Small Business & SME Manufacturing Software Solutions

Custom manufacturing software is built around your business processes, terminology and workflows rather than forcing you to adapt to a generic system. Unlike off-the-shelf ERP (enterprise resource planning) platforms, Keel models your exact production stages, stock rules and purchasing flows, so small and SME manufacturers get a system that matches how they operate, with no unused modules, rigid templates or expensive customisation fees.

With Keel, most businesses are live in a matter of weeks rather than the months typically associated with ERP implementations. The Keel platform's code-first approach and auto-generated internal tools dramatically reduce development time. The Build for Me service includes real-time process modelling with your team and a full handover so your staff have complete ownership from day one.

Yes. Keel is designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack, including IoT devices such as smart shelves and sensors, barcode scanners, carrier APIs, e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Shopify, and financial systems. The platform uses open APIs to ensure your manufacturing software works within—and enhances—your current operations setup.

No. Keel's platform is built for operators, not just developers. Internal tools are automatically generated from your Schema, and the programmable platform allows operators to build and evolve workflows without a large engineering team. Keel also provides full code ownership and version control, so a small technical team can confidently manage and iterate the system over time.

Yes. Keel's inventory management system includes full lot and batch tracking, serial number management, expiry date monitoring, and quarantine and hold statuses. Every change is logged with a complete audit trail, making it suitable for manufacturers operating in regulated industries where traceability and compliance documentation are non-negotiable requirements.

Absolutely. Keel's production management module is built around your specific manufacturing stages, checkpoints, and tolerances—not generic assumptions. QC checkpoints are embedded directly into the production flow rather than added as an afterthought. You define the specifications, approval requirements, and terminology; Keel builds the system to match, tracing every input, transformation, and output end-to-end.

You own your data entirely. Keel provides a dedicated Postgres database per customer with isolated infrastructure, and you can choose where your data is hosted, including the UK, through multi-region data residency. Keel is built by Planko Ltd, a UK-registered company in Altrincham, Cheshire, registered with the ICO under reference ZB524558 and billed in GBP with VAT. Direct database access is also available for your team.

Keel offers a Managed Migration Service specifically designed to help businesses transition from legacy ERP systems, spreadsheets, or disconnected tools onto the Keel platform. The service is fully managed, minimising disruption to your manufacturing operations during the transition. Keel's team works alongside yours to map existing data structures and ensure a clean, reliable migration to your new custom system.

Portal software gives your customers and suppliers a secure login to your system, so trade customers can place orders and check status, and suppliers can confirm purchase orders, update lead times or complete onboarding forms, without emails and phone calls. With Keel, portals are built on the same data as your production, stock and purchasing, using Keel's instant internal tools and role-based permissions.

Yes. Keel is available to manufacturers anywhere in the UK, including Ampthill and the rest of Bedfordshire. We don't have a local office there: Keel is headquartered in Altrincham, Cheshire, with a team in London. The Build for Me service models the system around your process with your team and hands it over, so you're live in weeks.

Keel is an ERP alternative. Traditional ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems bundle finance, stock, production and sales into fixed modules that small manufacturers often pay for but don't use. Keel builds only what your process needs, such as production, stock, purchasing and portals, and connects to the accounting software you already use, bridging spreadsheets and legacy enterprise systems.

Off-the-shelf MRP and ERP tools are usually priced per user per month, with implementation and consultancy on top. Keel is one fixed yearly subscription that costs a lot less than traditional ERPs, without doubling your budget for consultants. Payments are in GBP with VAT added. Because every system is tailored, contact the team for a price.

It helps by keeping sales orders, purchase invoices and stock data accurate and digital, ready for your accounting software. A business must register for VAT once its VAT-taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in a rolling 12-month period (the threshold from 1 April 2024). Making Tax Digital for VAT requires VAT-registered businesses to keep digital records and file VAT returns through compatible software. Keel handles taxes in order management and connects with financial systems, while your accounting package files the VAT return.