- JobBOSS²: Best Overall
- xTuple: Best for Customizable Workflows
- Aptean Made2Manage: Best for SMBs
- SYSPRO: Advanced Analytics and Reporting
- Proshop ERP: Detailed Machine and Tool Management
- Epicor Kinetic: Lean Manufacturing Tools
- Infor CloudSuite Industrial: Strong Supply Chain Management
- Acumatica Cloud ERP: Advanced Project Accounting
- Fulcrum Pro: Most Flexible Solution
- Katana MRP: MRP-Focused
1 JobBOSS² - Best Overall
Why We Chose It: JobBOSS² is our top pick because it offers advanced job scheduling, quoting, and quality control integration, essential for managing the dynamic nature of job shops. The software includes a whiteboard scheduling feature that helps identify potential bottlenecks before they occur. It monitors various aspects of machines and jobs to ensure timely completion. The Alora Machine Intelligence add-on also connects machines to JobBOSS², offering real-time performance tracking to increase utilization and output.
JobBOSS² has a fully integrated quality system. It focuses on improving business performance and profitability by managing engineering and supply chain activities. Features include handling non-conformances, corrective/preventative actions, feedback management, and document control, with options for auto-generating ISO documentation.
2 xTuple - Best for Customizable Workflows
Why We Chose It: xTuple made our top picks because it allows job shops to customize their manufacturing workflows, catering to the unique requirements of each job. The software supports a range of manufacturing processes, including discrete and batch process production, engineer-to-order, and contract manufacturing. This adaptability allows businesses to tailor xTuple to their specific manufacturing style, whether make-to-stock, make-to-order, or mixed-mode production.
xTuple offers the capability to customize dashboards for different users or departments. The purchasing team, production managers, and other staff can have dashboards tailored to display the most relevant information for their specific roles and responsibilities. The software’s ability to integrate with various third-party applications and add-ons enhances its customizability. For example, integration with applications like QuickBooks for accounting or ShipStation for shipping processes extends xTuple’s capabilities.
3 Aptean Made2Manage - Best for SMBs
Why We Chose It: We picked Aptean Made2Manage because it’s tailored for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Its shop floor execution tools are critical for smaller manufacturers, allowing for efficient management and monitoring of day-to-day activities. This is essential for ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently, a key concern for businesses with limited resources.
Aptean Made2Manage also provides production process planning and configuration management. These features streamline the production process, from planning to execution. For smaller manufacturers, having an integrated system that can manage production helps to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce costs.
4 SYSPRO - Advanced Analytics and Reporting
Why We Chose It: SYSPRO provides in-depth analytics and reporting tools that help job shops analyze their operations and identify trends. We found SYSPRO’s Embedded Analytics functionality quite effective. This tool empowers users to create queries, data views, visualizations, and dashboards, enhancing visibility and driving automation across manufacturing and distribution processes.
Additionally, SYSPRO has been recognized for its ability to keep pace with the latest technologies. The platform is compatible with the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which further enhance its analytics and reporting capabilities.
5 Proshop ERP - Detailed Machine and Tool Management
Why We Chose It: Proshop ERP includes machine and tool usage features, essential for job shops to maximize equipment efficiency and plan maintenance. ProShop integrates with Mastercam, allowing users to export tool information individually or for a complete job. This integration is vital for efficiently setting up machine caddies or offline CNC machines. Adding tool measurements directly from the pre-setter and uploading the resulting offset to the machine helps reduce setup time and improve accuracy.
One reason Proshop made our list is because it provides functionalities for calibration and preventative maintenance of machines and tools. This aspect is crucial as regular calibration and maintenance are key to ensuring the accuracy and longevity of manufacturing equipment.
6 Epicor Kinetic - Lean Manufacturing Tools
Why We Chose It: We picked Epicor Kinetic because it includes tools to implement lean manufacturing principles, helping job shops eliminate waste and improve operational efficiency. Its APS tool offers an interactive, real-time scheduling board for visual shop floor management. This feature aids in efficient capacity planning and helps reduce lead times and inventory levels, central tenets of lean manufacturing.
Lean manufacturing strongly emphasizes quality. Epicor’s quality management system supports this by enabling tracking of inspections, managing supplier returns, and automating debit processing. Streamlining these processes helps maintain high-quality standards while reducing the waste associated with defects or rework.
7 Infor CloudSuite Industrial - Strong Supply Chain Management
Why We Chose It: We found Infor CloudSuite Industrial is a good fit for job shops due to its strong supply chain management features. It provides tools to maintain visibility over global suppliers. This is crucial for job shops that rely on various suppliers for parts and materials. It enables them to track supplier performance, manage supplier relationships, and ensure timely procurement of materials, essential to maintaining production schedules and meeting customer delivery commitments.
The system also includes advanced warehouse management capabilities. This is important for job shops to effectively manage inventory, optimize warehouse space, reduce carrying costs, and minimize stock-outs or overstock situations. Efficient warehouse management directly impacts the ability to respond quickly to production needs and customer orders.
8 Acumatica Cloud ERP - Advanced Project Accounting
Why We Chose It: Acumatica Cloud ERP’s advanced project accounting features are designed to cater to the specific needs of job shops, offering comprehensive control and insight into project finances and operations. This module includes the general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable, sales orders, purchase orders, and inventory management systems. This integration ensures centralized management of all project-related financial data, providing a unified view and easy accessibility.
Acumatica facilitates creating, updating, and tracking complex project quotes, integrating them with its CRM system. This feature streamlines the sales and pricing process and ensures accuracy and transparency. Additionally, the platform simplifies the management of change orders, maintaining control over project scope and financials.
9 Fulcrum Pro - Most Flexible Solution
Why We Chose It: Fulcrum Pro delivers customization and flexibility, allowing job shops to tailor the software to their needs. It allows for customizable user access and permission levels, catering to the specific needs of different job shop environments. This feature ensures that the system can grow and adapt to the business.
The system provides live purchasing recommendations and demand planning capabilities. This helps job shops anticipate supply needs for future jobs, aiding in effective resource planning and procurement . Fulcrum integrates with over 100 different platforms, including popular ones like Shopify and QuickBooks Online, making it highly adaptable and capable of fitting into various technology ecosystems.
10 Katana MRP - MRP-Focused
Why We Chose It: Katana MRP is focused on material requirements planning (MRP), making it suitable for job shops that need to manage their inventory precisely. It provides a floor-level production status overview and task assignment, supporting the MRP process by optimizing resource allocation and ensuring manufacturing operations run smoothly. Katana’s inventory management features, like tracking stock levels in real-time and setting reorder points, are essential for effective MRP.
The platform integrates inventory and sales data with eCommerce platforms, enabling efficient management of orders from multiple channels. It also supports partial fulfillment of sales orders and tracking batches and serial numbers for sold items. Integrating sales data from multiple channels into MRP processes helps in better demand forecasting and planning.
What is Job Shop Software?
Job shop software is a specialized type of manufacturing software designed to manage the unique operational needs of job shops, including custom and small-batch production processes, resource scheduling, and tracking of complex job orders. While some of this functionality is offered by general manufacturing software, specific solutions are necessary to address the unique needs of job shops.
Job and machine shops differ from other manufacturing businesses since they often specialize in make-to-order or engineer-to-order manufacturing. This real-time demand makes it significantly more difficult to plan for materials necessary for a project, provide accurate estimates and quotes to clients, determine ROI, and predict labor requirements.
Features of Job Shop Software
| Feature | Functionality |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Accounting | Track expenses and revenue with accounts receivable, accounts payable, and general ledger modules. |
| Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) | Calculate and plan material requirements, and coordinate machine workloads and personnel. |
| Bill of Materials | Provides instructions on the materials and assemblies required to create a product. |
| Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) | Includes shop-floor control, scheduling, and corrective action guidance for performance and quality improvement. |
| Job Costing | Assigns costs to materials, labor, and equipment needed to improve cost control and monitor the profitability of a job. |
| Inventory Management | Tracks the materials and parts on-hand, so users can order more when needed. |
| Work Order Management | Includes features like scheduling management, change orders, rules-based approval management, and reporting. |
| Purchase Orders | Track important order information including costs, payment terms, type of product, product quantities, delivery timeframes, and vendor info. |
| Quoting | Create an accurate quote based on the cost of materials, equipment, and labor needed to complete the job. |
| Project Management | Coordinate the execution of tasks including planning, scheduling, quality management, document sharing, and time tracking; Common for engineer-to-order jobs. |
Benefits of Job Shop Software
- Accurate estimating and job costing. Quoting too low can make you lose money, but quoting too high is also an issue. If your quotes are significantly higher than your competition, you won’t be able to close sales. Finding the right balance is easier with job shop software. You’ll have a record of how much it actually costs to manufacture similar products, as well as have records of the costs of the materials, equipment, and labor you have available at the moment.
- Put out quotes faster. Providing accurate quotes with a quick turnaround time will help you land more work. Job shop software has all of the records and documentation you need about the cost to complete a project, making quoting easier and faster. You don’t have to spend hours, or even days, finding all the data you need and putting it together into a quote.
- Complete more jobs on time. Managing production schedules on paper, in a spreadsheet, or on a whiteboard is not an efficient way to manage your jobs. Job shop software keeps track of production deadlines and lets you create reports on current projects to see if any issues might make the job late, allowing you to take corrective action to avoid delay.
- Accurately determine ROI for your jobs. With job shop software, you can easily keep tabs on how much you’re spending on a project vs. how much you made on a project down to the materials, labor, equipment, and any other expenses used to complete the job. This information provides valuable insight into where you’re gaining and losing money, so you can make adjustments to pricing as needed.
- More accurate billing. Job shop software tracks labor, equipment, and material costs back to specific production jobs to ensure accurate billing and cost capture.
- Guidance in business development decision-making efforts. With job shop software, you will be able to project revenues and expenses in order to provide meaningful targets for performance management.
Solving Common Pain Points with Software
In addition to the main benefits provided by job shop software, these solutions can solve common pain points:
- Charging too much or too little for a job. Job shops and machine shops lose money when they make bad estimates. Job shop software identifies the costs of raw materials needed to provide accurate quotes, so you can develop competitive bids and see a better ROI.
- Bottlenecks from sending scheduling and deadline information through one person. In many job shops, scheduling and deadline information is sent through a single supervisor or manager with an Excel spreadsheet. Too much being given to one person can result in bottlenecks which delay the lead times and slows down the manufacturing process. Job shop scheduling software coordinates amongst the entire team digitally, eliminating the one-person bottleneck.
- Unexpected schedule changes. If an unforeseen issue arises during production, the entire schedule can be thrown off. Job management software keeps all of your scheduling deadlines well-organized, allowing you to move other projects around as needed to avoid delays.
- The unpredictability of material and process requirements. Custom made-to-order products make it difficult to predict what materials and equipment you’ll need for any particular project. Inventory management in job shop software lets you see what you have on-hand if any of the required materials are similar to other projects you’ve done.
What Does Your Business Need?
- Small manufacturers: If you’re a small or medium-sized job shop or machine shop, you’ll want a software solution that keeps you organized to keep schedules on time and ensure you see a good ROI on all of your projects. Look for job shop software that has job costing, order tracking, and scheduling. A module-based software is ideal as it will let you add features as you grow. If you want to continue using QuickBooks or another software system, find a solution that will integrate easily.
- Large businesses: Large job shops and machine shops should look for a solution that features a manufacturing execution system (MES) and an extensive MRP to improve production planning, workflow management, and quality management, as well as streamline the manufacturing process through production scheduling and purchase planning. Look for a solution that can be customized to the unique needs of your existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) as well.
Recent Job Shop Trends
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Additive manufacturing technologies: The industrial additive manufacturing market is projected to experience significant growth, expanding from a value of $3.83 billion in 2023 to an anticipated $16.93 billion by the year 2030, as reported by Research and Markets. Additive manufacturing will improve the efficiency of your job shop by providing rapid prototype development and making manufacturing completely custom parts easier and at a lower cost.
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Automation is becoming more accessible: Vention’s article “2024 Industrial Automation Trends” noted that industrial automation has become a necessity for high-throughput manufacturing. More businesses are incorporating things like work-holding devices, SMT (surface mount technology) systems (also referred to as pick-and-place machines), and automatic tool changers into their manufacturing operations.
Can QuickBooks be Used as Job Shop Software?
QuickBooks Enterprise is branded as a manufacturing accounting software and is popular with smaller job shops for managing accounts payable, accounts receivable, basic inventory, purchasing, and sales orders.
However, medium to large businesses find QuickBooks lacks important core functionalities of job shop software, like material requirements planning, equipment maintenance, engineering, and production management. In fact, many manufacturing companies eventually replace QuickBooks with another solution like a true ERP system.
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