A Katana alternative for tracking every finished piece
Katana is a good tool for managing materials, products and orders. Skuflo does a different job: it follows each finished piece through the factory with its own label, then proves it left on the right van. Here is where each one fits, and how they can work together.
Skuflo is production, finished goods stock and dispatch tracking for make to order manufacturers: one label for every piece, scan stations locked to one job, and a free portal for every retailer.
Two tools for two different jobs
On its own website, Katana describes itself as inventory management software for product businesses, built for businesses selling across multiple channels and locations. It talks about raw materials, multi level bills of materials, work orders and production planning, plus barcode enabled warehouse workflows. That is the planning side of making things: what to buy, what to make and what you have in stock.
Skuflo starts later in the story. Once an order is on the factory floor, the questions change. Which pieces of this order are made? Which are missing? Is the right piece on the right retailer’s van? Skuflo answers those at piece level, because a bed, a sofa or a wardrobe rarely leaves as one box. See production tracking and dispatch tracking for how it works.
Katana and Skuflo side by side
| Katana | Skuflo | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Product businesses managing inventory, materials and orders across channels | Make to order factories supplying retailers |
| Raw materials and bills of materials | Yes, according to its website | No. Use your MRP or accounting system for these |
| Unit tracked | Products and materials | Every finished piece, one label each |
| Barcode scanning | Barcode enabled warehouse workflows, according to its website | Scan stations locked to one job: Made, Returns or Loading. Any USB or Bluetooth scanner, a phone camera or a Zebra handheld |
| Customer portal for your trade customers | Not mentioned on the pages we read | Free portal for every retailer, with piece by piece status, photos and delivery notes |
| Pricing model | Plans with unlimited users, according to its pricing page | Per piece tracked each month. Unlimited users and stations on every plan |
Competitor details checked on 1 November 2026 from their own website. Check their site for current prices.
You can read Katana’s plans on its own pricing page. Skuflo’s start at £249 a month ex VAT for 1,000 pieces. See Skuflo pricing.
What Skuflo adds on the factory floor
- One label per piece. A divan set that ships as a base in two parts plus a headboard gets three labels, each scanned on its own.
- Scan stations that cannot be mixed up. Each station is locked to one job, so a Made scan can never be recorded as a Loading scan.
- Loading that is signed for. Loading is complete only with a driver name, a photo and a signature, and you get a signed manifest PDF.
- A free retailer portal so your customers stop emailing to ask where their order is.
- Webhooks and a REST API, so your own systems hear about every piece that is made or dispatched.
When to choose Katana, when to choose Skuflo, and using both
Choose Katana if
- You buy raw materials and need to plan purchasing, stock levels and bills of materials.
- You sell across several online channels and want inventory kept in step.
- You need material planning and purchasing, which Skuflo does not do.
Choose Skuflo if
- You make to order and supply retailers who keep asking where their pieces are.
- Orders ship in several pieces and you need every piece accounted for before the van leaves.
- You want everyone on the floor and in the yard to scan without paying for each seat.
Using both
They do not overlap much. A sensible setup is to keep a planning tool for materials and purchasing and use Skuflo for the floor, the finished stock and the dispatch. Your planning system decides what to make; Skuflo proves what was made and what left.
Questions people ask
Is Skuflo a replacement for Katana?
Not for materials. Skuflo does not manage raw materials, purchasing, bills of materials or costing. It replaces the chasing, paper lists and spreadsheets used to follow finished pieces through making, stock and dispatch.
Can I use Skuflo and Katana together?
Yes. Keep material planning where it is and use Skuflo for labels, scan stations, stock and loading. Orders can reach Skuflo by spreadsheet upload or the REST API.
Does Skuflo charge per user like some tools do?
No. Skuflo is priced per piece tracked each month, from £249 a month ex VAT, with unlimited users and unlimited scan stations on every plan.
Do my retailers get a login?
Yes. Every retailer gets a free portal showing only their own orders, piece by piece status, photos and delivery notes. They can also place orders and upload sheets.
Where can I check Katana’s current prices?
On its own pricing page. We checked it on 1 November 2026, and plans change, so always confirm there.