# #068 - Challenges of small manufacturers to organise their production and inventory, with Kristjan Vilosius of Katana, Estonia

- Show: [The Hardware Entrepreneur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur)
- Published: 2019-05-15
- Length: 44m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory
- Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thehardwareentrepreneur/068_-_Challenges_of_small_manufacturers_to_organise_their_production_and_inventory_with_Kristjan_Vilosius_of_Katana_Estonia.mp3

## Summary

Kristjan Vilosius, CEO and co-founder of Katana, explains how the Estonian startup provides a manufacturing ERP for small businesses, addressing the limitations of spreadsheets for complex inventory and production. He details Katana's focus on direct-to-consumer manufacturers, its integration with Shopify and accounting tools like QuickBooks, and its ability to handle multi-level bills of materials. Vilosius also discusses the shift toward Industry 4.0 for small workshops, the challenges of building an international team, and trends in the small manufacturing sector.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=0) Introduction and Sponsor Read
- [2:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=179) The Origin Story of Katana
- [6:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=390) Estonia as a Startup Hub
- [8:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=533) Katana's Value Proposition and Target Audience
- [12:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=743) Competitive Landscape and Industry 4.0
- [18:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=1088) Integrations: Shopify, Accounting, and API
- [24:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=1471) Handling Complex Products and BOMs
- [29:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=1776) Katana vs. Excel and Kanban Visuals
- [33:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=1982) Trends in Small Manufacturing
- [35:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory#t=2109) Personal Advice and International Team Culture

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Katana (product)
- Shopify (company)
- QuickBooks (tool)
- Excel (tool)
- Airtable (tool)
- WooCommerce (company)
- ShipStation (company)
- Skype (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [BONUS: From Spreadsheets to MRP: How SMB Manufacturers Are Improving Visibility to Inventory and Costs with MRPeasy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-04-24-bonus-from-spreadsheets-to-mrp-how-smb-manufacturers-are-improving-visibility-to) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [#251 - Scaling the Brand: Ops, Systems, and Simplicity with Mezcla and Doss](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-06-02-251-scaling-the-brand-ops-systems-and-simplicity-with-mezcla-and-doss) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Ep. 3 - Tools While Scaling Up; How Much Structure is Too Much?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Episode 027: Simplify](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2015-07-03-episode-027-simplify) (Making It)
- [97: Plateaus](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2023-04-06-97-plateaus) (Thoroughly Considered)

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