Job shop software for make to order shops that combines management and scheduling in one
In a job shop, no two weeks look the same. Every order has its own routing, its own quantities and its own promised date, and all of them compete for the same few machines. That is exactly the case a spreadsheet handles worst and a finite capacity scheduler handles best. ProductionPlanning.ai is job shop management and scheduling software for make to order shops with 5 to 60 people: every job through its own routing, finite capacity on every machine, and a projected finish date you can quote from, from 149 USD per plant a month with unlimited users.
Free for 14 days on your own orders and machines. No card.
Machine shop, Shift 1 queue per work center
Open it in the demo| Work center | Order | Product | Quantity | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
On time
0%
Bottleneck
0%
Shortages
0
Why job shop planning is hard
- Every job has a different path through the shop
- Small batches mean many setups for little run time
- New orders and rush jobs arrive every day
- Quotes need a delivery date before the job is even won
- One busy machine delays jobs that only touch it once
A flow line can live with a fixed sequence. A job shop needs the sequence recalculated every time something changes, and that happens several times a day.
Job shop planning software that schedules every routing
ProductionPlanning.ai schedules each job through its own routing, operation by operation, on machines with finite capacity. When a new job arrives, you add it and run the schedule again: every job's finish date updates, and the ones pushed late appear on the list.
- A routing per job or per product, reused when the part repeats
- Finite capacity on every machine and work cell
- Setup time per machine, counted wherever the part changes
- Alternative machines for operations more than one machine can do
- Rush jobs by customer priority without losing sight of the rest
Quote delivery dates from the real schedule
Before you commit to a date, add the job as a draft and run the schedule. On the Plant plan and above, keep it in a separate plan version. You see when it would finish and which existing jobs it would push, and you quote from that instead of from a guess. If the date does not work, try an extra shift or an alternative machine and run it again.
What the best job shop software needs to do
- Handle one off and repeat work in the same schedule
- Show the true bottleneck this week, which in a job shop moves
- Reschedule in minutes when a machine goes down
- Give operators a clear queue, not the whole plan (Plant plan and above)
- Stay usable without a planning department
See how this works for a CNC machine shop and for metal fabrication, or read about machine scheduling software. Shops holding a quote from ECI can compare the packages and the per seat licence on our JobBOSS alternative page.
Do you need job shop ERP software or just a scheduler
A job shop ERP replaces your paperwork. A scheduler decides what runs next. They solve different problems, and buying the wrong one is the most expensive mistake in this category, because an ERP rollout takes a quarter and a schedule takes an afternoon.
| What is hurting the shop | What fixes it |
|---|---|
| Quotes are slow and you never know if a job made money | Job shop ERP software with quoting and estimated against actual job costing |
| Inventory, purchasing and receiving live in three places | Job shop ERP software, or job shop management software with stock |
| Labor hours are not collected against jobs | Shop floor data collection, part of most job shop ERP systems |
| You have all that and orders still ship late | A finite capacity scheduler, next to what you already run |
| Nobody can say which machine is the constraint this week | A finite capacity scheduler |
| A rush job comes in and you cannot say what it pushes | A finite capacity scheduler |
The honest split: if the top three rows are your week, shortlist job shop ERP software such as JobBOSS2, ProShop or Fulcrum, and read our JobBOSS alternative, ProShop ERP alternative, Fulcrum Pro alternative and Infor VISUAL ERP alternative comparisons for how their packages, per user licensing and revenue based pricing work. If the bottom three rows are your week, you do not need a new system of record, you need a plan the shop can run to, and it can sit next to the ERP or QuickBooks setup you already have. That case is worked through on our manufacturing ERP alternative page, and if you are weighing JobPack, the other dedicated job shop scheduler, our JobPack alternative page compares a server install with a browser schedule.
Shops still on the E2 Shop System face the same split with a deadline attached, since ECI now sells JobBOSS2 instead; the four routes are priced in E2 Shop System alternative. Plenty of shops end up running both, and that is a supported setup rather than a compromise: jobs, costs and purchasing stay in the ERP, the schedule is calculated separately, and the finished plan exports back so promise dates match in both systems.
Job shop management software questions buyers ask
How much does job shop management software cost?
It depends on the pricing model. Per user job shop ERP systems such as JobBOSS2, ProShop and Infor VISUAL publish no price and third party estimates run from about 50 to 200 USD per user a month plus implementation. ProductionPlanning.ai publishes its price: 149 USD per plant a month on Line and 429 USD on Plant, with unlimited users and no implementation fee.
What is the best software for a job shop?
The best software for a job shop is the one that fixes the problem you actually have. If quoting, costing and purchasing are a mess, a job shop ERP fits. If those work and orders still ship late, a finite capacity scheduler that sits next to your current system fixes the schedule in an afternoon, at a fraction of an ERP rollout.
Can job shop scheduling software work with QuickBooks?
Yes. A scheduler does not need to replace your accounting. ProductionPlanning.ai imports open orders and routings from a spreadsheet, schedules them with finite capacity, and exports the plan back, so invoicing and costs stay in QuickBooks or the ERP you already run.
How long does it take to set up job shop scheduling software?
For a dedicated scheduler, usually an afternoon: add work centers and shifts, import open orders and routings, and publish. A job shop ERP is a different project, typically weeks to months of data migration and training, because it replaces quoting, inventory and accounting too.
See your job shop's week before it happens
Run the demo on the machine shop, add a rush job, and see what moves.
Your data stays yours. Export or delete it any time. No card to try the demo.