JobBOSS is shop management software built for small and medium-sized manufacturers, particularly custom job shops and machine shops. Developed by ECI Software Solutions, it connects every stage of the manufacturing process, from the initial quote a shop gives a customer all the way through final shipment, giving shop owners real-time visibility into job costs, production schedules, and inventory.
What JobBOSS Actually Does
At its core, JobBOSS is an ERP system, which stands for enterprise resource planning. In practical terms, that means it’s one central platform where a manufacturing shop tracks all of its operations instead of juggling spreadsheets, whiteboards, and disconnected software tools. ECI Software Solutions describes it as the “operational backbone” for thousands of manufacturers.
The software is purpose-built for make-to-order manufacturers. These are shops that don’t mass-produce identical products off an assembly line. Instead, they take custom orders, often for one-off parts or small batches, and need flexibility to quote, schedule, and track each unique job. That distinction matters because generic business software often can’t handle the complexity of a shop floor where every job has different materials, labor requirements, and deadlines.
Core Features
JobBOSS covers the full lifecycle of a manufacturing job:
- Estimating and quoting: Build quotes for customers based on materials, labor time, and machine costs so you know your margins before you accept a job.
- Job and work order management: Track each job from order entry through completion, with real-time updates on where things stand.
- Scheduling: Drag-and-drop scheduling lets you assign jobs to machines and workers, then adjust when dates get overloaded or downstream tasks shift.
- Inventory management: The system automatically checks inventory levels, so you know whether you have the raw materials on hand or need to reorder before starting a job.
- Shop floor control: Workers can log time against specific jobs, giving owners accurate data on actual labor costs versus estimates.
- Purchasing and receiving: Create purchase orders for materials and track deliveries from vendors.
- Reporting and dashboards: Visual summaries of shop performance, job profitability, and operational bottlenecks.
The real value is that all of these functions feed into one system. When a worker logs hours on a job, the job costing updates in real time. When inventory drops below a threshold, purchasing gets flagged. That interconnection is what separates an ERP from a collection of standalone tools.
Who Uses JobBOSS
The software is designed specifically for small to medium-sized job shops. ECI markets it to several manufacturing sub-types: machine shops, fabrication shops, tool and die shops, stamping shops, screw shops, spring manufacturers, captive shops, and service shops. More than 5,000 job shops use the platform.
If a shop primarily handles custom, made-to-order work rather than high-volume repetitive production, JobBOSS is built for that workflow. A machine shop producing custom aerospace components, for example, faces very different scheduling and costing challenges than a factory stamping out millions of identical parts. JobBOSS is tailored to the former.
JobBOSS vs. JobBOSS²
ECI now offers two versions. The original JobBOSS is a legacy product still supported for existing customers but no longer sold to new ones. JobBOSS² is the newer, cloud-native replacement that ECI actively markets to new shops.
The biggest practical difference is the platform. JobBOSS² runs in the cloud, meaning you access it through a web browser rather than installing software on a local server in your shop. That eliminates the need to manage your own hardware and IT infrastructure, and it means you can check on jobs from anywhere with an internet connection. JobBOSS² also combines strengths from multiple ECI products into a single platform designed for better shop floor control and business insights.
Pricing Structure
ECI does not publish specific dollar amounts for JobBOSS². Instead, they offer three tiers with different feature sets and require you to request a custom quote.
The Silver tier covers the essentials: quoting, order management, inventory, purchasing, timekeeping, dashboards, and QuickBooks integration. The Gold tier adds built-in accounting (accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger) plus either scheduling or quality management. The Platinum tier includes everything in Gold along with both scheduling and quality control. All tiers are cloud-based, and you pay per user with a minimum of one seat, so you won’t be forced to buy licenses you don’t need. Professional services for implementation and setup are available at additional cost.
Because pricing depends on how many users you need, which tier you choose, and any add-on services, the only way to get a concrete number is to request a quote directly from ECI.
How It Fits Into a Shop’s Operations
For a shop owner still managing jobs with spreadsheets or paper travelers, JobBOSS replaces that patchwork with a single system of record. The typical workflow starts when a customer requests a quote. You build the estimate in the software, factoring in materials, machine time, and labor. Once the customer approves, the quote converts into a work order. From there, you schedule it across your machines, track materials pulled from inventory, log labor hours on the shop floor, and monitor costs against your original estimate as the job progresses.
When the job ships, you have a complete picture of what it actually cost versus what you quoted. Over time, that data helps you quote more accurately, spot jobs that consistently eat into your margins, and identify which machines or processes create bottlenecks. For shops running dozens or hundreds of active jobs at once, that kind of visibility is the difference between guessing at profitability and knowing it.