Run the shop floor
without the guesswork.
Work orders, multi-level BOMs, MRP and work-centre scheduling for small shops — in the browser on Mac, Windows or Linux, with no server and no five-figure ERP.
Know what to build next
Drag-and-drop Gantt across every work centre.
Never run short
MRP flags missing material and drafts the POs.
Plans to parts to POs
Takeoff, drawing, BOM and work order in one app.
Video tutorials
See Job Central in action
Manufacturing Module (Job Central)
Creating multi-level Bills of Materials (BOM), scheduling machine work centers on Gantt charts, releasing work orders, and logging shop floor check-ins.
Feature 01
Small Shop ERP & Gantt Scheduler
Visual ERP production timeline showing all work orders across fabrication and machine workstations.
Feature 02
Work Center Operator Terminal
Touch-friendly shop floor terminal where operators check in to routing steps, view drawings, log setup durations, and record completed part quantities.
Feature 03
Automated MRP Material Planning
Full Material Requirements Planning (MRP) that explodes multi-level BOM demand from open sales orders, identifies stock shortfalls, and generates purchase orders.
How it works
Up and running in 4 steps
Open Job Central and click the Work View tab to open the Gantt scheduler.
The timeline shows work order schedule blocks across horizontal rows representing different workstations or production…
Drag a schedule block left or right to change its scheduled start date.
Hover over a schedule block to see the work order details — product name, operation step, assigned worker, and planned…
Compare
Why small businesses switch
| TrueScope | JobBOSS² | Fishbowl | Sage 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | $20 / user / mo | Quote-based | Quote-based | Via reseller |
| Browser on Mac, Linux & Chromebook | Windows install or hosted | Desktop client (Drive: web) | Windows desktop | |
| No server or IT setup | Server or hosted | Advanced: server | Windows server | |
| Work orders, BOMs & MRP | Add-on modules | |||
| PDF plan takeoffs | ||||
| 2D drawings with revisions | ||||
| Accounting in the same app | Built in / QuickBooks | Via QuickBooks or Xero | ||
| Month to month, free trial | Ask sales | Ask sales | Ask reseller |
Based on each vendor's published information, November 2026. Editions, hosting options and prices change — check with the vendor.
Built for businesses like yours
By industry
Shop software for your trade
Try Job Central free for 30 days.
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Common questions
Yes. TrueScope Job Central runs in the browser, so the office can plan on a Mac, Windows PC, Linux machine or Chromebook and the shop floor can use cheap tablets. There is no Windows server, database or remote desktop to set up — many older shop systems such as JobBOSS² and Sage 100 are installed on a Windows server or hosted for you.
If you are a small fabrication or job shop that wants work orders, multi-level BOMs, MRP and work-centre scheduling without a server install or a quote-based contract, TrueScope is $20 per user per month, month to month, with a 30-day free trial. It also includes what JobBOSS² leaves to other software: PDF plan takeoffs, 2D layout drawings with revision control, proposals with e-signature and field crews.
For many small shops, yes. Fishbowl is inventory and manufacturing software that is usually paired with QuickBooks or Xero for accounting. TrueScope keeps inventory, BOMs, work orders, purchasing, invoicing and bookkeeping in one app, so stock, costs and invoices never need to sync between two systems.
For small fabricators and job shops, it can be. Sage 100 and Sage 300 are typically installed on a Windows server and sold and set up through a reseller. TrueScope is self-service: sign up, add work centres and products, and schedule your first work order the same day, for $20 per user per month.
Yes. Parts placed in a TrueScope Drafting layout are linked to your product catalogue, so the drawing produces a Bill of Materials. That BOM drives the sales order, the work order, MRP shortages and the purchase orders — one set of parts from quote to shipping.
TrueScope MRP analyzes all open Sales Orders and active Work Orders against your multi-level Bills of Materials, current warehouse inventory and incoming purchase orders, highlights material shortages and creates pre-filled supplier purchase orders.
Yes. Job Central runs on any tablet, phone or shop computer, so the shop can see the schedule, open approved drawings and log time against work orders without a Windows terminal at every work centre. Field Contributor seats are $5 per month.
Job Central is TrueScope's core Manufacturing ERP and MRP (Material Requirements Planning) module purpose-built for small and medium fabrication shops, custom manufacturers, metalworks, and make-to-order job shops. Without the bloat or $50,000 cost of legacy enterprise ERP software, it transforms Sales Orders and Multi-Level Bills of Materials (BOM) into structured shop floor work orders, schedules them across machine work centers on an interactive Gantt timeline, and gives floor operators a touch-friendly terminal for clocking in, viewing blueprints, and logging completed quantities.
The Work View tab provides a master ERP production Gantt chart — a visual timeline where all scheduled fabrication and manufacturing work orders are displayed as blocks across their target workstations (CNCs, plasma tables, press brakes, welding bays, and assembly stations). Shop managers drag and resize schedule blocks to balance workloads, resolve capacity bottlenecks, and keep every work center running at peak utilization.
The Work Centers tab delivers a real-time shop floor operator terminal. Floor fabricators and machinists select their assigned workstation on any tablet or shop computer, see the prioritized queue of jobs for that machine, clock in to start a routing step, log setup and run times, inspect attached engineering drawings, and record completed part quantities.
Material Requirements Planning (MRP) in the Material Planning tab automatically calculates total raw material and sub-component demand driven by open Sales Orders, Multi-Level BOM trees, and scheduled Work Orders. The MRP engine compares required quantities against on-hand warehouse bin inventory and inbound purchase orders, immediately flagging material shortages and generating pre-filled supplier POs in one click.
- Delivers practical, affordable ERP & MRP for small fabrication and manufacturing shops without complex enterprise consultants or per-seat price gouging.
- Maximizes shop floor efficiency with a visual ERP Gantt scheduler showing every work order across all workstations — identify bottlenecks and machine conflicts instantly.
- Prevents costly material stockouts mid-production with automated MRP (Material Requirements Planning) calculations that compare BOM demand against live inventory before releasing work orders.
- Improves job costing accuracy by capturing real workstation check-in labor times and comparing actual vs. standard ERP routing costs.
- Connects shop floor production directly to procurement and fulfillment — MRP shortage flags generate supplier purchase orders in a single click, while warehouse pick status verifies materials are issued before jobs go active.
Work View — Gantt Production Scheduler
- Open Job Central and click the Work View tab to open the Gantt scheduler.
- The timeline shows work order schedule blocks across horizontal rows representing different workstations or production resources.
- Drag a schedule block left or right to change its scheduled start date. Drag the right edge to extend or shorten the planned duration.
- Hover over a schedule block to see the work order details — product name, operation step, assigned worker, and planned vs remaining hours.
- Click 'Add Work Order' to release a new production job. Select the Sales Order or manufactured product and the system pre-populates the routing steps from the BOM.
- Tip: Use the Work Orders tab for a list-based view of all active, planned, and completed work orders.
Work Orders Tab — Job Management
- Click the Work Orders tab to see all current production jobs in a searchable grid.
- Filter work orders by status (Planned, In Progress, Completed, On Hold) to focus on the jobs that need attention.
- Click any work order row to open its detail view — see the routing steps, material requirements, and completion progress for each operation.
- Change the priority level of a work order to influence its position in the production queue.
- Click 'Create Work Order' to manually release a new job — link it to a Sales Order or create a standalone manufacturing run.
Work Centers Tab — Operator Terminal
- Click the Work Centers tab to see the list of available workstations and machines.
- Select your workstation — the terminal shows the jobs currently scheduled for that machine.
- Click on a job step to expand its details — view the product drawing link, operation instructions, required setup notes, and target quantity.
- Click 'Check In' to start the setup timer. When setup is complete and production begins, click 'Start Production' to switch to the run timer.
- Enter the completed quantity as you finish each batch. Click 'Check Out' when the operation is fully done.
- All logged times and quantities are saved to the work order — managers can compare actual durations against the planned routing estimates.
- Tip: Operators can flag quality issues directly from the terminal. Quality flags trigger a review requirement before the job can be marked complete.
Material Planning — MRP Demand Calculator
- Click the Material Planning tab to run the MRP calculation.
- The MRP table lists every component required by open work orders and sales orders, showing gross demand, current stock on hand, inbound PO quantities, and net shortfall.
- Items with a red shortfall indicator require immediate procurement — click 'Create Purchase Order' to generate a supplier PO pre-filled with the shortfall quantity.
- Adjust the planning horizon using the date filter to see requirements for the next week, month, or quarter.
- Tip: Run MRP before releasing new work orders each week to catch material gaps early.
Work Setup — Factory Configuration
- Click the Work Setup tab to open the production configuration panel.
- In the Schedule sub-tab, define your factory working calendar — set weekly working days, shift start and end times, and mark holidays or shutdown dates.
- In the Processes sub-tab, define standard manufacturing processes (e.g., Welding, Machining, Assembly) used to categorize routing steps.
- In the Resources sub-tab, register individual machines and tools with their available capacity hours per shift.
- In the Centers sub-tab, create workstation profiles that group machines into logical production cells or departments.
- Tip: Accurate factory calendar and capacity settings are critical for the Gantt scheduler to correctly calculate lead times and detect scheduling conflicts.