123Insight
by 123Insight (Forterro)
UK manufacturing software for small and mid-sized engineering, electronics and subcontract firms: MRP, works orders, routings, shop-floor booking on tablets, batch and serial traceability and job costing, on Windows and SQL Server, sold on subscription.
Why it is classified this way
We call this a Manufacturing ERP product. A broad business system (accounting, sales, purchasing) with a substantial manufacturing or planning module attached.
It is not labeled Full MRP because we have not verified that it represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula; accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule; nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming; explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials; uses lead times or required dates; and produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations. That is a statement about the evidence we found, not a claim that the product is weak, see the capability table and the sources below.
The six Full MRP tests, and how 123Insight does on each (0 of 6)
- PartialIt represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula.Not established. Backed only by a limited source (a vendor video from before 2023, source code, an old blog post or a single marketing line), which can fill the table but cannot pass this test.
- PartialIt accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule.Not established. Backed only by a limited source (a vendor video from before 2023, source code, an old blog post or a single marketing line), which can fill the table but cannot pass this test.
- PartialIt nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming.Not established. Backed only by a limited source (a vendor video from before 2023, source code, an old blog post or a single marketing line), which can fill the table but cannot pass this test.
- UnknownIt explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials.Not established. No evidence found yet.The product page says MRP works from "live sales orders, stock levels and BOMs", but no page we read describes demand for a finished item turning into component requirements. Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt uses lead times or required dates.Not established. Backed only by a limited source (a vendor video from before 2023, source code, an old blog post or a single marketing line), which can fill the table but cannot pass this test.
- PartialIt produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations.Not established. Backed only by a limited source (a vendor video from before 2023, source code, an old blog post or a single marketing line), which can fill the table but cannot pass this test.
These rules are applied identically to every product and enforced at build time, a record cannot be published as Full MRP unless all six pass with a source attached. Read the methodology.
Best for
- UK engineering, electronics and subcontract manufacturers with works orders, routings and shop-floor booking
- Firms on Xero or Sage that want MRP connected to their books
- Businesses that would rather subscribe than pay a large upfront license
Not a fit when
- Buyers who want to read documentation or compare prices before a sales call: neither is public
- Businesses without anyone to run Windows Server and SQL Server, whether on site or in their own Azure
Pricing facts
What it costs to do manufacturing in this product.
No published price
This vendor does not publish pricing, so you cannot compare it against anything here without contacting them. We will not estimate a figure.
What moves the real bill
- Onboarding fee. Not published. The vendor says "Most 123Insight customers are live within weeks" and promises "No hidden implementation costs", but gives no figure.
- No published price. You have to contact the vendor, which usually means a sales call.
Pricing detail
Quote only: the pricing page is a request form ("Ready for 123Insight pricing? Complete the form and we'll be in touch"). The product page says "No large upfront licence fee" and that "123Insight runs on a subscription model that scales with your business." Hardware, Windows Server and SQL Server licenses are the customer's to provide.
Checked on September 19, 2026. Source: 123insight.com(opens in a new tab). Prices change. Check before you buy.
Manufacturing capability
17 of 25 fields resolved. "Unknown" means we have not found first-party evidence. It is not a No.
Planning
Working out what to buy or make, and when.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | Yes | "The MRP engine calculates what to make and buy, and when, based on live sales orders, stock levels and BOMs." From the vendor's marketing pages; there is no public manual.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Yes | MRP "takes your sales orders and production schedules, checks them against current stock levels and bill of materials". From the vendor's marketing pages; there is no public manual.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation showing open purchase or production orders included in the supply picture.Know the answer? |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | Yes | "Automated purchase order generation driven by your MRP plan, tied to supplier lead times and live demand." From the vendor's marketing pages; there is no public manual.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | Yes | The MRP engine says "what to make and buy, and when". From the vendor's marketing pages; there is no public manual. We have not seen the output.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Yes | Production schedules are built "with full visibility of capacity, works orders and job progress". From the vendor's marketing pages; there is no public manual.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Production
Recipes, bills of materials, and running the work.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of materialsA list of the parts and quantities needed to make one of something. | Yes | "Create, manage and version-control multi-level BOMs with full revision history and impact analysis."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | Yes | "Create, manage and version-control multi-level BOMs with full revision history and impact analysis."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of recipe or formula records, ideally with batch scaling.Know the answer? |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | Yes | Works orders run from creation to despatch, with live WIP tracking.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Yes | "Control individual works orders, BOMs and routings for complex, multi-level builds."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: 123insight.com › Erp(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Yes | "Live WIP tracking via 123Mobile - operators book time and materials on low-cost Android tablets on the shop floor."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Partial | Quality control is named as part of the system, and "quality inspection" in the food and pharmaceutical sector list, with no detail on the pages we read.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Inventory & traceability
Knowing what you hold and being able to trace it.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Batch & lot traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | Yes | "Full batch and serial number traceability from raw materials through to finished goods despatch."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | Partial | "expiry date tracking" appears only in the food and pharmaceutical sector list.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Yes | "Full batch and serial number traceability from raw materials through to finished goods despatch."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Commerce & accounting
Costs, purchasing, storefronts, and the books.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | Yes | "Real-time job costing across materials, labour and overheads, with dashboards covering production efficiency and margins."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | Yes | "Automated purchase order generation driven by your MRP plan."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | Yes | "Connect to Xero, Sage 50/200, Access Dimensions or Pegasus, so financial data flows automatically with no manual re-entry."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: Marketing page, read 2026(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a named storefront or marketplace integration.Know the answer? |
Openness & your data
Getting data in, out, and away if you leave.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: public api documentation.Know the answer? |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of outbound webhooks or event subscriptions.Know the answer? |
| MCP supportA Model Context Protocol server, letting an AI assistant read or act on this data. Useful, but it has nothing to do with whether the product plans materials. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: a first-party mcp server, or documentation of one.Know the answer? |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of csv or spreadsheet export.Know the answer? |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a complete account export, database dump, or equivalent.Know the answer? |
Deployment, licensing and your data
- Deployment
- On-premise (vendor-supported), Mobile app
- Licensing
- Proprietary on-premise
- Team sizes
- 2–5 people, 6–20 people, 21–50 people, 51+ people
- Manufacturing styles
- Countable assembled products, Custom or job-shop work
Integrations
- Xero
- Sage 50
- Sage 200
- Access Dimensions
- Pegasus
Jobs this product qualifies for
Derived from the capability table above, not hand-assigned.
Editorial notes and cautions
Things we would want a friend to know before buying.
- Everything on this record comes from the vendor's marketing pages. 123Insight publishes no manual, so its planning claims fill the table but cannot pass our Full MRP tests until a demo or document shows the calculation.
- Hosting is the customer's job: the vendor supplies software, not servers, and a cloud setup means your own virtual servers in Azure or similar with Remote Apps or Citrix for the client.
Evidence and verification
Why this record is not Verified. Kept at partially verified on purpose: every capability rests on marketing copy, and the MRP page is registered as a limited source.
Researched 2026-09-19 from the vendor's MRP product page, features page, pricing page and system requirements, read in full rather than summarized. Kept at partially verified on purpose: every capability rests on marketing copy, and the MRP page is registered as a limited source.
Sources we checked (4)
What we still want to confirm
We publish our gaps rather than hiding them. If you can point us at a first-party page for any of these, we will update the record and credit the correction.
- Find documentation or a vendor demo showing the MRP output with dates, and whether open purchase orders are netted.
- Find the current version number and release notes.
- Get a subscription quote and an implementation estimate.
- Check for an API, data export and ecommerce connections.
- Confirm whether 123Insight has a general ledger of its own or relies on the connected package.
Still unknown: counts incoming orders, recipes & formulas, ecommerce connection, api, webhooks, mcp support, csv export, full data export.