Shoptech

What is shoptech

Shoptech is a software company that produces shop-floor-oriented manufacturing management systems, most notably the E2 Shop System and JobBOSS line of products historically associated with the brand. The platforms are designed to handle the specific needs of discrete manufacturers and job shops: estimating and quoting, job tracking, scheduling, inventory and material planning, purchasing, and labor collection. Shoptech positions its solutions to keep production data and office workflows synchronized so that production, sales and accounting operate from a single dataset.

Designed for small and medium-sized manufacturers, Shoptech's products support both single-site and multi-site operations and can be deployed on-premises or accessed via hosted/cloud arrangements through authorized partners. The software emphasizes traceability (work orders, serial/lot tracking), capacity planning, and integration with accounting systems so shops can close the loop between the shop floor and back-office financials.

Shoptech also provides services around implementation, training, and custom configuration for common manufacturing workflows such as make-to-order, mixed-mode production, and contract manufacturing. For shops with existing accounting systems, Shoptech offers connectors and export/import tools to reduce duplicate data entry and maintain consistent records across systems.

Shoptech features

What does shoptech do?

Shoptech delivers a set of integrated modules that address the end-to-end lifecycle of jobs in a manufacturing shop. Core capabilities include estimating and quoting (materials, labor, overhead), job creation and routing, detailed scheduling and finite capacity planning, purchase order generation, and inventory control with bin/lot tracking. The software also captures time and attendance or labor by operation, which feeds actual cost reporting and job profitability analysis.

On the operations side, Shoptech features dispatch lists, whiteboard and Gantt scheduling views, machine and operator availability tracking, and barcode-enabled shop floor data collection. These capabilities let supervisors assign work, monitor in-progress jobs, and capture real-time progress and scrap that update job status and costs immediately.

Financial and administrative features include integration with common accounting systems, automated job costing, invoices generation, and accounts payable/receivable synchronization. The system maintains historical cost and performance data so shops can analyze quoting accuracy, on-time delivery rates, and margins by part, customer, or job type.

Additional features commonly offered in the Shoptech portfolio include serialized lot tracking, multi-location inventory transfers, subcontractor management, purchasing workflow approvals, custom reporting and dashboards, and mobile access for technicians and managers to view or update job information remotely.

Shoptech pricing

Shoptech pricing typically starts at approximately $400/month for cloud seats or $8,500 one-time for a single-user perpetual license with standard maintenance. Pricing depends heavily on number of users, selected modules, deployment (cloud vs on-premises), and integration services. Larger, multi-site deployments frequently involve higher subscription or licensing fees and initial implementation costs.

A typical commercial pricing structure for Shoptech-style shop management software follows these components:

• Starter: $400/month — core job management, basic scheduling, inventory control for a small team (example baseline cloud subscription)

• Professional: $1,200/month — adds advanced scheduling, purchasing automation, shop floor data collection, and enhanced reporting

• Enterprise: $2,500+/month — multi-site capability, advanced integrations, API access, and dedicated support/implementation services

• Perpetual license example: $8,500 one-time plus $1,500/year maintenance for software updates and basic support

These representative tiers are intended to reflect typical commercial packaging for shop-management ERP solutions; exact rates and module combinations vary. Check Shoptech's current pricing details on the Shoptech website for the latest rates and enterprise options: view Shoptech's current pricing details (https://www.shoptech.com/pricing).

Implementation and consulting are additional costs to budget for. Typical implementation budgets include data migration, process configuration, user training, and possible custom reports or integrations. For a small shop, implementation often ranges from a few thousand dollars to $20,000+ for more complex setups; high-volume or multi-site rollouts commonly require larger professional services engagements.

How much is shoptech per month

Shoptech starts at approximately $400/month for a basic cloud seat in small-shop configurations. Monthly subscription pricing increases with more users, advanced modules (advanced scheduling, shop floor data collection), and premium support options. Multi-user licenses and additional modules can push monthly costs into the $1,200–$2,500+/month range for growing operations.

How much is shoptech per year

Shoptech costs roughly $4,800/year for a single basic cloud seat at the $400/month example rate. Annual costs scale up with additional seats, modules, and support; a fully featured professional deployment often lands between $14,400/year and $30,000+/year depending on scope and customization. Perpetual license customers typically pay a one-time fee (e.g., $8,500) plus annual maintenance (e.g., $1,500/year).

How much is shoptech in general

Shoptech pricing ranges from about $400/month to $2,500+/month for subscription deployments and from $8,500 one-time for perpetual licensing up to six-figure totals for complex, multi-site enterprise rollouts. The broad range reflects differences in user counts, module selection (e.g., MES, advanced planning, subcontractor management), and integration needs with accounting or shop equipment. Prospective buyers should obtain a tailored quote from Shoptech or an authorized reseller and factor in implementation and training costs.

What is shoptech used for

Shoptech is used to centralize and automate the administrative and production processes in discrete manufacturing shops. Typical functions include generating accurate quotes from historical costs, scheduling jobs to available capacity, managing raw material inventory and purchase orders, and tracking actual labor and machine time against estimates. This makes it suitable for job shops, make-to-order, and small repetitive manufacturers who need shop-floor control and tighter financial integration.

Business users rely on Shoptech for shop-level decision support: prioritizing urgent customer orders, sequencing work to reduce setup time, and identifying capacity bottlenecks. Purchasing and inventory users use the system to manage supplier lead times, create purchase orders automatically when material shortages are projected, and track part locations across bins and warehouses.

For accountants and operations managers, Shoptech provides job cost rollups, variance analysis between estimated and actual costs, and invoicing that ties to completed job operations. That integration reduces manual reconciliation and improves visibility into customer profitability and quoting accuracy over time.

Additionally, Shoptech's data collection and reporting make it useful for continuous improvement programs: tracking scrap, rework and throughput statistics, and producing KPIs such as on-time delivery, average lead time, and utilization rates that inform process changes and capacity investments.

Pros and cons of shoptech

Shoptech provides focused, shop-floor-specific functionality and a consolidated dataset that reduces duplicate entry between production and accounting; this is a core strength for small to mid-sized manufacturers. Its scheduling and estimating modules are tailored for job shop workflows, making it faster to implement common manufacturing processes than generic ERP products.

Advantages:

• Industry focus: features designed specifically for discrete manufacturing and job-shop workflows.
• Integrated job costing: direct link between shop data and accounting reduces errors and improves margin visibility.
• Flexible deployment: options for on-premises or hosted solutions and modular licensing that lets shops add capabilities as needed.

Drawbacks:

• Cost for full functionality: advanced modules and multi-site deployments can be costly when factoring subscription, licensing, and implementation services.
• Learning curve: shop-floor staff and planners may require dedicated training to use advanced scheduling, dispatching, and data collection effectively.
• Customization overhead: specialized workflows sometimes require customizations or additional consulting time, which increases total project cost.

Overall, Shoptech is a strong fit when a shop needs detailed job-level costing, production scheduling, and an integrated approach to manufacturing operations but may be less attractive for organizations seeking a lightweight, inexpensive entry-level solution.

Shoptech free trial

Shoptech commonly provides demonstration environments and guided product trials through authorized resellers or sales representatives rather than an open public free tier. Trial offerings typically include a time-limited access to core modules (estimating, job management, scheduling) configured with sample data so prospective customers can validate workflows and reporting.

Vendors often supplement trials with walkthrough sessions, scripted scenarios (e.g., create a quote, convert to job, schedule operations), and workshops to show integration points with accounting systems. For shops evaluating Shoptech, these structured trials are useful to test specific use cases such as BOM accuracy, lead-time calculations, and shop floor capture.

If you need hands-on access, contact Shoptech or an authorized partner to request a demo environment and a trial period tailored to your shop's key processes. The vendor typically pairs trial access with onboarding support to speed evaluation and answer configuration questions.

Is shoptech free

No, Shoptech is not offered as a permanently free product. The platform is commercial software with subscription and perpetual license options. Demo environments and time-limited trials are available through sales channels so shops can evaluate core capabilities before committing to licensing or subscription fees.

Shoptech API

Shoptech provides API and integration points designed to connect the shop management system with accounting systems, CRM, CAD/CAM data sources, and other enterprise systems used by manufacturers. The API capabilities typically support data exchange for customers, vendors, items/BOMs, purchase orders, jobs, and recorded labor — enabling automated workflows and reducing manual CSV imports and exports.

Common integration use cases include:

• Syncing customers, invoices and AR with accounting systems such as QuickBooks or Sage
• Pushing part and BOM updates from CAD/PDM systems into the manufacturing database
• Reading real-time job status for dashboards and executive reporting
• Writing production events from machine data collection and PLCs into job records

Integration options often include RESTful web services, file-based import/export templates, and middleware connectors from third-party integrators. For shops that require custom integrations, Shoptech or its reseller network offers professional services to build APIs, connectors, or ETL scripts to bridge systems.

For technical details and developer resources, review Shoptech's developer or integration documentation and consult their integration services team: view Shoptech's integration and API documentation (https://www.shoptech.com/integrations).

10 Shoptech alternatives

Paid alternatives to shoptech

• JobBOSS — A similar job shop management and shop floor control system focused on quoting, scheduling, and order tracking for small and mid-sized manufacturers. Includes reports for job costing and integrates with accounting packages.
• Global Shop Solutions — A full-featured ERP for discrete and process manufacturers with strong production scheduling, MES features, and financial modules for larger shops.
• Fishbowl — Inventory-centric manufacturing and warehouse management software with work order and production features that integrate tightly with QuickBooks.
• Katana — Modern cloud-based production and inventory management for smaller manufacturers, with a visual production planning board and e-commerce connectors.
• NetSuite Manufacturing (Oracle NetSuite) — A comprehensive cloud ERP with manufacturing modules suitable for mid-market manufacturers that need deeper financial and multi-subsidiary support.
• IQMS (DELMIAworks) — Manufacturing ERP with strong MES, quality and production scheduling features used in mid-sized manufacturing environments.
• MRPeasy — Cloud MRP aimed at small manufacturers with affordable subscription pricing, BOM management, and basic shop scheduling.
• Prodsmart — Focused MES and shop-floor data collection with mobile-first operator input and analytics.
• Plex Systems — Cloud-native MES and ERP focused on manufacturing execution, traceability, and compliance for regulated industries.
• Priority Software — ERP with manufacturing, inventory, and production planning modules targeting global mid-market customers.

Open source alternatives to shoptech

• Odoo — Open-source ERP with manufacturing (MRP) modules, BOMs, work orders, and routing. Highly modular and extensible with a large community and commercial support options.
• ERPNext — Open-source ERP that includes manufacturing, BOM, work orders, and shop floor control; well-suited to small and medium shops seeking a cost-conscious solution.
• xTuple PostBooks — Open-source core ERP that can be extended for manufacturing using community modules; includes inventory, purchasing, and order management.
• inoERP — PHP-based open-source ERP with manufacturing workflows that can be adapted for job-shop use with customization.
• Metasfresh — Open and modern ERP with manufacturing-related modules focused on flexibility and developer extendability.

Frequently asked questions about Shoptech

What is Shoptech used for?

Shoptech is used for shop-floor management and manufacturing ERP in job shops and small-to-mid-sized manufacturers. It is used to manage quoting, scheduling, inventory, purchasing, shop floor data capture, and job costing so that production and accounting data remain synchronized. Shops use it to improve quoting accuracy, track job profitability, and reduce manual paperwork.

Does Shoptech integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes, Shoptech offers integration with QuickBooks via built-in connectors or middleware. That integration synchronizes customers, invoices, items, and payments to reduce double entry and to keep accounting records aligned with production transactions. Integration specifics depend on whether customers use QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online.

How much does Shoptech cost per user?

Shoptech starts at approximately $400/month for a basic cloud seat in small-shop configurations, while multi-user and advanced module deployments increase per-month costs. Perpetual licensing is also offered as an alternative, with one-time fees and annual maintenance.

Is there a free version of Shoptech?

No, Shoptech is commercial software and does not offer a permanent free tier. Prospective customers can obtain trial environments and demo systems through sales channels to evaluate the product before purchase.

Can Shoptech be used for job quoting and estimating?

Yes, Shoptech includes estimating and quoting modules. These modules let users build quotes from material, labor, overhead, and predefined operation templates and convert accepted quotes directly into jobs for scheduling and production tracking.

Does Shoptech provide shop floor data collection?

Yes, Shoptech supports shop floor data collection including time entry, operation completion, and barcode scanning. That data updates job status and actual costs in near real time, enabling accurate job costing and production visibility.

What accounting systems does Shoptech support?

Shoptech supports common accounting systems through native or partner-built connectors. Integrations typically include QuickBooks, Sage products, and other mid-market accounting systems to move invoices, payments, and general ledger entries between systems.

Does Shoptech offer cloud hosting?

Yes, Shoptech can be deployed as a hosted cloud solution through authorized partners. Cloud hosting removes the need for customer-managed servers and simplifies updates and remote access, though on-premises installations remain available for shops that require local control.

How secure is Shoptech for manufacturing data?

Shoptech implements standard enterprise security practices for hosted deployments and supports role-based access, data backups, and secure communications. Security measures vary by deployment model; cloud-hosted customers receive provider-managed backups and infrastructure security, while on-premises customers must manage their own network protections.

Can Shoptech handle multi-site manufacturing operations?

Yes, Shoptech supports multi-site and multi-warehouse configurations in Enterprise-level deployments. Multi-site features include consolidated reporting, inter-site inventory transfers, and centralized purchasing, which helps companies coordinate production across locations.

shoptech careers

Shoptech and its reseller network periodically recruit for roles across product development, implementation consulting, sales, and customer support. Common career paths include manufacturing software consultants, implementation specialists who configure the product for customer workflows, and support engineers who help shops resolve technical and process issues. For up-to-date openings and role descriptions, check career listings from Shoptech or partner companies.

shoptech affiliate

Shoptech typically sells through a network of authorized resellers and implementation partners rather than a public affiliate program. These partners provide sales, training, implementation, and local support. If you are interested in becoming a reseller or partner, contact Shoptech's partner or reseller relations team through their official partner pages to learn about certification, revenue share, and support requirements: view Shoptech's partner information (https://www.shoptech.com/partners).

Where to find shoptech reviews

Customer reviews for Shoptech can be found on software review platforms and industry forums that cover manufacturing and ERP tools. Look for reviews on manufacturing software comparison sites, industry publications, and peer reviews that discuss implementation experiences, ROI, and support responsiveness. Also consult case studies and customer testimonials on Shoptech's website for detailed examples of how individual shops use the software.