Flowlens
by Flowlens
Light manufacturingProprietary SaaSPartially verified
A UK cloud MRP and shop-floor system for build-to-order device, equipment and machinery makers, with job cards, multi-level BOMs, subcontracting, batch and serial tracking and actual job costing. Accounting stays in Xero, QuickBooks or Sage 50.
Why it is classified this way
We call this a Light manufacturing product. Has bills of materials or recipes, consumes stock when you build, and tracks production, but time-phased planning is not verified.
It is not labeled Full MRP because we have not verified that it accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule; 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 Flowlens does on each (2 of 6)
- YesIt represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula.Evidence: flowlens.com › Bom software(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- YesIt nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming.Evidence: flowlens.com › Stock inventory management software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Manufacturing procurement software(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established."The Flowlens Production Job Card ... uses your product BOMs to show MRP demand for the required components or sub-assemblies." That is BOM-driven component demand per job, described on a marketing page; no documentation of a planning run was found. flowlens.com › Bom software(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt uses lead times or required dates.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- PartialIt produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
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
- Build-to-order equipment, device and machinery makers with multi-level BOMs and subcontracted steps
- Shops that want job cards, time tracking and batch and serial traceability on the floor
- UK firms that keep their books in Xero, QuickBooks or Sage 50
Not a fit when
- Food, craft and other recipe-based makers; the vendor says it may not be the best fit
- Anyone who needs dated MRP suggestions; the public pages describe shortage alerts and priorities, not order-by dates
- Buyers who want to trial it alone first; there is no self-serve trial
Pricing facts
What it costs to do manufacturing in this product.
Advertised from
£479/month
Useful entry price
£479/month
Billing basis
Mixed
What moves the real bill
- Onboarding fee. Implementation packages "from £4,995"; the vendor calls a structured implementation "an integral part of our offering". In some cases a pay-as-you-go onboarding is offered at a "minimum spend £995+VAT. for 7 hours."
Plans
| Plan | Price | Add-ons and setup |
|---|---|---|
| StarterBilled monthly | £479/mo · 4 users included | —Required setup: price not published |
| 4 office users and 2 shop-floor users included. Unlimited parts. The page does not name this tier; "Starter" is how its Scale Production card refers to it ("All Starter Items plus"). Extra users are not priced. Multi-level BOMs, subcontracting and the live production schedule are on Scale Production, price on inquiry; the API is on Unify Operations, custom price. | ||
Cheapest paid plan that manufactures, by paid users
- 1 user: Starter, at least £479 a month (billed monthly); first year at least £5,748, not counting a required setup or implementation fee.
- 5 users: Starter, at least £479 a month (billed monthly); first year at least £5,748, not counting users beyond the 4 included and a required setup or implementation fee.
- 10 users: Starter, at least £479 a month (billed monthly); first year at least £5,748, not counting users beyond the 4 included and a required setup or implementation fee.
Pricing detail
The pricing page says "Multi-user plans from £479 per month", including "4 Office & 2 Shopfloor users to get you started", unlimited parts, FIFO/LIFO valuation, serial and batch tracking, hosting and backups, and Xero and QuickBooks (Sage 50 at extra cost). Multi-level BOMs, sub-contractor management, the shop-floor app, the live production schedule and goods-in inspections are listed under Scale Production, "Enquire for tailored price". The API, advanced quality and service management are under Unify Operations, "Custom Pricing". The contract is "Monthly, risk free". There is no free trial now: the vendor sets up a dedicated environment with your data over 2 to 4 weeks instead. Prices are in pounds and the page does not say whether VAT is included.
Checked on October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com(opens in a new tab). Prices change. Check before you buy.
Manufacturing capability
19 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. | Partial | Demand comes from sales orders and confirmed jobs: "Real-time demand from confirmed jobs, purchase-to-order or replenish-to-stock". No page shows a due date driving a plan.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Manufacturing procurement software(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Yes | The stock view shows "inventory on the shelf, assigned to production and in the works", with shortage reports and pre-populated purchase orders.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Stock inventory management software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Manufacturing procurement software(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. | Yes | "Show in stock, assigned and on order inventory" in one view, so open purchase orders are part of the picture.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Stock inventory management software(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | Partial | "With the integration of supplier lead times, will present a 'traffic light system' of your highest priority purchases." Lead times rank purchases; no page shows them moving an order-by date.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Stock inventory management software(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. | Partial | Shortage reports and pre-populated purchase orders, prioritized by a traffic-light view. No dated buy or make suggestions are described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Manufacturing procurement software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Stock inventory management software(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Partial | "Create production workflows and spot resource bottlenecks" and a live production schedule (Scale Production). Load against capacity is not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Production planning software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Pricing(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 | Flowlens "keeps parts, quantities, suppliers and revisions in one place" and lets you "see when a BOM has changed, which revision a job was built to, and manage multiple active part revisions if required", with bulk import and CAD import.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Bom software(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 | Multi-level BOMs with sub-assemblies; the vendor says customers run "Customers run BOMs with over 1,500 lines across multiple levels.". Listed on the Scale Production tier.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Bom software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Pricing(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 | Production jobs and job cards, from one-offs to batch production.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Production planning software(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Yes | "Break every job into workflow steps, each with its own people, machines, work instructions, and bill of materials."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Yes | A shop-floor app with job cards, start/stop time tracking and on-screen instructions. The app is listed on Scale Production.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Production planning software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Yes | Quality data capture and goods-inwards inspections (Scale Production), with advanced quality management on Unify Operations; jobs can "record measurements and QA data".Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Production planning software(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 | "Trace stock batches and serial numbers through the production process."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Production planning software(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of expiry, best-before, or shelf-life date fields.Know the answer? |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Yes | "Track serial numbers for finished products & components."Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Production planning software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Bom software(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 | "Automated FIFO and average costing", with actual labour and material cost tracked against every job, including multi-level BOMs.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | Yes | Smart purchase orders, pre-populated from shortage reports, with supplier performance tracking.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Manufacturing procurement software(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | Yes | "Native integrations with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 50 as an option." Accounting stays in those packages.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Integrations(opens in a new tab); flowlens.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | No | The pricing FAQ says integrations "are coming soon for popular CRM and e-commerce platforms", so none exists today.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
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. | Partial | "Do you have an API? Yes. Please contact us to discuss your requirements." The API is listed on the custom-priced Unify Operations tier and has no public documentation.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: flowlens.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| 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
- Cloud (hosted for you)
- Licensing
- Proprietary SaaS
- Team sizes
- 6–20 people, 21–50 people, 51+ people
- Manufacturing styles
- Countable assembled products, Custom or job-shop work
Integrations
- Xero
- QuickBooks Online
- Sage 50
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 and pricing pages; there is no public help center to check the workflows against.
- The £479 entry leaves out multi-level BOMs, subcontracting and the shop-floor app, which most equipment makers will want, and that tier's price is on inquiry. Implementation starts at £4,995.
Evidence and verification
Partially verifiedLast checked October 9, 2026 · 76% of capability fields resolved · 100% of those carry a source
Why this record is not Verified. Kept at partially verified on purpose: there is no public documentation, so every claim rests on the vendor’s marketing, pricing and integration pages.
Researched 2026-09-19 from the vendor's pricing, feature and integration pages, read in full. There is no public documentation, so the planning fields rest on marketing copy and stay Partial where the pages describe priorities rather than dates.
Sources we checked (5)
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 demo showing whether shortages carry an order-by date from supplier lead time.
- Get the Scale Production price and the price of extra office and shop-floor users.
- Confirm CSV and full data export, webhooks, and expiry dates.
Still unknown: recipes & formulas, expiry & shelf life, webhooks, mcp support, csv export, full data export.