Automation in manufacturing: embracing the future
Automation in manufacturing is quickly becoming a standardized tool across all businesses. In this article, we explore process automation and all it has to offer.

Finding the best accounting software for Shopify is no walk in the park. Here are our top picks of the year to help bring your search closer to an end.
Not a fan of the old balance sheets and accounting? You’re not the only one.
There’s some comfort to be taken in that sure. But without looking at the best accounting software for Shopify available, you might be stuck doing it yourself — and accounting can be time-consuming.
That’s why you need to find the best accounting software for Shopify for smooth accounting processes.
Shopify itself will provide you with tracking for your sales, discounts, and refunds. However, this is limited and lacks detailed information for your accountant to use, such as the cost of goods sold. There are many options out there to assist you, and which software you choose will mostly come down to the details and particulars of your business.
But more than anything, you want to be looking for software that makes life easier for you.
Ideally, you want cloud-based software that integrates with your current system as much as possible to take the load off your hands. And it’ll be especially handy if it fits in with your Shopify order management system. But where will you find such an ideal solution?
We have delved deep into the dark abyss of accounting software to find you the best of the best.
Align your teams and grow your business with manufacturing software. Katana’s Xero manufacturing software helps you easily integrate your accounting, inventory, production, and sales. Try it for free with the 14-day trial.
QuickBooks Online has a highly visual interface.
This is an underestimated factor to consider when looking at the best accounting software for Shopify. QuickBooks Online frankly smashes the ball out of the park on this one. It’s so easy to follow how your accounts are doing without having to spend precious brain energy running through numbers.
Take your manufacturing to the next level by integrating QuickBooks Online with a visual and simple but powerful all-in-one manufacturing solution from Katana.
With a friendly interface that’s easy to navigate, there’s a good reason that QuickBooks Online is at the top of most searches when looking at Shopify accounting. But its visual attractiveness is certainly not to be taken for shallowness. The colorful pie charts and graphs will mean you can keep track of your accounts without needing an expert to decode everything.
Perfect for manufacturers looking to use QuickBooks Online.
But don’t be fooled. The range of features it offers is far and wide.
Here are a few of them to get you started:
It is worth noting that there are different versions of QuickBooks accounting software that have slightly varying pricing plans, including QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Global. Make sure to do your research to find the best plan for your business.
Xero supports small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers to simplify everyday accounting needs.
It is jam-packed with features and capabilities from data capture to ban reconciliation to multicurrency accounting. The sheer number of features available with Xero has made it a staple amongst larger e-commerce merchants for years. With multiple apps and integration partners available, you can keep track of your accounting needs on the go and sync with other apps at the same time.
For more Xero integrations, see our article on Xero Integrations for Scaling Manufacturers.
With a customizable and dynamic platform, you can tailor this powerful software to meet your needs.
As a small business, it may even seem overwhelming at first, but Xero is known for having a vast set of quality articles available to support its customers if they get stuck anywhere. That’s why it’s considered one of the best accounting software for Shopify. Especially considering it has multiple direct integrations with your online store, which will constantly keep your orders and products in sync.
Manufacturing business looking to integrate Xero with your operations? Katana software integrates with Xero so you can scale and grow your business. Here are some of its standout features:
Good things come in small packages.
That’s certainly true for Sage Business Online Accounting. Instant invoice reporting means you can chase up those missing bills without trawling through the accounts, making this a worthy candidate for the best accounting software for Shopify. Powerful yet simple accounting software designed for small businesses.
Everything works in real-time with the ability to do your invoices, track what clients owe you, and connect to your bank.
It may not be a long-term solution if you’re planning to scale. Still, suppose you have a lower level of operation. In that case, it may be the easiest on the eye for any newcomer — certainly a strong consideration in the world of best accounting software for Shopify businesses.
Here are some of its key features:
Thank you for downloading and happy manufacturing!
Sometimes the simplest can be most appropriate when searching for the best accounting software for Shopify.
And what Freshbooks lacks in extended features, it makes up for in a friendly and quick-to-navigate interface. Its accounting and invoicing systems are simple to understand, and they have one of the best support systems. Rather than just relying on articles, they even encourage users to call them for human guidance.
And support is not an area to be underestimated when searching for the best accounting software for Shopify users.
The initial learning curves are not steep, but you will likely get a lot more from it with some guidance.
You will require the OneSaas app to connect to Shopify, which is a bit of a downside. But the way it makes paying your taxes so much smoother with its preset categorizations mostly justifies that. Plus, all of your items will be transferred automatically from your Shopify store so you can get to calculating selling prices the right way.
Check out some of their key features:
You might not expect a free solution to come up in our list of best accounting software for Shopify, but considering it won’t cost you a dime, why not take a look?
It can be integrated with Shopify via third-party applications to sync orders and payouts. It can be a great option to track your basic accounting needs:
And it’s easily readable and shareable for your accountant to make use of when it comes to crunch time.
You won’t be getting advanced reporting or inventory management integration, so there are certain limits. But if you are planning to keep running a small one or two-person operation, then Wave will be able to handle your needs.
Here are some features:
Choosing the right accounting software that integrates with your e-commerce platform means you will have more time to spend on the more important things — like growing your business.
But is integrating your e-commerce and accounting enough to optimize your business?
To fully optimize your business flow, you need to easily get something that fits into your business model and works as part of your entire order fulfillment cycle and workflow.
The winning formula for D2C manufacturers:
E-commerce platform + Smart Manufacturing Software + Accounting tool = Success
Katana Smart Manufacturing Software integrates with your e-commerce and accounting solutions to provides a solid foundation from which you can build your business.
Ideally, you want software that works with your inventory and order management so that all your sales invoices are easily trackable.
That means you can sort your taxes and reports from your Shopify orders without the need for constant manual inputting. We have the solution.
Katana is tailor-made for managing your orders and inventory on Shopify for businesses by offering:
Manage your entire order flow of purchasing, manufacturing, inventory, and sales in one place. With the Katana and Shopify integration, it’s easy to make quick decisions and changes.
Automate your management flow with fulfillment status updated in Shopify when you mark a product “Delivered” on the platform. Katana is all color-coded from head to toe to make it easy to spot when something is off.
Katana’s unique real-time master planner automatically updates your inventory movement in real-time. That means you can get a clear overview of which materials are available and which need purchasing at any given moment.
You can also send orders from outside of Katana to your QuickBooks Online account without having to move back and forth between inefficient spreadsheets constantly. Katana send all of your Shopify order invoices directly to your QuickBooks account at the click of a button.
Click “Create invoice” in your Katana sales view, and an invoice is sent automatically to your QuickBooks Online account. Once done, you’ll see a pretty little icon to show the sync is complete. Simple as that.
The integration with QuickBooks Online means that you will have a triad of platforms that provide a solid foundation to build your small manufacturing business:
Follow the set-up steps to connect QuickBooks and Katana in this simple walk-through video:
PRO TIP: Successful manufacturers use a combination of tools to manage their business – Shopify + Xero. To take your business to the next level, you’ll need to learn how to:
Katana acts as the headquarters from which you make sure you can make sure all your orders are on track to be completed and delivered on time. Shopify is the face of your business. QuickBooks Online or Xero deal with the grey number matter in the background. But each business is going to have its own requirements.
When searching for the best accounting software for Shopify that works for you, you must spend some time thinking about your needs.
Every time you come to new software, ask yourself – how much easier will this make running my business? You’ll soon enough find that the choice gets a whole lot simpler.