When you’re growing a brand like Tantos, it’s tempting to focus on the fun stuff, developing flavors, perfecting packaging, or mapping out marketing campaigns. But behind the scenes, software quietly runs the show. If your e-commerce platform doesn’t sync with your inventory system, or your CRM can’t talk to your accounting tool, you’ll spend more time putting out tech fires than actually building your brand. That’s why I’m passionate about building a seamless, integrated software stack, one that saves time, money, and my sanity.
I’ve always been drawn to efficiency. Over the years, I’ve seen how the right tools can streamline daily operations, keep chaos at bay, and help answer the question “Do you know your numbers?” If you don’t, you’re in trouble. Most of the software I use for Tantos actually stems from my experience at my other company, PrideBites. That familiarity let me hit the ground running, though I still needed to add a couple of new platforms to handle Tantos-specific needs.
What We Use & Why
Let’s break it down:
- Google Enterprise (Mail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Analytics)
The foundation for communication and collaboration. Google’s suite keeps everyone on the same page—literally, if we’re talking about real-time docs. - Klaviyo (Email Marketing)
Perfect for automated campaigns, welcome flows, and segmentation. It’s got great analytics to see who’s opening, clicking, or ignoring our emails. - Salesforce (CRM)
A bit heavy-duty, but once set up, it’s powerful for tracking leads, retailer outreach, and partnerships. - Shopify (Website)
Clean and user-friendly for our e-commerce storefront. Plus, it integrates with countless apps and plug-ins. - Zoho Inventory (Inventory Management)
This one’s new for Tantos. It keeps track of stock levels and syncs with our other sales channels. A bit of a learning curve, but robust enough for our needs. - ShipHero (3PL)
Not exactly a platform we “use” daily ourselves, but it’s crucial. It’s how our 3PL manages and ships orders, then feeds data back to our systems. - Trello (Task Management)
Great for quick to-do lists, assigning tasks to team members, and tracking progress. - QuickBooks (Accounting)
A tried-and-true tool for bookkeeping, invoicing, and financial reports. - Stripe (Credit Card Processor)
Straightforward, widely used, and integrates seamlessly with Shopify.
It sounds like a lot, but fortunately, most of them talk to each other with minimal fuss.
Of all these tools, Zoho Inventory and ShipHero posed the biggest challenges early on because I’d never used them before. Integrating them wasn’t just a matter of flipping a switch, I had to read documentation, poke around in settings, and sometimes call in help from a Zoho developer on Upwork to fine-tune the connection. It took some trial and error, along with testing in a sandbox environment, to ensure everything worked as intended. But once it clicked, it was totally worth it.
The closest we came to a real “integration nightmare” was getting Zoho and ShipHero to share data in exactly the ways we wanted beyond the default sync. Turns out, they each had different ideas of what “real-time inventory updates” should look like. After several late-night Zoom calls (with time zone differences adding to the fun) and multiple rounds of testing, we finally found a sweet spot. No major data disappearances, just frustrating fine-tuning.
Most of the other platforms synced out of the box, Shopify and QuickBooks, for instance, or Klaviyo with Shopify. It’s only when you need custom fields or specialized reporting that you start dancing with APIs or third-party connectors. Luckily, we kept our demands straightforward, focusing on core functionalities.
Why It’s Worth the Effort
A cohesive software environment means fewer errors, less manual data entry, and faster decision-making. If I need to see how many units we’ve sold in the last 24 hours, how many we have in stock, and what flavors are trending, I can pull that info within minutes. No more juggling spreadsheets from different departments. Plus, automated updates reduce the chance of a “surprise” stockout—which could be a real mess with retailers or customers waiting.
So far, I haven’t switched any major systems midstream. Everything’s working well enough to stick with it. But I always keep an eye on the horizon, tech changes fast. If a platform starts lagging behind or a new app emerges that could save us loads of time, I’ll consider migrating.
If you’re trying to build a software stack for a startup, remember: ask yourself why you need each tool, then dive into research. Take advantage of free trials and really use them, don’t just sign up and poke around for ten minutes. If the software can handle your most pressing needs, great; if not, move on to the next. It might feel tedious, but implementing the right tools from day one saves massive headaches later.
As Tantos grows, I’m sure new software challenges await, bigger order volumes, more complex reporting, maybe expansions into international markets. For now, though, our system hums along, letting me focus on the real mission: bringing puffed pasta chips to snack lovers everywhere. Because at the end of the day, technology should enable your business, not distract from it.
