Supply’d ERP vs Fishbowl: Finding the Right Fit for Food Businesses
Choosing software to run your food business is no small task. There’s no shortage of options out there — and while Fishbowl is a well-known name in inventory and manufacturing, it’s not always the best fit for everyone.
If you're in food — baking, packing, wholesaling, or supplying fresh products — you need more than just inventory tracking. You need something that understands your workflows, your margins, and the real-world chaos of food production.
That’s where Supply’d ERP comes in.
Let’s look at how they compare — without the noise.
Built for Different Businesses
Fishbowl was built to manage inventory and manufacturing across a wide range of industries. It does a solid job for general products — especially in warehouses, distribution, or light assembly.
Supply’d is purpose-built for food. That means:
- Ingredient-level tracking
- Recipe and yield-based production
- Perishable stock control
- B2B ordering for wholesale customers
- Route-optimised delivery runs
If you're managing dough, not nuts and bolts — the difference becomes clear quickly.
Comparing the Essentials
| Feature | Fishbowl | Supply’d ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory Management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Batch & Yield Tracking | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Native |
| Multi-Stage Production | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Custom workflows |
| Labour Costing | ❌ | ✅ Included |
| Recipe/Formulation Support | ⚠️ Workaround | ✅ Built-in |
| B2B Ordering Portal | ❌ | ✅ Fully branded |
| Delivery Run Optimization | ❌ | ✅ Google Maps integration |
| Designed for Food Ops | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cloud-Based & Simple UI | 🟡 Desktop-first | ✅ Modern, mobile-ready |
Where Fishbowl Fits
Fishbowl is ideal if:
- You manage parts or generic stock
- You need straightforward warehousing
- Your production is simple and linear
But if you:
- Run batch-based production
- Sell perishable goods
- Deliver direct to stores
- Track margins across labour, ingredients, and packaging
…you’ll quickly run into limitations.
What You’ll Find in Supply’d
Production, your way.
Build multi-step workflows like Mix → Bake → Pack, set ingredient yields, and factor in actual labour time.
Orders that match your real world.
Supply’d handles standing orders, pre-orders, split-unit pricing (cartons vs eaches), and direct B2B ordering with live stock levels.
Delivery that’s smart.
Create delivery runs by day or route, optimise with AI based fleet routing, assign to drivers, and track what’s in each van — no third-party add-ons needed.
Designed for simplicity.
Teams don’t need weeks of training or external consultants to get going. If they’ve used a tablet, they’re good.
The Bottom Line
Fishbowl is a flexible platform for general manufacturing and inventory. But if you’re in food — especially a business that’s growing and wants to reduce admin — you’ll get more clarity, control, and speed with Supply’d.
Want to see how Supply’d fits your workflow? Book a demo — it only takes 15 minutes to see the difference.