Global Shop Solutions vs Macola

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Our analysts compared Global Shop Solutions vs Macola based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Manufacturing Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Global Shop Solutions Software Tool
Macola Software Tool

Product Basics

Global Shop Solutions integrates processes such as financial management, manufacturing management and customer relationship management into one centralized location. It leverages shared data to automate workflows and increase employee productivity. Insights are easily visualized through customizable dashboards and reports that are accessible based on user-defined permissions.

Compliance management is another key element and enables users to maintain historical records of quality checks for internal and external audits. Users can track the customer lifecycle as well to ensure that leads are cultivated and sales pitches are tailored.
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Macola provides business solutions to small and medium-sized distribution and manufacturing companies. It increases the accuracy and speed of managing a business and streamlines operations in complex manufacturing and distribution environments. It allows users to configure workspaces at user level without consultants or developers. It also streamlines processes such as workflows, automation and document management. 

It enhances how customers interact with the businesses, improving accuracy, speed and reliability. It offers access via mobile apps and the web, business intelligence, and automated workflows.


Pros
  • Strong inventory management
  • Robust financial reporting
  • Customizable to specific needs
  • Scalable for growth
  • Long-standing industry presence
Cons
  • Steeper learning curve
  • Limited mobile accessibility
  • Potential customization costs
  • Dated interface (in some versions)
  • Compatibility concerns with newer tech
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$18,000 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$995 One-Time
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Tailored to your specific needs
Small
Medium
Large
Small
Medium
Large
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Revenue Generation: Support revenue generation through its management of inventory, shop floor and manufacturing processes. The program can help users visualize bottlenecks that are slowing down production. By identifying these workflow issues, users can determine actions to improve operations, leading to an increase in profits. 
  • Compliance: Ensure items are made appropriately and per regulatory standards with the quality control tools. The solution can also keep track of item quality history to assist with potential audits. 
  • Increased Productivity: Increase employee and operational productivity through the automation of tasks, freeing up employee time for different processes. For example, material purchasing can be automated by leveraging historical demand and sales information. 
  • Data Centralization: Obtain more accurate communication and fewer manual errors with its centralization of information. Additionally, automation can be implemented through the sharing of data among different workflows. For example, by using historical transaction information, the system could develop more accurate sales forecasts and, in turn, create material orders in line with estimated demand. 
  • Visibility: Leverage customizable dashboards to help users develop insights quickly and accurately. For example, basic accounting functions such as budgeting, accounts payable and accounts receivable can be analyzed through a unified dashboard.  
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  • Improved Financial Control: With the general ledger, users can manage core financial information leading to better financial control and decision making that can lower costs and minimize human error. 
  • Streamline Operations: Centralized document creation and management with secure and role-based access lets users streamline operations. This helps users monitor and manage their business operations. 
  • Monitors Business Activity: It monitors business data and executes actions through triggers that can be pre-set by the user. This leads to lowered costs, better productivity and higher revenue. 
  • Ensure Smooth Distribution: Macola maintains inventory in real time, making sure that users avoid overstocking and stockouts. This ensures that investment in excess inventory is reduced while boosting inventory efficiency overall. 
  • Manage Customer Data: It comes equipped with a pre-built platform to manage companies’ relationships with their customers. 
  • Process Payments: Macola has powerful accounting and finance capabilities that enable users to process orders and manage payments. 
  • Critical Job Functions: Macola allows workspaces to be created for specific jobs, such as a human resource workspace, a sales workspace, an order processing workspace or a finance and accounting workspace. 
  • Optimize Time: The personalized workspaces that can be created within Macola help lower the time needed to perform tasks by providing users with critical data and functions. 
  • Always Accessible: Personalized workspaces can be accessed from anywhere at any time using browsers, tablets, smartphones and client servers.
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  • Shop Management: Gain a real-time overview of the shop floor. It contains information such as variance reports, job costing, material review and performance measurement. Workcenter data is also easily accessible through this tool and includes information such as efficiency reports, load details and backlog reports. Scheduling information is available through the program, along with labor performance management. 
  • Planning and Scheduling: Plan for resource needs and material requirements while also developing lead time estimates for jobs. The system uses real-time information to generate sales quotes. A drag-and-drop function is included to make rescheduling or rerouting easier. A Master Schedule Dashboard is included and provides users with visibility of all jobs along with the ability to take action on any job quickly. 
  • Customer Relationship Management: Track leads and identify potential prospects while on the go on mobile devices. Customized reporting is available so that employees can track the customer metrics that are most relevant to the business. Job status, invoicing, shipments and quoting information are available in real time. Users can also send emails to clients directly through the application. 
  • Inventory Management: Trace information related to material needs, whether it be bill of material, cost buildups or inventory data. Some of this tool’s capabilities include history/usage reports, multi-location inventory, product line reports and cycle counting. The program can also automate the purchasing process by using material requirements, purchase history and planning functions to make smart purchases. Vendor material tracking is available through this feature and allows employees to look at cost breakdowns, on-time delivery rates and performance ratings. 
  • Sales Management: Manage functions such as shipping, sales orders, customer service, bookings reports and UPS/FedEx integration. Employees can develop customized reports based on specialized company needs. The Open Sales Order Review Dashboard provides visualization of open orders and lets users take actions from a centralized area. Custom sales orders, shipping labels, invoices and bills of lading can also be created with this tool. 
  • Accounting: Centralize processes such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, payroll and other basic accounting functions into a unified location, therefore providing a more comprehensive visualization of company finances. Some of the single-screen dashboards included in the program are AR Aging, AP Aging and AR Collections. User visibility of these sensitive dashboards is based on defined permissions. Organizations can connect their payroll to the general ledger and shop floor information, making the payment process faster and easier. Tax reporting and direct deposit are supported as well. 
  • Quality Control: Analyze scrap trend quantity or costs by vendor, department, date range, workcenter or employee. The program can capture any rejects related to inventory, purchasing or manufacturing and enables users to issue new materials or correct simple problems. Users can maintain a record of all quality control details to meet QC requirements for internal and external needs. Sign-off requirements, tracking and department communications are also included in this feature. 
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  • Accounting and Finance: Macola gives users a real-time financial overview of their company. Using the general ledger, users can manage the business’s financial core, cut costs, reduce human error and improve decision making. 
  • Accounts Payable and Receivable: This feature of Macola ensures that the flow of raw materials, services and supplies does not get disrupted, resulting in a good reputation with the vendors. It also helps manage credit and activity to help maximize cash flows. 
  • Excel Add-ins: Macola and Excel link dynamically, allowing users to access data in Excel. It is not necessary to export data and it offers dynamic and immediate reporting capabilities. 
  • Monitoring Business Activity: Macola monitors users’ business information and scans users’ operations every minute. It can send email alerts, update databases, generate reports and initiate workflows. 
  • Business Process Management: Macola comes with document management, customized workflows and CRM capabilities. These features ensure that users store information securely and centrally so that it can be accessed from anywhere, streamlining customer interactions. 
  • Customer Relationship Management: This feature organizes customer data in a single database. Users’ clients, vendors, employees and business partners are connected via Macola, allowing them to capture customer experiences. Users can understand, monitor, maximize and manage sales performance. 
  • Inventory Management: Macola ensures the right products are in stock. It helps also helps users avoid overstocking and stockouts. 
  • Order Entry: It facilitates order entry processes. It also accepts quotes and orders, validates credit and calculates prices. The system supports pickups and shipping by recommending lots to be picked along with order lines. It generates shipping documents like packing slips, labels and bills. 
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Product Ranking

#12

among all
Manufacturing Software

#15

among all
Manufacturing Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 155 reviews
Good User Sentiment 49 reviews
83%
of users recommend this product

Global Shop Solutions has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 155 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

78%
of users recommend this product

Macola has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 78% when considering 49 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

4.1 (18)
3.7 (15)
4.2 (64)
4.1 (30)
4.2 (67)
n/a
3.0 (6)
3.4 (4)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Comprehensive Solution: Global Shop Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of manufacturing software tools, covering everything from scheduling and inventory management to shop floor control and quality assurance. This integrated approach streamlines operations and eliminates the need for multiple disparate systems.
User-Friendly Interface: Many users praise Global Shop Solutions for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. The software is designed to be easy to navigate and use, even for employees who are not tech-savvy. This ease of use can lead to increased productivity and reduced training time.
Improved Efficiency: Global Shop Solutions helps manufacturers optimize their operations and improve efficiency. By automating tasks, streamlining workflows, and providing real-time visibility into production processes, the software enables businesses to reduce waste, minimize downtime, and increase output.
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Accurate Inventory Tracking: Real-time visibility into stock levels and locations, minimizing stockouts and overstocking.
Robust Financial Insights: Generate comprehensive financial reports with drill-down capabilities for deeper analysis.
Tailored to Specific Needs: Configure Macola to match your unique workflows and processes, improving efficiency.
Adapts to Growth: Accommodate increasing business volume with Macola's scalable architecture.
Proven Manufacturing & Distribution Track Record: Benefit from Macola's deep understanding of industry-specific challenges.
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Difficult to Customize: Users have reported that Global Shop Solutions can be challenging to tailor to their specific manufacturing workflows, especially when it comes to integrating with existing systems or unique production processes.
Complex User Interface: Some users have found the software's interface to be overly complicated and not intuitive, leading to a steep learning curve and decreased efficiency for employees who are not tech-savvy.
Limited Reporting Capabilities: There have been complaints about the software's reporting features being somewhat limited, making it difficult to extract specific data insights and generate comprehensive reports for analysis and decision-making.
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Steeper Learning Curve: Initial setup and user training can be demanding, requiring dedicated resources.
Limited Mobile Accessibility: Interface may not be fully optimized for mobile devices, hindering remote work.
Potential Customization Costs: Extensive customization needs may incur additional development fees.
Dated Interface (in some versions): Older versions may have less intuitive interfaces compared to modern software.
Compatibility Concerns with Newer Tech: Integration with newer technologies might require additional effort or third-party tools.
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Is Global Shop Solutions the "gold standard" for shop solutions? User reviews from the last year paint a picture of a robust and comprehensive ERP system that caters specifically to the needs of manufacturers. Reviewers frequently highlight the software's strengths in inventory management, production planning, and scheduling. The ability to track materials across multiple locations, optimize production schedules, and gain real-time insights into inventory levels is a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their operations and boost efficiency. Global Shop Solutions' integrated approach sets it apart from competitors, as it eliminates the need for multiple, disparate software systems. This not only saves time and money but also ensures data consistency and accuracy across the entire organization. However, some users note that the software's extensive functionality can lead to a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ERP systems. Additionally, while Global Shop Solutions offers a wide range of features, some users mention that certain niche functionalities may require additional customization or third-party integrations. Despite these minor drawbacks, the consensus is clear: Global Shop Solutions is a powerful ERP solution that empowers manufacturers to take control of their operations. Its comprehensive features, industry-specific focus, and integrated approach make it an ideal choice for small to medium-sized manufacturing businesses seeking to optimize their processes and drive growth.

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For manufacturers and distributors, Macola is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's praised for its rock-solid core – think Fort Knox inventory tracking, treasure map-like financial reports, and a growth-friendly architecture that scales seamlessly. On the other hand, it's criticized for its learning curve resembling Mount Fuji and a mobile app stuck in a dark labyrinth. Compared to its competitors, Macola lacks the modern sparkle and broader integrations, but its deep industry expertise makes it a master of the manufacturing and distribution tango. Choosing Macola boils down to priorities: if operational power trumps cutting-edge tech, invest the time to learn its intricacies and embrace its classic vibe. For those seeking slick interfaces and mobile magic, Macola might not be the perfect fit.

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