Arka Inventory vs ERPNext: Nine-Test Trial Script

A feature list cannot tell you whether the batch you pick at a warehouse transfer is still the batch you consume in production. Only your own stock can.

That is the real question behind most searches for ERPNext inventory management. ERPNext is a broader enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, meaning one suite that covers many business functions. Arka Inventory is cloud inventory software built natively on Salesforce, the customer relationship management (CRM) platform. For an Indian manufacturer, the choice rarely turns on who lists more features. It turns on whether stock, bills of materials (BOMs, the component lists behind a finished product) and batches behave correctly across several warehouses.

This page gives you nine tests to run on either product, or any other, using a small dataset. Each test has a pass and a fail, so the result is a score, not an impression.

• We recommend Arka Inventory for Indian manufacturers whose sales team works in Salesforce, because stock, reservations and customer orders then sit in one system.
• Feature lists do not settle a stock-module choice. Nine pass-or-fail tests on three warehouses, two batches and one bill of materials do, and our 15-day free trial covers them on a small dataset, though not full onboarding.
• On our plans, multiple warehouses start at Basic, bills of materials at Advance, and lot or batch tracking at Enterprise. As of November 2026, ten users cost US$6,924 a year on Basic and US$10,980 on Advance (our working is below).
• Run the nine tests on Arka Inventory in the 15-day free trial and score each one.

Choose Arka Inventory when your orders live in Salesforce and your stock must follow them. Our page on inventory visibility explains which number to quote.

You may also need to tailor workflows. HCPL Hexmoto, a manufacturer, says on our homepage: "Arka has been the most customizable solution we've used, and the support team made it incredibly easy to tailor everything to our manufacturing needs."

Lot and batch tracking is on our Enterprise plan, which is priced to your setup.

ERPNext's stock module covers warehouses, batches and serial numbers, according to its publisher, Frappe. Frappe presents ERPNext as open-source ERP software for inventory management. Its inventory guide defines a warehouse as any storage location your company uses, including virtual ones for organisation.

On batches, the guide describes grouping several units of an item under one identifying tag. Combined with serial numbers, which give each stock item its own unique number, this supports tracking of warranty, returns, recalls and expiry dates. Frappe's batch documentation adds that batches can be created manually or at purchase receipt, show an expiry status, and can be moved between warehouses or split.

To judge how it handles your stock, load the same dataset into an ERPNext site and run all nine tests below. Tests 1, 2 and 4 check the batch, expiry and traceability points the documentation describes.

Our recommendation: test the hand-offs, because a transfer, a production run, a cancellation and a count correction each change batch and warehouse quantities. A buyer's real question is rarely "does it have batches?" It is "does the batch I chose at transfer arrive in the production entry?" The tests below ask exactly that.

Run all nine tests on a small dataset, in order, because each uses the stock left by the one before. A batch (also called a lot) is a group of units received or made together under one number. First-expiry-first-out (FEFO) means the batch that expires first is used first.

Load this dataset (our worked example):

• Three warehouses: Receiving (W1), Production (W2) and Finished Goods.
• One raw material in two batches in W1: Batch A, 60 kg, earlier expiry; Batch B, 100 kg, later expiry. Total 160 kg.
• One finished product that needs 2 kg of the raw material per unit.
• If your product has sub-assemblies, add a second BOM level (see multi-level bill of materials).

Quantities are our worked example: 160 kg at the start, 120 kg after test 2, 80 kg after test 3, 120 kg after the cancellation in test 6 and 118 kg after the count correction in test 7.

Test 1: Does a batch keep its number and expiry when it moves between warehouses?

Transfer all of Batch A (60 kg) and 40 kg of Batch B from W1 to W2. Pass: W1 shows Batch B 60 kg. W2 shows Batch A 60 kg and Batch B 40 kg, both with their original expiry dates. Fail: any batch loses its number or date, or the totals no longer add to 160 kg.

Test 2: Does production consume the earliest-expiry batch first?

Create a production order for 20 units (40 kg). Pass: the system proposes or allows Batch A 40 kg, leaving Batch A 20 kg. Fail: it takes Batch B with no way to override, or you must type batch numbers by hand and the system does not check them.

Test 3: Can one production order consume two batches and record both?

Create a second order for 20 units (40 kg). Pass: it consumes Batch A 20 kg and Batch B 20 kg, and the order shows both lines. Fail: it records one batch only, or the quantities differ from what you picked.

Test 4: Can you trace a finished lot back to raw-material batches in two minutes?

Open the finished lot from test 3. Pass: you see Batch A 20 kg and Batch B 20 kg within two minutes, without exporting to a spreadsheet. Fail: the link exists only in the order document, or takes a report request.

Test 5: Does a short component show before production starts?

Plan 50 units, which need 100 kg. Only 80 kg exists: Batch B 20 kg in W2 and 60 kg in W1. Pass: the system shows a 20 kg shortage and where the 60 kg sits, before you start. Fail: it fails at the point of consumption.

Test 6: Does cancelling a consumed order roll everything back?

Cancel the second order. Pass: W2 returns to Batch A 20 kg and Batch B 40 kg, with expiry dates, and the finished lot disappears. Fail: quantities, batches or cost values stay out of step.

Test 7: Do batch totals still match warehouse totals after a count correction?

A physical count finds 58 kg of Batch B in W1 instead of 60 kg. Correct it. Pass: Batch B totals 98 kg (58 in W1, 40 in W2), and all stock reads 118 kg. Fail: the batch total and warehouse lines disagree.

Test 8: Can one order reserve stock from the right warehouse?

Reserve 30 kg of Batch B from W2, then move the reservation to W1. Pass: available stock is 68 kg (98 minus 30) after the first step. After the move, W1 shows 28 kg and W2 shows 40 kg available. Fail: a reservation reduces the company total only, or cannot be moved. Our Odoo Inventory comparison has further commitment tests.

Test 9: Can you export the lot history yourself?

Export the history of Batch A and Batch B. Pass: you choose the format and finish without a vendor ticket. Fail: you must request the data. Our customers can export their data at any time, in a format they choose, and use our application programming interfaces (APIs).

Score one point per pass. Each failed test marks a step you would have to check by hand. Run the same nine tests on Arka Inventory in the trial. For how stock availability feeds scheduling, see production planning and control.

As of November 2026, five users cost US$4,404 a year on Basic and US$7,860 on Advance, and ten users cost US$6,924 and US$10,980. Enterprise, which includes lot and batch tracking, is priced to your setup.

Our pricing is US$199 a month paid yearly on Basic (one user licence, extra users US$42 a month) and US$499 a month paid yearly on Advance (two user licences, extra users US$52 a month). Prices on our pricing page are in US dollars; contact sales for GST and invoicing details.

This is our working: annual cost is 12 × the monthly plan fee, plus 12 × the extra-user fee for each user beyond those included.

A manufacturer needing both bills of materials and lot tracking needs Enterprise, so ask us for that quote.

Book a demo through the contact-sales page and ask for the 15-day free trial (full access, no credit card). The trial covers the nine tests on a small dataset, not full onboarding, which takes a minimum of two weeks. Bring the dataset above.