Feature / Data Safety

No Risk
Read-Only Connection

Connect Dream MRP to your accounts system, run the full MRP calculation, and see exactly what would happen — before a single purchase order is created. Your accounts stay untouched. Full MRP results.

Start with a Read-Only connection How it works →
What it is

Get planning.
Your accounts stay untouched.

Your accounts data is valuable, and we understand that you do not want every app you connect to be able to change it. That is why we built the Read-Only connection.

A Read-Only connection is exactly what it sounds like. Dream MRP connects to your Xero or QuickBooks account, reads all your data, and runs the complete MRP calculation — but it does not write anything back. No purchase orders are created. No stock adjustments are posted. Nothing changes in your accounting system.

You get to see every recommendation, every planned order, every shortfall — and decide for yourself whether Dream MRP is giving you the right answers before you let it write anything back.

in read-only / connect
Connect your accounts

Authorise Dream MRP to read from your Xero or QuickBooks account. With Xero the connection itself is granted view-only permission, so Xero prevents any write. QuickBooks has no such permission, so Dream MRP enforces the Read-Only connection and sends no changes back.

in read-only / run
Run the MRP calculation

Dream MRP calculates your full material requirements based on live inventory, open sales orders, and your Bills of Materials — all without touching your data.

in read-only / review
Review planned orders

See every planned purchase order and work order. Check quantities, suppliers, dates, and shortfalls. Verify the logic matches your expectations.

when ready / two way
Make it two-way

When you are satisfied that Dream MRP is producing the right results, switch the connection to two-way in Settings. From that point, approved orders are posted to your accounts system.

What is different

Everything works.
Two things do not post back.

With a Read-Only connection you can do everything in Dream MRP except two things: approved purchase orders are not posted to Xero or QuickBooks, and the quantities of tracked products are not updated in your accounts when a work order is completed. Purchase orders still exist in Dream MRP and can still be emailed to suppliers; work orders still run through to completion.

That is fine for trialling Dream MRP. It can also be a valid long-term process. You may not need purchase orders in Xero or QuickBooks at all: entering the supplier’s invoice updates the quantities there, and in the meantime you manage the purchase orders in Dream MRP.

For product quantities, the process may simply work with untracked products, particularly if you make to order. Then there is nothing for a work order to update, and a Read-Only connection costs you nothing.

One small thing as well: with a Read-Only connection you cannot create new items in Dream MRP and export them to Xero or QuickBooks. The normal process is to create them there anyway, and Dream MRP imports them.

With a Read-Only connection
  • ✓ Connect to Xero or QuickBooks and read all your data
  • ✓ Run full MRP calculations, manually or on the Night Run
  • ✓ Approve purchase orders and email them to suppliers from Dream MRP
  • ✓ Create, schedule and complete work orders
  • ✓ Import and manage Bills of Materials
  • ✗ Does not post approved purchase orders to Xero or QuickBooks
  • ✗ Does not update tracked product quantities in your accounts on work order completion
How to connect / Xero

Two things
to check.

A Read-Only connection is chosen when you sign up, and you can see it confirmed on Xero’s own consent screen before you grant access.

The connection is live from the start; it is just one way. You can make it two-way later from Settings in Dream MRP. Until then nothing is written to Xero.

1
Tick “Read-only connection” on the sign-up page
On the Continue with Xero step, leave the Read-only connection box ticked. Dream MRP will then ask Xero for view access only.
The Dream MRP sign-up page with the Read-only connection checkbox ticked and highlighted
2
Check the permissions on Xero’s consent screen
Xero shows you what Dream MRP is asking for. You can see that it is requesting read-only access.
Xero’s consent screen showing the organisation data permission as view only, highlighted
Specifics

Each connection,
in detail.

The three systems handle permissions differently, so a Read-Only connection means something slightly different for each.

xero / enforced by xero
Xero

Xero offers a view-only permission, and that is what Dream MRP asks for on a Read-Only connection. Xero itself will not let anything be written, and you can see the permission on the consent screen before you approve it.

quickbooks / enforced by dream mrp
QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks has no equivalent view-only permission, so Dream MRP keeps the promise itself: while the connection is read-only it never sends anything back to QuickBooks. On plans below Plus, which have no inventory or purchase orders, Dream MRP still connects but there is nothing to post to, so it works read-only regardless.

shopify / not applicable
Shopify

A Read-Only connection does not apply to Shopify. Completing a work order has to add the finished goods to your Shopify on-hand quantity, so Dream MRP always keeps that ability. If you do not want Dream MRP updating a product’s quantity, leave Inventory tracked switched off for that variant in Shopify and Dream MRP will not touch it.

For careful teams

New tools deserve
careful evaluation.

We built the Read-Only connection because we understand that connecting a new system to your live accounts feels significant. Your purchasing data and inventory records are the foundation of your business — and you shouldn't have to gamble on a new tool being right before you've seen it work.

A Read-Only connection removes that risk entirely. Connect, explore, verify, and switch to two-way with confidence — on your schedule, at your pace. There's nothing to undo, nothing to unpick.

A Read-Only connection is available on all plans, including the free 14-day trial. You don't need a credit card. You don't need to commit to anything before you've seen Dream MRP work with your real data.

Start with a Read-Only connection

See the plan.
Then decide.

14-day free trial  ·  No credit card  ·  Read-Only connection included

Try Dream MRP free View pricing →