How to evaluate ERP software for a manufacturing job shop

Start with a real job, not a feature list

Pick a completed job with a known drawing revision, material specification, batch quantity and delivery date. Keep its estimate and actual costs nearby. A familiar job gives an estimator and an operator a shared reference when evaluating new software. Include a repeat order or a job that changed after quotation if those are common in your shop.

Check the handoffs

Trace who enters the customer request, who approves the estimate and who releases work to the floor. Ask how an operator sees the current instructions and records progress. A board that looks clear to an office user may still leave questions at the machine. Check whether the job number and revision remain visible at every handoff.

Compare costs on a consistent basis

Distinguish estimated cutting time from setup, handling and other operations. Compare like-for-like costs and confirm that machine rates do not already contain expenses entered elsewhere. Decide who updates actual labor and material usage and how often. Cost visibility depends on consistent records, not simply installing a dashboard.

Separate current capability from the roadmap

Ask to use each required feature. Verify permissions, exports and the behavior of incomplete jobs. Inventory, accounting, purchasing and CAD/CAM integration should each be confirmed explicitly rather than inferred from the word ERP. Define a small pilot with acceptance criteria before moving routine customer work.

A checklist to take back to your team

• Can an estimator and operator follow the same job without re-entering its identity?
• Are quoted and actual figures compared on the same basis?
• Can you identify who can edit, approve or view each record?
• What happens when the internet connection is interrupted?
• Which records can be exported if you leave?