A JobBOSS² and E2 alternative for small job shops
JobBOSS² is ECI's job-shop ERP, built on the old JobBOSS and E2 Shop System; ECI now sells E2 only to existing customers. It does a lot, syncs with QuickBooks and has years behind it, but it's priced after a sales call and ECI says implementation takes around 3 to 6 months. Tehdo is $500 a month for the whole shop and is usually running in a day. Here's the honest comparison.
Side by side
| JobBOSS² (ECI) | Tehdo | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | "Job‑shop ERP for make‑to‑order & custom metal manufacturers", "high-mix, low-volume job shops" | Small US job shops and machine shops, build to print |
| Price | Not published; "tailored to the specific scale of your manufacturing operations" | $500 a month for the whole shop, setup included, no contract |
| Setup | "Our implementation takes around 3-6 months to complete." | Usually a day. We import your open orders and set up your steps with you. |
| POs in | Enter orders; quotes convert to jobs | Forward the PO email or PDF; Tehdo reads the lines; you confirm |
| Buyer updates | Not on the JobBOSS² product page; ECI sells a customer self-service portal as a separate product | Each buyer gets a link to their orders, no login; status emails go out when you approve them |
| Scheduling | Drag-and-drop calendar, workload balancing | Every job on every machine on one board, setup times, one-click schedule, late parts marked |
| Shop floor | Mobile time tracking, shop-floor data collection | Each person's tasks on a phone or shop PC, job clock, one tap per step |
| QuickBooks | Yes, Desktop and Online | No sync yet; Excel export |
| Job costing | Estimated vs actual job costs | Clock time per step and revenue; no full job-costing report |
| Track record | "used in thousands of shops" | New; runs daily at VTN Manufacturing (San Jose) and JHK-Koneistus (Finland) |
JobBOSS² facts from ECI's JobBOSS² page, pricing page and E2 MFG page, checked October 30, 2026.
When JobBOSS² is the better pick
- You want QuickBooks synced from the ERP, not exported.
- You need detailed estimated-versus-actual job costing today.
- You'd rather buy from a large vendor with a long track record and resellers near you.
- A 3 to 6 month rollout fits your plans.
When Tehdo is the better pick
- Your buyers call and email for status and you want them checking a link instead. Clinton Nguyen at VTN Manufacturing: "I used to get a lot of emails… now my email inbox is pretty silent."
- Your POs come as PDFs in email and you're tired of retyping them.
- You want everyone on the floor to have a login without paying per seat.
- You want to be running this week, with the import done for you.
Why shops look for a JobBOSS² alternative
On Reddit, a shop owner wrote "Looking for new ERP software for machine shop... Currently use Jobboss2 and prices got WAY too high" (thread). The other reason we hear on calls: the system is there, but only the office updates it, so the owner still walks the floor to answer a buyer.
Switching from JobBOSS or E2
- Export open orders, or print the open-order report you already use.
- Send it to us with one recent PO. We load your customers, parts, steps and open jobs.
- Check a few jobs with us on a 20-minute call. Forward your next PO to Tehdo.
- Send your biggest customer their buyer link.
Questions
Is E2 Shop System still sold?
ECI describes E2 MFG as 'Shop management software for small to mid-sized businesses (for existing customers)' and positions JobBOSS² as built on the foundations of E2 and JobBOSS.
Can I move my open jobs from JobBOSS or E2 to Tehdo?
Yes. Export your open orders (or send us the report you already print) and we load them, with your customers, parts and steps. Most shops are live in a day.
Can I run Tehdo next to JobBOSS²?
You can, but you'd enter orders twice. Some shops start with one customer's orders to see buyer updates working. We'll tell you straight on the call whether running both is worth it for you.