JobBOSS² Shop Management
14 Reviews 3.9/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★Making life even easier for modern job shop owners.
Our Rating: 8.9
Our Verdict
We like JobBOSS² for its modern, user-friendly interface and high level of automation for purchase orders and job scheduling. The ERP solution also provides customizable dashboards and reports, so users can easily view the KPIs and real-time data relevant to their roles. With its capabilities for handling multiple levels of components and assembly, JobBOSS² effectively addresses the needs of discrete manufacturing.
However, we don’t think JobBOSS² is a great pick for process manufacturers. Some parts of the user interface are not intuitive, including inconsistent color coding for buttons and work item statuses. Finally, ECI does not offer 24/7 phone support for JobBOSS², which might be a hindrance for companies requiring consistent one-on-one support.
We found JobBOSS² Shop Management to be an affordable manufacturing ERP system. The solution offers key accounting, CRM, scheduling, inventory management, quality control, and job costing modules. It’s a cloud-based system accessible from your browser, with six different mobile apps for iOS and Android. JobBOSS² is the result of ECI combining the cloud-based system E2 with JobBOSS, merging the two products together.
Who Is JobBOSS² For?
We found JobBOSS² is best for small to mid-level manufacturers with 10-100 employees. The platform facilitates job shops and make-to-order operations in the SMB space. It’s the next logical step for a growing company that needs to go beyond QuickBooks, closer to a comprehensive ERP system. Companies moving to mixed-mode manufacturing should examine ECI’s M1 ERP system.
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Our Ratings
| Usability - 9 | Modern and intuitive user interface; conflicting color coding and UI elements might confuse new users; designed for users of all technical proficiencies. |
| Support - 8.2 | Phone support only available 7 am-7 pm CST Mon-Fri; includes built-in documentation and links to recordings and video files. |
| Scalability - 8.8 | Supports integrations with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ADP, Paycheck, Redwing Payroll, etc.; syncs with Alora, a machine monitoring program, to provide shop floor insights; mobile apps are extensive but could use more optimization. |
| Security - 10 | Can export financial data into other accounting systems; includes audit trails in every aspect of the solution; user-specific settings allow you to restrict access based on user type. |
| Value - 8.6 | Affordable compared to other ERP systems in the SMB manufacturing space; does not offer low-code customizations; requires professional support to add customizations. |
| Performance - 9 | System is fast and responsive; allows for quick search of purchased and manufactured parts; Work Queue feature and other workflows in mobile apps load slowly. |
| Key Features - 9.3 | One-click conversion of quotes into orders; offers drag and drop scheduling capabilities; Design View allows you to customize reports fully; provides full accounting suite within platform; concurrency issues can occur when more than one user schedules jobs or works on quotes. |
What Features Are Missing?
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Consistent UI: Though the software has one of the best interfaces we’ve seen for manufacturing ERP, some UI elements are not intuitive. For example, JobBOSS² has inconsistent color coding for work item statuses, modes, and buttons throughout the browser and mobile interfaces.
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Limited support availability: Manufacturers requiring 24/7 support might want a different solution than JobBOSS². ECI offers phone support 7 am-7 pm CST Monday through Friday. Users experiencing issues during off hours or over the weekend must wait for assistance.
JobBOSS² Pricing
JobBOSS² offers either a perpetual license or monthly subscription but does not publish pricing online. Factors like user count, business size, required customizations, implementation complexity, subscription fees, and ongoing support and maintenance affect total cost of ownership. The Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages all have a minimum requirement of one user.
Who Owns JobBOSS²?
Parent company ECI Software Solutions owns JobBOSS² Shop Management. JobBOSS launched in 1984 in Minneapolis, MN, and ECI acquired the software in 2017. ECI Software Solutions is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and continues to evolve the platform to meet the changing needs of the manufacturing sector.
Alternatives
Summary
We recommend JobBOSS² for small to medium discrete manufacturers with 10 to 100 employees. It’s an apt solution for companies moving away from manual methods. JobBOSS² supports fabrication, tooling and mold, machine builder, captive, screw, and spring shops.
However, we don’t think process manufacturers should go with JobBOSS², as it lacks the industry-specific functionalities necessary for formula-based production and variable product yields. ECI does not offer 24/7 support, and JobBOSS²’s UI has conflicting visual cues, which could initially confuse new users.
Overall, JobBOSS² is a great pick for manufacturers looking to automate operations and move beyond spreadsheets and QuickBooks.
Product Overview
User Reviews of JobBOSS² Shop Management
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We reviewed a few systems with Software Connect but ended up going with JobBoss2. So far the system has been great and really reduces our work load for certian tasks.
It has great data collection and integrates with QuickBooks which was a good plus for us.
Integration with QuickBooks
Great data collection
Liked the Icons and user interface flow
Was sent the wrong training course and had some communication issues.
There is one glaring flaw!!! We just discovered that the hours worked on a job don’t match with the Job Cost Detail report. The Job Cost Detail report says there were 6.5 hours for a job however, the Time Audit report says there were only 2 hours on the same job. Which one is correct? I called support. They informed me that this problem has been an issue with my version of the software. I currently use 11.9.4. I was given a couple of things to try to correct this problem and they didn’t work. I was told that I will have to upgrade to correct the problem. I was very disappointed at how flippent support was about this problem. It was like they didn’t care. I have to get my IT person involved to do the upgrade. I called support again to get their hours of operation and was placed on hold for over 7 minutes. I hung up, called back and contacted a different department to find out their hours of operation and informed them that I was on hold for over 7 minutes. They informed me that only (2) individuals were there to cover that area and that they have been busy all day with no break at that’s why I had to be on hold for such a long time. I don’t know when I’ll be able to get my upgrade completed and sit here wondering how many jobs I’ve invoiced that are incorrect, (I have close to 600 jobs that I’ve invoiced this year). I’m appalled that JobBOSS knew of this issue and yet I was never informed about it. No call, no email, nothing. Extremely disappointed in JobBOSS’s support and handling of problems.
I like that we have a better grip on how many jobs we have and their due dates.
The support is awful!
I use it as a full-service ERP, covering all my production, purchasing and accounting needs
None
We are a large company with 25+ users. I would like more granular security so we can manage specific functions within screens.
Serapid decided to purchase JobBoss over the competition. We thought the program was a good solution to get us from multiple spread sheets to 1 software package shared by the whole company. The training was better than competitors. The software has brought job release thru final invoicing into the modern times. Inventory control is real time with stock status, cost and planning easily evaluated. Purchasing is straight forward form the job BOM to RFQ to PO in easy steps. Job costing is current and accessible. With the addition of the BOM Import tool JobBoss has hit a home run.
We do not use all the modules available but are comfortable with those that we do. We found a steep learning curve at 1st, but we dedicated 2 people to the training to act as the implementation team and company trainers. We found the software not necessarily intuitive, but once the general idea was comprehended, like any new product, it became easier to use. We still get stumped once in a while by problems, but the JB knowledge base and call in help team is really good. Yes there are some quirks as you would expect from a canned software, but by and large the program is very functional. You may find some of the reports lacking what you want to see in the format you want, but they can be designed. Most employees learned the program easily, but there were some hard heads that resisted the changes. Overall JobBoss has more than accomplished what we hoped it would.
Some of the adjustability for part (materials) costing could be better. The 10 digit job number is a problem, but you can develop work arounds. We worked with the Beta testing on the import tool and had several improvements suggested there.
The software does well for our needs… the accounting/ payroll integration could be better and I would like to see a Human Resource Module along with a Machine Maintenance Module…
Ease of training and use…
The payroll integration and doubled entry
Module driven software with a very friendly data base design. The outline is a very universal structure, but is to be very accurate to the manufacturing processes. Data Collection is very powerful even know we do not fully utilize to it abilities. Data collection at serves the manufacturing very well as time and attendance and Job costing. Accounting package and Payroll would be considered add ons at one time, but have been upgraded and serve us very well.
Strengths - Flexibility, User Friendly, All in one (Quoting, Job\Sales Entry, Purchasing, Shop Floor Management, Shipping, Accounting and Payroll) how can you go wrong???
Workflow Process and Documentation
- Easy to follow
- Easy to troubleshoot
- User friendly a. Department to take ownership in their module b. Work independent of each other c. Ties between different modules are seamless
- JobBoss allows you to fully utilize core modules with out adding modules that you maybe will not use or are not ready to use.
Move Custom fields to proper screens for input ease Lack of control on required fields Preference-User Codes an option to use description fields (Material Class, Additional Cost, Adjustment Reason,Change Reason, etc) Shop Boss versions ago we could set individual preference such as what cells to see and how you wanted to see. Lost in upgrades and never came back.
Good layout: standard progression using tabs. Self populating dropdown fields. Good search feature in most modules. Good formatting of crystal reports. Good Copy feature from Quote to Job, PO to PO, etc. We use JB from Quote to Cost, Inventory, Scheduling, Acct, data collection, etc.
The menu layouts, the good report formatting. The excellent support that we used to get from Lisa O’Flaherty.
Difficult to export a report to excel without a lot of merged cells.
So I frequently have to write a custom report.
The base reports in JB are good. But the costing and quoting reports are too limited. So we write our own.
We are starting to use Event Mgr to create automatic actions like ASN. This would be a good base feature to have…
JobBOSS handles the front end to the back end (and all points in between) for our Manufacturing Company operations. There is nothing I need to do outside of JobBOSS with other software to run and manage our business.
It is a very intuitive program. I have worked with many other ERP systems and I can say JobBOSS was the easiest to use and at the same time handles all of our business’ needs.
Outside of some minor enhancements, the software does not have a glaring weakness.
Very user friendly. Easy to teach and reproduce implementation.
Easy to learn and implement.
Would be good if modules were modifiable to some extent locally.
JobBoss is a very good and easy to use software. We have jobs that consist of 1 component and some with 200 components and many repeat orders. JobBoss handles the diffrent job types without any issues. JobBoss does an excellent job of tracking job time and costs. It is seamless from the Quote to final job cost. I would highly recommend it for any size shop.
Reliability. The system never craches, updates are always functioning when a new release comes out. I have been using JobBoss since 1992 and it has always been rock solid.
Not being able to search a name in the customer admin. Example: Find the company that John Smith works for after he changed jobs 3 times with 3 different companies.
JobBoss helps us accurately track jobs from quotation to shipment. In addition the use of of ShopBoss helps keep us on schedule to make sure deliveries stay on time.
JobBoss makes it easy to track all the jobs moving through our shop. It has allowed us to increase our shop load dramatically from the old job book we used in the past. There is no way we could do the volume of jobs we do now without JobBoss.
Looking back at jobs and finding information can be clumsy. No right click ability at many screens. For instance when I right click on a material in a job and click show activity it shows me the p.o. Why can’t I right click or double click on the p.o. to open it. Many areas are like this and it is cumbersome to open modules and click through to get to the information I want.
Software is very user friendly, puts the power at your fingertips to run your shop and office.
Use it as little or as much as you like, just getting started, jump in start out with the basics and work your way up. with this package you don’t have to learn it all in the beginning to have it work for you.
it is not a point of sale system. some of us have that other side to the job shop business and for that the sales order side is just not quite satisfactory.
JB was designed to help manage and control production costs in a typical job shop environment. It covers all aspects of manufacturing from quote to invoicing, and real time data collection.
Sadly, I can’t think of anything that I like best. Things that work smoothly typically go unnoticed though, and I know it has strong points.
JobBOSS at first seems loaded with features and I’m sure it is. If there were more free tutorials available maybe it’s haphazard structure would make more sense. Other similar programs I’ve used offer recorded sessions. JB has some, but mostly, they have their hand out. The “pay us for software, and then pay us more to show you how to use it” approach just rubs me the wrong way. The inconsistencies in nomenclature from one area to the next make it a nightmare. In one area, something will be called this, and in another area, it will be called something else. JB opens with a navigation rectangle in the center of a page that I seldom use, preferring instead to use their optional “Explorer” view, which is a typical directory tree. But simple stuff like having the order of the selections between the two navigation choices be the same just doesn’t seem important to them. Their “Customer Portal”, which, by the way, won’t even connect through the latest version of the software (a message saying it’s out of date pops up, and ultimately redirects you to another site, which only works in Windows Internet Explorer. But it fails more than it works) is a joke, even though they do make an attempt at recording the basics of all calls there. I personally think the biggest problem with JB is the fact that NO ONE at Exact (the parent company) appears to use it at all. If they tried to actually utilize the software, or at least send some of their people out into facilities that are actually using it, they’d see a lot of the problems. For the record, in a past job, I chose a similar product over JB. Now, after using both, I feel strongly that my decision was the right one. I do feel JB has great potential, but unless you have plenty of money, you probably won’t ever implement it fully.
It is built around a manufacturing job shop and is designed to track the job through the manufacturing stages. It is also supposed to handle inventory as well.
The fact that we actually figured out how to use it!
It is not very intuitive and although there are very good online tutorials, there are none for how to start using. The tutorials are for people with a general knowledge of the program.
