Why JobBOSS² shops go looking for a scheduling alternative
JobBOSS² is a widely used job shop ERP, and it includes real scheduling tools. Shops that search for "JobBOSS alternatives" or "replace JobBOSS" are rarely unhappy with quoting, job costing or purchasing. Most of the time the problem is the schedule.
What that usually looks like on the floor:
- The schedule is built on the Planning Board or the Whiteboard Scheduler, or exported to Excel.
- A machine goes down, a qualified operator is out, material is late, or a hot job lands.
- The changes cascade through the rest of the day.
- The planner re-sequences the near term by hand and judges whether the new plan can actually run.
That's a scheduling gap, not an ERP gap. Replacing JobBOSS² throws out the system of record to fix the decision layer. Skody keeps JobBOSS² and fixes the decision layer.
How Skody works with JobBOSS²
- Connect. Skody reads jobs, routings and work centers from JobBOSS² and can write schedule dates back, depending on how your shop wants to run it.
- Model. Map your real shop constraints: machines, shifts, setups and outside processing, plus operator skills, workforce and pallets on the Plant & Enterprise plan.
- Compute. Skody resolves conflicts automatically and produces an executable baseline, optimized first for due dates and then for throughput.
- Recompute. When conditions change, Skody recomputes the whole shop in under a minute with the same decision logic and proposes the decision: which jobs move, which machine and which person run them, and which due dates are now at risk. The planner reviews, accepts or overrides.
- Keep JobBOSS² as the system of record. Quotes, jobs, purchasing, inventory and accounting stay in JobBOSS².
JobBOSS² stays the ERP. Skody is the production decision layer above it.
JobBOSS² scheduling alternatives compared
| Path | What it is | What happens to JobBOSS² | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay on JobBOSS² native scheduling | Planning Board (drag and drop), Whiteboard Scheduler, finite or infinite scheduling by work center, what-if scenarios | No change | The schedule already holds through the day and planners aren't rebuilding it by hand |
| Keep JobBOSS² + Skody | Finite production decision layer running live on top of JobBOSS² | JobBOSS² stays. Skody reads live data and can write schedule dates back | You like JobBOSS² as the ERP and the schedule is the pain |
| Keep JobBOSS² + EDGEBIC (User Solutions) | Installed Windows APS, one-time license | JobBOSS² stays. Data moves by Excel, CSV or database import-export | You want a one-time license and a planner can import data and rerun the schedule when needed |
| Classic APS (PlanetTogether, Asprova, etc.) | Deep, planner-driven APS | JobBOSS² can stay as the ERP; verify the integration with each vendor | You have a dedicated planner to own and tune a heavy APS model |
| Replace JobBOSS² (Fulcrum, ProShop or another ERP) | Full ERP migration | JobBOSS² is removed | You want a different ERP for reasons beyond scheduling |
Vendor capabilities change. Verify critical integration and scheduling requirements with each vendor. For the detailed head-to-head, see JobBOSS² vs PlanetTogether vs Asprova vs Skody and Skody vs EDGEBIC.
When JobBOSS² native scheduling is enough
Be honest about whether you need another system. JobBOSS² native scheduling is probably enough if:
- The schedule you publish in the morning still holds through the day.
- Your planner isn't rebuilding sequences by hand or in Excel after every disruption.
- Machine hours are the constraint, not which qualified person is available to run the machine.
- The Planning Board, Whiteboard Scheduler and Scheduling Advisor already give you the lead times and late-job warnings you need.
Skody is worth evaluating when the opposite is true: the plan goes stale during the shift, people and skills are part of the bottleneck, and the planner is the one holding the schedule together.
When you should actually replace JobBOSS²
- Keep JobBOSS² + add Skody if JobBOSS² works for quoting, jobs, purchasing and costing, and the pain is cascading schedule changes, unknown bottlenecks and Excel repair work.
- Replace JobBOSS² if you want a different ERP stack for reasons that have nothing to do with scheduling: product fit, the accounting model, or a full paperless rebuild. In that case compare Fulcrum, ProShop and others as ERP choices, not as scheduling patches. Skody also runs on top of Fulcrum and ProShop, so the scheduling layer can come with you.
- Buy an installed APS with import-export if you don't need live ERP sync and a planner rerunning the schedule from imported data is enough.
Pricing and implementation
- Skody starts at $1,500 per month on the Shop plan (month-to-month); Plant & Enterprise has custom pricing based on scope.
- Implementation is measured in weeks, not an ERP migration.
- Deployment: cloud, ITAR-ready Gov Cloud, SOC 2 Type II.
- JobBOSS² connection: live. Skody reads jobs, routings and work centers from JobBOSS² and can write schedule dates back, depending on how your shop wants to run it. JobBOSS² stays the system of record.
Frequently asked questions
Is Skody a JobBOSS alternative?
Not as an ERP. Skody doesn't replace JobBOSS². JobBOSS² stays your system of record for quoting, jobs, purchasing, inventory and accounting. Skody is a scheduling layer that reads jobs and routings from JobBOSS² and builds a finite, executable schedule across your machines (and, on the Plant & Enterprise plan, your people and their skills). If you're looking for a JobBOSS alternative only because the schedule keeps breaking, you may not need a new ERP.
Does Skody integrate with JobBOSS²?
Yes. Skody runs live on top of JobBOSS². Skody reads jobs, routings and work centers from JobBOSS² and can write schedule dates back, depending on how your shop wants to run it. JobBOSS² stays the system of record. Other live integrations include ProShop and Fulcrum; Acumatica and SYSPRO integrations are also published on skody.ai.
Doesn't JobBOSS² already have scheduling?
Yes. JobBOSS² includes a drag-and-drop Planning Board, a Whiteboard Scheduler, a choice of finite or infinite scheduling by work center, what-if scenarios and a Scheduling Advisor for late jobs. For many shops that is enough. Skody is for shops where, after a machine goes down, an operator calls out or a hot job lands, the planner still has to rebuild the near-term sequence by hand. Skody recomputes a finite plan across your machines in under a minute, adding individual operators and their skills on the Plant & Enterprise plan, and proposes it for the planner to accept or override.
When should I stay with JobBOSS² native scheduling?
Stay with it if the schedule you publish in the morning still holds through the day, your planner isn't rebuilding sequences by hand or in Excel, and your bottleneck is machine hours rather than qualified people. In that case adding another system isn't worth it.
What are the alternatives for JobBOSS scheduling?
There are four common paths: keep JobBOSS² and use its Planning Board and Whiteboard Scheduler; keep JobBOSS² and add a live scheduling layer such as Skody; keep JobBOSS² and add an installed APS such as User Solutions EDGEBIC, which exchanges data with JobBOSS by Excel, CSV or database import-export; or replace the ERP, for example with Fulcrum or ProShop. Only the last one replaces JobBOSS².
How is Skody different from EDGEBIC for JobBOSS² shops?
Both schedule to finite capacity beside the ERP you keep. EDGEBIC is an installed Windows APS sold as a one-time license, and User Solutions lists JobBOSS among the ERPs it exchanges data with by Excel, CSV or database import-export. Skody is cloud software billed monthly that stays connected to JobBOSS² and recomputes the shop when the floor changes. See the full Skody vs EDGEBIC comparison.
How long does Skody take to implement on JobBOSS²?
Most customers begin seeing value within weeks, not months. JobBOSS² stays where it is. Skody connects to it, you model your real shop constraints (machines, shifts, setups and outside processing, plus operator skills on the Plant & Enterprise plan), and you get an executable baseline without an ERP migration.
How much does Skody cost?
Skody starts at $1,500 per month on the Shop plan (month-to-month). The Plant & Enterprise plan, which adds workforce and skills scheduling, pallets, lights-out and multi-site, has custom pricing based on scope. Pricing is per shop, not per user.
Sources and verification
- Skody product, pricing, security and integrations: https://skody.ai/ and https://skody.ai/pricing
- ECI JobBOSS² scheduling features: https://www.ecisolutions.com/products/jobboss2/features/scheduling/
- User Solutions EDGEBIC: https://usersolutions.com/edgebic
- Skody vs EDGEBIC comparison: https://skody.ai/skody-vs-edgebic
Vendor capabilities change. Re-check each vendor's own site before you buy.