2018 Review of Fishbowl Warehouse

Fishbowl offers warehouse and manufacturing management software that is designed to integrate with QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and Xero. Fishbowl offers both U.S. and Canadian versions of the application and is well suited for both retailers and manufacturers, offering a version only for inventory management as well as a version that includes both manufacturing and inventory management capability.

Fishbowl is offered as an on-premise solution, but users can purchase the Fishbowl Anywhere plugin that provides online access to both Fishbowl Warehouse or Fishbowl Manufacturing. For processing inventory at remote locations, Fishbowl Go offers integration with the core applications and allows users to utilize their Android or iOS smartphones or tablets to quickly scan barcodes and perform other inventory tasks. For smaller businesses that desire complete online access, Boxstorm from Fishbowl offers complete inventory, purchase order, and sales order functions.

Fishbowl can be utilized in a variety of environments with its ability to track both product inventory in internal assets, including tools and machinery. The product supports inventory management for multiple warehouses, and offers unlimited custom fields, so users can track the level of detail they desire. Fishbowl supports multi-currency, as well as multiple ship-to addresses, and can handle drop shipping as well. Users can set an automatic reordering point for any inventory product, and can assign a substitute product to use if another similar product is unavailable. A complete purchase order history is tracked in Fishbowl, and the product also integrates with CRM applications for easy customer management capability.

Fishbowl offers serialized tracking of all inventory, with the option to track products by vendor part number, or by using the mobile app to track by barcode. Along with using the app to track inventory, users can also create and print custom barcode labels as well. Users can add a variety of items to any product file, including images, invoices, purchase orders, and any other related document. The product also includes a product/kit configurator, and Fishbowl Manufacturing offers build-to-order workorder capability, multi-level bill of materials, standard and configurable kitting, and assembly work orders.

Fishbowl’s Pricing Rule module allows users to create multiple pricing levels for any inventory product. Pricing can also be set in tiers, with three tiers available to utilize. Fishbowl also offers a variety of pricing options that can be set up using the Apply Price Adjustment feature, including markdown, margin, percent, or fixed price. Users can also create variable and discount pricing for individual customer groups if desired, as well volume discount pricing.

Fishbowl supports multiple inventory valuation methods including LIFO, FIFO, Average, and Standard Cost.

Fishbowl offers excellent inventory and manufacturing reporting, with a solid selection of standard reports available. All reports can be easily customized as desired, and users also have the option to create a completely custom report as well. Available reports include an Inventory Turnover report, a Sales Order Summary report, Inventory Variance report, a Reorder report, and a Historical Part Cost. Manufacturing reports available include a Part Activity report, Part Average Cost, along with both shipping and vendor reports. All Fishbowl reports can be scheduled in advance, and users can easily email reports directly from the print screen. Reports can also be exported as a CSV file or to Microsoft Word or Excel as desired.

Offering both inventory and manufacturing management modules, Fishbowl also offers users a variety of add-on modules to shore up the core application, including Fishbowl Time & Labor, Fishbowl for Salesforce, and Fishbowl Commerce. The product also integrates with a variety of third-party applications such as QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Canada, Xero, eBay, UPS, Shopify, Amazon, Magento, and FedEx, along with dozens of other applications.

Fishbowl’s training and support page offers system users a variety of tools and resources including access to product updates, a Getting Started tutorial, a variety of training videos, along with FAQ’s and a complete user manual. Product support is included in final product pricing and is available via email, chat, or using the toll-free number. Users can also schedule on-site or phone training from the page as well.

Fishbowl Warehouse is a scalable warehouse/manufacturing application that is well suited for mid-sized to larger retail businesses, online merchants, or any business that needs to track multiple internal assets. The product offers seamless integration with QuickBooks products as well as Xero, and also offers a series of add-on applications that increase product flexibility and functionality. Fishbowl Warehouse starts at $4,395 for a single user lifetime license (with subscription support). Final pricing is based on the number of system users and the support plan chosen. Fishbowl offers a free trial for those interested in learning more about the application.

2018 Rating – 5 Stars