Job Shop Software
Job shop management software for machine shops. Quoting, scheduling, job tracking, and shop floor control in one job shop ERP built for high-mix low-volume.
A job shop needs software built around jobs, not part masters: quoting tied to real shop rates, finite scheduling that re-sequences when work slips, and live shop floor tracking. WorkCell is a job shop ERP that runs on hierarchical work orders, versioned BOMs and routings, operation-level costing, and a constraint-based finite scheduler. It connects RFQ to quote to order to invoice, so high-mix low-volume shops can estimate accurately, control WIP, and close every job knowing where the margin went.
Sound Familiar?
Quotes Built on Gut Feel
Every custom job is a one-off with no part master to lean on. Shops lose margin when estimates skip actual labor rates, material costs, and routing time. The damage stays hidden until the job closes.
One Slip Collapses the Schedule
A late delivery or machine breakdown cascades across every downstream job. Spreadsheet schedules can't reprioritize in real time, so owners reshuffle work orders manually while customers wait.
Shop Floor Is a Black Box
Supervisors walk the floor to get status because WIP, utilization, and scrap rates live in disconnected spreadsheets. Bottlenecks go undetected until a job is already late.
Generic ERP Fights the Job Shop Model
Standard ERP is built around part masters and repeat runs. Custom routings, variable BOMs, and one-time orders get forced into that mold, which means expensive customization and constant workarounds.
How WorkCell Fits
Job-Based Quoting Tied to Costing
WorkCell's job shop software builds estimates from actual shop rates, material costs, and routing steps. Quotes share the same structure the job runs on, so quoted vs. actual lands side by side at close and every next quote is sharper.
Finite Scheduling That Adjusts in Real Time
The finite APS scheduler accounts for machine capacity, operator skills, and live queue depth. When a job slips, WorkCell proposes a re-sequenced plan for downstream work, so there is no manual reshuffling and no missed promise dates.
Live Shop Floor Visibility
Operators clock into jobs from terminals on the floor and supervisors see active work orders, machine utilization, and WIP status on one dashboard. Bottlenecks surface before they become late shipments.
Built Make-to-Order from Day One
WorkCell's job shop management software runs on jobs instead of part masters. Custom routings, one-off BOMs, outside operations, and variable lead times are first-class concepts in the data model, with no bolt-on workarounds required.
Job Costing With WIP and Accounting Sync
Operation-level costing rolls labor tickets, material issues, and outside-process charges into live WIP per job. Closed jobs sync to QuickBooks, so the office sees true margin without re-keying numbers from the floor.
Compliance Coverage
Explore Further
Machine Shop Software
Purpose-built control for CNC and machining shops running high-mix, made-to-order work across limited machines and operators.
High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing
Quoting, scheduling, and costing built for shops that run many different parts in small quantities with constantly changing routings.
APS Scheduling Software
The finite, constraint-based scheduler that re-sequences jobs around real machine and operator capacity with what-if proposals.
Common Questions
What is job shop software?
Job shop software manages custom, made-to-order work that runs on one-off jobs instead of repeating part masters. It handles quoting, scheduling, shop floor tracking, and job costing in one system. WorkCell builds each job on versioned BOMs and routings, so estimates, work orders, and actual costs all share the same structure end to end.
How is job shop ERP different from standard ERP?
Standard ERP assumes repeat production with stable part masters and forecast-driven runs. Job shops live on high-mix low-volume work where routings, BOMs, and lead times change job to job. WorkCell treats custom routings, one-off BOMs, and outside operations as first-class data, so you avoid the heavy customization a generic ERP demands.
Can WorkCell schedule jobs across limited machines and operators?
Yes. WorkCell includes a finite APS scheduler that respects machine capacity, operator skills, and queue depth as hard constraints. When a job slips or a machine goes down, it proposes a re-sequenced plan with what-if comparison, so you can see the impact on promise dates before committing the change.
How does WorkCell help me quote custom jobs accurately?
Quotes are built from real shop rates, material costs, and routing steps, using the same structure the job will run on. When the job closes, quoted versus actual costs sit side by side at the operation level. That feedback loop tightens every future estimate instead of leaving margin to guesswork.
Does WorkCell track labor and WIP on the shop floor?
Operators clock into jobs from terminals on the floor, generating labor tickets that flow straight into operation-level costing. Supervisors watch active work orders, machine utilization, and WIP per job on one dashboard. Closed jobs sync to QuickBooks, so floor activity and the books stay aligned without re-keying.
Can WorkCell support our quality and traceability requirements?
WorkCell provides AQL inspections, an NCR severity matrix, 8-D CAPA workflows, and end-to-end lot and serial traceability with QC holds. These features support shops working toward ISO 9001, AS9100, or AS9102 first article requirements. Note that WorkCell itself is not certified to any standard; it gives you the tools to meet your own audits.
Job Shop Software
See how purpose-built job shop software handles make-to-order work the way retrofitted ERP cannot. You can quote accurately, schedule in real time, and close every job knowing exactly where the margin went.