🚀 Part 2
Quick Start — up and running in 30 min
This guide takes you from installation to your first production run, step by step. Follow the order — each step builds on the previous one.
The 6 steps
1
Step 1
Installation from the App Store BigCommerce or Shopify
⏱ ~3 min
MakerStocks installs directly from your BigCommerce or Shopify store's admin panel. There's no separate account to create: the app inherits your store's identity.
1
Access the BigCommerce or Shopify App Store
In your store's admin, go to Apps → App Marketplace (BigCommerce) or Apps and sales channels → Shopify App Store (Shopify) and search for "MakerStocks".
Desktop
2
Click "Install"
Your platform will ask you to confirm the access permissions. MakerStocks reads and writes to your product catalog and store information.
Desktop
3
Choose your plan
After installation, you're redirected to the plan selection page. Choose your plan or start the free 14-day trial (no credit card required). Billing goes through the BigCommerce or Shopify App Store.
Desktop
4
Access MakerStocks
Once the plan is activated, MakerStocks appears in your store's Apps menu. The app opens in a new tab — you're logged in automatically. The home page is the Alerts dashboard.
Desktop
Signing back in later
To come back to MakerStocks, always go through Apps → MakerStocks in your store's admin. Authentication is automatic via your BigCommerce or Shopify session.
2
Step 2
Create your workshop and warehouse
⏱ ~5 min
In MakerStocks, a workshop (or production location) represents a physical space where you store and transform your raw materials. It must be created before you can record stock, launch a run, or receive an order.
1
Go to Configuration → Workshops
In the side menu, under the Configuration section, click Workshops.
Desktop
2
Create a first production location
Click "New location". Enter a name (e.g. Main Workshop, North Warehouse, Kitchen) and an optional address. Confirm.
Desktop
3
Configure financial parameters (optional)
In the workshop's detail page, you can enter fixed costs (rent, depreciation, insurance) and hourly labor rates. This data is used to calculate the full COGS (Pro+ plan).
Desktop
Pro+
Starter plan: 1 warehouse
With the Starter plan, you have a single production location. The Pro plan lets you create up to 3 warehouses, and the Business plan unlimited warehouses with stock transfers between them.
3
Step 3
Import your data
⏱ ~10 min
If you already have a catalog of raw materials, suppliers, or recipes in an Excel or CSV file, MakerStocks offers an import tool with automatic column mapping. Otherwise, you can create everything manually.
Recommended import order
The data has dependencies between records: follow this order to avoid referencing errors.
Order 1
Suppliers
Names, emails, phone numbers. Used in materials and supply orders.
Optional
Order 2
Raw materials
Name, unit, cost, initial quantity, lot number, expiry date, associated supplier.
Recommended first
Order 3
Recipes
Unknown materials are auto-created, but without cost or threshold — to be completed afterward.
After materials
How to import
1
Go to Configuration → Data import
Select the type of data to import (Suppliers, Raw materials, or Recipes).
Desktop
2
Upload your CSV or Excel file
Drop your file into the upload area (max 10 MB). MakerStocks automatically analyzes the columns and suggests a pre-filled mapping.
Desktop
3
Check the mapping and launch the import
Manually map any unrecognized columns, check the preview of the first rows, then click "Start import".
Desktop
Raw materials columns (CSV)
Your file can have its columns in any order and with any name — the mapping adapts.
| System field | Required | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
nom | Required | Farine de blé T55 | If a material with the same name already exists, it is updated. |
unite | Required | kg | kg, L, g, piece, etc. |
sku | Optional | FAR-001 | Internal reference |
quantite | Optional | 50 | Initial warehouse stock |
cout_unitaire | Optional | 1.20 | Purchase price per unit |
numero_lot | Optional | LOT-2024-001 | Lot traceability (Pro+) |
dlc | Optional | 31/12/2025 | Format DD/MM/YYYY |
fournisseur | Optional | Moulin du Sud | Must exist in MakerStocks |
entrepot | Optional | Entrepôt principal | Must match a workshop created in step 2 |
Recipe import: watch out for unknown materials
If your recipes file references materials that haven't been created yet, they are auto-created without a cost or an alert threshold. Remember to complete them from Materials stock after the import.
4
Step 4
Create a recipe and link it to a product
⏱ ~5 min
A recipe (BOM — Bill of Materials) describes the raw materials needed to produce a batch (manufacturing lot). Each recipe must then be linked to a product in your BigCommerce or Shopify store to activate automatic materials stock deduction at the time of sale.
1
Go to Production → Recipes, then "New recipe"
The form has 4 steps: general information, ingredient selection, quantities per batch, and summary.
Desktop
2
Fill in general information
Recipe name, quantity produced per batch (e.g. 12 pieces), unit (piece, kg, L…), manufacturing time, and optionally a variable cost per batch (energy, packaging).
Desktop
3
Select ingredients and their quantities
Choose the raw materials from the list, then enter the quantity needed per batch for each ingredient. The theoretical cost is calculated automatically.
Desktop
4
Link the recipe to a BigCommerce or Shopify product
From the recipes list, click the "Link to a product" icon. Select the matching product and enter the batches per unit sold ratio (e.g. 0.5 batch if 1 batch produces 2 units). Check "Primary recipe" to activate automatic deduction.
Desktop
Automatic deduction is now active
With every sale recorded on BigCommerce or Shopify, MakerStocks automatically calculates the materials consumed and deducts them from stock using the FIFO method.
5
Step 5
Launch your first production run
⏱ ~5 min
A production run triggers the manufacturing of one or more batches of a recipe. It automatically deducts the raw materials consumed and credits the finished goods stock. It can be launched immediately or scheduled for later.
Production run lifecycle
Initial status
Planned
Run in queue, stock not yet deducted.
Execution
In progress
Started by an operator in the workshop (mobile or desktop).
End
Completed
Materials deducted, product stock credited, COGS calculated.
Abandoned
Cancelled
Irreversible. Stock is not automatically restored.
Launch a run from desktop
1
Go to Production → Production runs
Click "Start a run" for immediate execution, or "Schedule" to queue it.
Desktop
2
Choose the product, recipe and number of batches
Select the finished product to manufacture. The primary recipe is pre-selected. Enter the number of batches wanted and the source warehouse for the materials.
Desktop
3
Confirm and read the result
After execution, MakerStocks displays the number of units produced, the total COGS, a breakdown of the materials consumed, and — if your plan allows it — the traceability lots used.
Desktop
Insufficient stock
If the materials are insufficient to launch the run immediately, MakerStocks offers to schedule it: it will be queued and can run as soon as stock is sufficient. The corresponding forecast alert appears on the dashboard.
Operators launch and complete runs from mobile
Access to the mobile interface via the phone browser, Manufacturing section.
/mobile/fabrication
6
Step 6
Invite your team
⏱ ~3 min — Pro+ plan
The Starter plan includes a single administrator account. Starting with the Pro plan, you can invite additional members and assign them a role.
Administrator
Full access to the desktop interface: configuration, recipes, reports, user management.
Desktop
Operator
Access to the mobile interface only: manufacturing, receiving, supply orders, B2B orders.
Mobile
1
Go to Configuration → Users
The page displays active members, separated into administrators and operators.
Desktop
Pro+
2
Click "Invite a member"
Enter the full name, email, and role (Administrator or Operator). A temporary password is generated. The user can change it on their first login.
Desktop
3
Assign operators to workshops
In Configuration → Workshops, open a production location and assign your operators to it. This assignment determines which runs and orders are visible from their mobile interface.
Desktop
4
The operator logs in from their phone
The operator opens their phone's browser and goes to the mobile interface URL. They log in with their credentials. The mobile interface is responsive and optimized for touch use.
Mobile
Mobile login URL for your operators
Share this link with your field operators to access the mobile interface.
/mobile
✓
You're ready
Recap and next steps
Congratulations — your workshop is up and running in MakerStocks. Here's what you've set up:
✓
App installed and connected to BigCommerce or Shopify✓
Workshop and warehouse created✓
Raw materials stock imported✓
Recipe created and linked to a product✓
First production run completed✓
Team invited and mobile access configuredGoing further
- Set up stock alerts — Define alert thresholds on your materials to get notified as soon as stock runs too low (Alerts dashboard, refreshed every 30 seconds).
- Set up supply orders — Create purchase orders for suppliers and let your operators receive deliveries from mobile, entering lot numbers and expiry dates (Pro+ plan).
- Analyze your costs — Check materials consumption reports and, on the Pro+ plan, download the XLSX accounting export. On the Business plan, access the P&L report by product.
- Manage B2B sales — Create resellers and manage their orders from the desktop and mobile interface (Business plan).
Next section
Part 3 details the complete breakdown of tasks between the desktop interface and the mobile interface — who does what, on which device, and under what constraints.