# How to add a mobile app to Katana > Source: https://netray.co/integrations/katana-mobile-app > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Integrations ## Short answer Start with Katana's own shop floor and mobile options for operators. If you need barcode receiving, stock counts or custom approvals, build a thin mobile or PWA client over the Katana REST API with a backend that handles keys, queues and rate limits. ## System Katana ## Capability mobile-app ## Intro Katana is browser based, which suits the office but is awkward at a bench or a receiving dock. Operators want to start and finish tasks, scan a barcode, and see the next job, not navigate a desktop UI on a phone. Katana offers a shop floor experience for production tasks, and its feature set and mobile availability have evolved, so confirm what your plan includes. It will not cover every warehouse need, such as scan-to-receive against a PO or cycle counts. Where the native app stops, a small custom client fills the gap. The key is deciding what must work offline and what can wait for a connection. ## Use Cases ### Operator task start and finish **Description:** Use the native shop floor view, or a custom screen, so operators log start, finish and quantity on manufacturing order operations. ### Scan-to-receive against a PO **Description:** Scan the PO barcode, then each item, and post received quantities to the purchase order rows. ### Cycle counts **Description:** Count bins by scanning, compare to Katana levels, and submit stock adjustments after supervisor approval. ### Pick and pack confirmation **Description:** Scan items against a sales order to confirm picks before marking it packed. ### Manager approvals on the move **Description:** Approve purchase orders and see late manufacturing orders from a phone. ## System Surface - Katana's own shop floor app or view for operators; availability and features depend on plan and version, so verify in your account. - REST API endpoints for manufacturing order operations, purchase order receiving, stock adjustments and stock transfers. - Variants carry SKU and barcode fields that scanning can resolve; confirm the barcode field name in your data. - Locations and bin level handling, which affects how adjustments and transfers must be posted. - API key authentication, which is account level and must never be embedded in a mobile app binary. ## How It Works ### Check native capability first **Detail:** Trial the Katana shop floor app with two operators for a week; list what is missing before building anything. ### Pick the client type **Detail:** A progressive web app is quickest and works on any scanner phone; native is only needed for heavy offline or specific scanner SDKs. ### Put a backend between app and Katana **Detail:** The app authenticates the user to your backend, which holds the Katana key and enforces roles and rate limits. ### Implement scan and lookup **Detail:** Resolve barcodes to variants through a cached product list, so scans work without a round trip per item. ### Queue writes for offline **Detail:** Store receipts and counts locally with ids, sync when online, and handle conflicts such as a PO already closed. ### Pilot with one process **Detail:** Start with receiving, measure error rates, then add counts and picks. ## Example Flows ### Dock receiving **Trigger:** A delivery arrives and the receiver opens the app. **Steps:** - Scan the PO barcode or search by supplier. - Scan each item and key the quantity. - The app flags an over-receipt. - Submit; the backend posts the receipt to Katana. **Result:** Stock is available for production within minutes of arrival. ### Weekly cycle count **Trigger:** A supervisor assigns a bin range. **Steps:** - The counter scans bin and item, then enters counts. - Differences against Katana are shown. - A supervisor approves large variances. - Approved lines become stock adjustments. **Result:** Inventory accuracy improves with an audit trail. ## On Prem Katana cannot be self-hosted, so the app always depends on its cloud API. You can still keep your own backend, user directory, offline queue and logs on a local server, which also gives you a place to buffer writes if the internet link at the factory is unreliable. If you add voice or photo features, such as describing a defect or reading a label, run those models on an on-site machine with an open-weight model so shop floor images stay inside your network. Plan an offline mode for dead zones in the building. ## Security - Never ship the Katana API key inside the mobile app. - Authenticate users to your backend with their own accounts and map roles. - Encrypt the local offline queue on the device. - Require supervisor approval for large adjustments and log every write. ## Options ### Katana native shop floor app **Fit:** Production task tracking by operators. **Effort:** Configuration only. ### Custom PWA over the REST API **Fit:** Barcode receiving, counts and picks. **Effort:** Three to six weeks for a first process. ### Partner build with Netray **Fit:** Scanning plus AI features, private hosting and approvals. **Effort:** Several weeks, phased by process. ## Pitfalls - Posting adjustments without respecting locations leaves stock in the wrong place. - Rate limits bite when many scanners sync at once; queue and batch on the backend. - Barcodes that are not unique per variant cause wrong receipts. - Offline edits colliding with a closed PO need a clear resolution rule. ## Faq ### Does Katana have a mobile app? **Answer:** Katana provides a shop floor experience for operators, and mobile support has changed over time, so confirm what your plan and version offer. It focuses on production tasks, so scan-based receiving and cycle counts often need a custom or third-party app. ### Can we scan barcodes into Katana? **Answer:** Variants have SKU and barcode data, so a scanner app can resolve scans to items through the API. Receiving and adjustments are then posted as API calls. The scanning layer itself is usually your own or a third-party app. ### Should we build native or a PWA? **Answer:** Start with a PWA. It runs on Android scanner devices and phones, updates instantly, and covers camera scanning. Go native only for hardware scanner SDKs or very demanding offline needs. ### How do we handle poor Wi-Fi? **Answer:** Cache the product list on the device, queue writes with unique ids, and sync when connected. Define what happens if the document changed in the meantime, for example a PO closed, and show the user a clear message. ### Can AI be added to the mobile app? **Answer:** Yes, for example reading a label from a photo or answering which bin holds a part. Keep it advisory with confirmation before any write, and run models on your own server if shop floor images should not leave the site. ## Search terms katana mobile app, katana shop floor app, katana barcode scanning, katana receive purchase order mobile, katana stock count app, katana api mobile, katana warehouse scanner, custom app for katana mrp --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json