlimited-SKU start; on Free, Shopify is the only store integration. Beyond that you need Advantage, a custom annual contract (by quote) that includes guided implementation, a success manager, traceability, the shop floor app and the AI connector.

Honest note: rule-based manufacturing software, not AI. The $40,000 came from doing a proper count, which any business could do with a clipboard, but loading it into a system keeps it visible afterwards. That's from a Katana-published story; the business says Katana "enabled" a later 5x facility expansion, which has other causes too.

Prerequisites

• A Katana account (Advantage includes guided onboarding).
• Time to count every material on hand: fabric, thread, trims, packaging.
• QuickBooks Online admin access (optional), and a Shopify store if you sell online.

Step-by-step setup

Step 1. Count and load every material. Walk the building and count everything, including the back shelves. Add each as a material in Katana with quantity and cost. This is where forgotten stock turns up.

Step 2. Build recipes for your products. For each product (or a typical sample), set its recipe (bill of materials): fabric, trims and operations with time.

Step 3. Connect your sales channel. Integrations Marketplace → Shopify → Connect, then map locations, import products and Activate sync. Paid orders become Katana sales orders.

Step 4. Link materials to orders. Create manufacturing orders from sales orders, so each customer's job shows which materials it uses and what's missing. For custom work, quote from Katana's costed recipe, make a sample, then move it into production.

Step 5. Connect QuickBooks Online. Integration Marketplace → search QuickBooks → Connect to QuickBooks → log in → choose your company → Connect. Then work through the configuration (Workflows, Accounts by Category, Tax Mapping, Data Transfer) and Activate. You can return any time via Open configuration.

Easier: let your AI do it

Katana has an official MCP server, a secure plug that lets an AI chat like Claude or ChatGPT read and update your Katana data with your permission. Katana's pricing page lists it under Advantage.

1. In Katana, the account owner has access by default. To give someone else access, open your profile → Team → pick the user → Admin tab → switch on Access to MCP.
2. In Claude, open Customize → Connectors, click +, then Add custom connector. Name it Katana, paste https://mcp.katanamrp.com (no slash at the end), click Add, then Connect and sign in to Katana. It also works with ChatGPT.
3. Ask things like "Which materials will run short for this week's manufacturing orders?" It can read, create and update records, but it can't delete anything.

What success looks like

You know exactly what's on the shelves, quotes take minutes because costs are in the system, and you stop buying materials you already own.

Common issues & fixes

• Stock numbers drift after setup: record material use on every manufacturing order, and recount high-value materials monthly.
• QuickBooks entries look wrong: recheck Accounts by Category in Open configuration.

Optional: Maintenance

• Monthly: quick count of your 10 most valuable materials.

Copy-paste prompt

I'm about to count all raw materials in my [TYPE] workshop for the first time. Make me a counting plan: how to split the space into zones, a count-sheet layout (material, colour/size, unit, quantity, location, estimated cost), how to handle part-rolls and remnants, and how to flag old or unused stock to sell or use. Plain language, under 250 words.

Sources

• Case: Katana case study (small-batch cut-and-sew textile manufacturer). Credit: the company's team (vendor-published).
• Katana Help: Connect Shopify to Katana
• Katana Help: Understanding product recipes (BOMs)
• Katana Help: Connect/disconnect QuickBooks Online
• Katana MCP overview
• Katana Help: Connect Katana to Claude (MCP)
• Katana pricing