MRPeasy vs CIN7: Choosing MRP Software for Small UK Manufacturers

Small manufacturing companies in the UK rarely stay on spreadsheets comfortably. As orders grow, so does the pressure to know exactly which materials are needed, when they must arrive and what stock is already on the shelf. Material requirements planning, or MRP, exists to answer those questions. If you are now weighing up MRPeasy and CIN7, the decision comes down to more than the licence fee. This guide compares the two fairly for a small manufacturer and sets out the feature and cost checks that matter.

What Does MRP Actually Do?

Material requirements planning is the function or software that calculates the material acquisition plans needed to meet production plans and customer demand. In plainer language, MRP software estimates raw material needs and manages inventory so production can run efficiently. The concept dates back to the 1960s, when it helped drive the first wave of business software adoption, and it remains the backbone of most manufacturing systems today.

A useful MRP system should help you answer four practical questions:

• Which finished goods do we need to produce to meet customer demand?
• Which raw materials and components are required for those production plans?
• What is already in stock or already on order from suppliers?
• What purchasing should be triggered so materials arrive in time for production?

MRPeasy: Designed Around the Manufacturer

MRPeasy describes itself as simple yet powerful cloud-based manufacturing ERP and MRP software. It combines production planning, stock, CRM, purchases, finances and team management in one cloud platform, which is attractive for manufacturers that do not want to stitch several separate tools together.

The vendor positions the product as ideal for companies with 10 to 200 employees, making it a realistic option for UK SMEs moving away from manual processes. It presents the software as seriously powerful yet easy to use, aimed at businesses that need manufacturing depth without an enterprise IT department. The MRPeasy website also highlights top-rated status from G2, Capterra and Software Advice, and a free trial is available directly through the vendor’s sign-up page.

Where Does CIN7 Fit in the Comparison?

An honest MRPeasy vs CIN7 comparison starts with current vendor data. Licence fees, module availability and implementation terms change over time, and they are often quoted only once you share your user numbers and workflows. While this article focuses on the manufacturing MRP capabilities you should compare, the final stage of your decision should always be a written quote from each vendor, read against the checklist below.

For a small UK manufacturer, the central question is whether the platform is true MRP software or simply an inventory and order management tool. MRP is what calculates material acquisition plans from production plans and customer demand. If a system only records stock movements, it will not tell you what to buy, in what quantity or for which production job.

Feature Checklist: What to Test on Both Systems

Set up the same demonstration for MRPeasy and CIN7, then work through these checks with your own products rather than the vendor’s sample data:

• Production planning: can you build a production plan and see what it means for raw material requirements?
• Stock control: does stock decrease automatically as materials are consumed and finished goods are booked in?
• Purchasing: are purchase suggestions generated from production requirements rather than manual reordering alone?
• CRM, purchases and finances: can the whole team work from one system instead of separate spreadsheets and accounts tools?
• Visibility: can managers see live stock levels, open orders and production status in one place?
• Ease of use: MRPeasy markets itself as easy to use, so test whether your production team agrees after a real trial.

Licence Fees and Implementation Costs: What to Ask For

No responsible comparison of MRPeasy and CIN7 should quote a single headline price, because both quotes depend on the number of users, the modules you need and the way the system is set up. Instead of asking which one is cheaper, ask each vendor to price your specific configuration.

• Licence fee: how is the licence charged? Is it per user, per module, or a flat subscription? Does every shop-floor operator need a full licence?
• Implementation fee: what is included in the setup cost? Data migration, workflow configuration and team training are common elements, and you need to know which activities sit inside the fee and which are charged separately.
• Ongoing support: what does support cover after go-live, and is there a separate charge for continued assistance?
• Data migration: if you are leaving spreadsheets or a legacy accounting system, get an estimate for cleaning and moving that history into the new platform.

Implementation effort usually reflects how much manufacturing history you carry and how many people need to change their working habits. A small engineering or food manufacturer moving from spreadsheets may need a structured project rather than just a new licence. In the UK, support is available from consultancies such as Smart Manufacture, an independent ERP and MRP advisor and the UK’s leading partner for the MRPeasy platform, which guides businesses from software selection through to go-live and beyond.

A Step-by-Step Way to Make the Decision

Whichever system you favour, a structured selection process will almost always produce a better outcome than a rushed purchase. Consider these steps:

1. Write down your three biggest production and stock problems, and use them as your scoring criteria.
2. Request a current feature list and licence quote from each vendor for your actual user count.
3. Register for the free MRPeasy trial and ask any alternative vendor, including CIN7, for the same demonstration environment.
4. Recreate one of your real jobs from sales order through to delivery, and see which platform survives daily use.
5. Add the implementation fee, training and ongoing support to the licence cost before comparing totals.
6. Choose the system your production team can actually run, not the one with the longest feature list.

Choosing between MRPeasy and CIN7 is really a choice about how you want production planning to work over the next few years. You need software that calculates material requirements from real demand, keeps stock visible and fits the size and skill mix of your team. MRPeasy clearly targets the 10 to 200 employee manufacturer with a cloud platform combining production planning, stock, purchases, finances and CRM. CIN7 should be judged on the same criteria: ask for current documentation, test the software with your own jobs, and price the licence and implementation together. Verify current prices and terms directly with each vendor before you move from spreadsheets to a system you will run every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MRP the same as ERP?

Not quite. MRP is the function or software that calculates the material acquisition plans needed to meet production plans and customer demand, while ERP covers the wider business, including finance, customers and purchasing. In practice the lines blur, because systems such as MRPeasy combine genuine MRP with stock, CRM, purchases, finances and team management in one cloud platform.

Which manufacturers suit MRPeasy?

MRPeasy is positioned as ideal for small manufacturers with 10 to 200 employees, including UK SMEs moving away from spreadsheets or older systems. The vendor describes the software as seriously powerful yet easy to use, which suits businesses that need real production planning without a large IT team. Engineering, food, electronics and similar make-to-order manufacturers are a natural fit for this type of platform.

Does MRPeasy include inventory management?

Yes. Stock is one of the core modules in MRPeasy, sitting alongside production planning, CRM, purchases, finances and team management. Because MRP is a system for estimating raw material needs and managing inventory, the stock module works together with the production planning side of the platform rather than operating as a standalone tool.

How do implementation fees compare?

Implementation fees depend on your business, not just the software. Moving from spreadsheets to MRPeasy or CIN7 involves data migration, workflow setup and staff training, all of which affect the cost. Ask each vendor for a written implementation proposal rather than comparing licence prices alone, and check what ongoing support is included after go-live.