JobBOSS 2 vs JobBOSS: Differences, Versions and How to Update
jobboss 2 vs jobboss
Also searched as
- what is jobboss 2
- jobboss squared
- how to update jobboss
- what is the newest version of jobboss
- jobboss upgrade
Short answer
JobBOSS2 (often written JobBOSS squared or JobBOSS 2) is ECI's newer job-shop ERP, built as a successor to the classic JobBOSS product. Classic JobBOSS is the long-running SQL Server based system; JobBOSS2 is a rewritten platform with a different interface and architecture. Updating within a product is a patch or version install; moving from classic to JobBOSS2 is a migration project with testing, not a simple update.
Applies to: ECI JobBOSS (classic) and JobBOSS2. Current version numbers and feature lists change, so verify against ECI's current release notes rather than this page.
Update or upgrade safely
- 1Find your current version in the application's About screen, and note the database version if shown separately.
- 2Get the release notes for the target version from ECI, and read prerequisites, database changes and known issues.
- 3Check that your Windows, SQL Server and workstation OS versions are supported by the target version.
- 4Take a full database backup, and keep it outside the normal rotation.
- 5Restore a copy of production to a test server and run the update there first.
- 6Have users test their own workflows: quoting, job entry, time tickets, shipping, invoicing and key reports.
- 7Schedule the production update outside working hours, update the server first and then each workstation, and verify the client version on every PC.
- 8Keep the pre-upgrade backup for several weeks, until a period close has been done on the new version.
Classic JobBOSS versus JobBOSS2
Classic JobBOSS is a mature, Windows desktop client on a SQL Server database, widely used by small and mid-size job shops and make-to-order manufacturers. It is known for quoting, job costing, scheduling and shop-floor tracking.
JobBOSS2 is the modernised platform that ECI positions as the successor, with a redesigned interface and a different architecture and extension model, including triggers and custom apps. Do not assume that customisations, reports or integrations from classic carry over unchanged.
Update versus migrate
Updating inside classic JobBOSS (for example from one version to a later one) typically means running the update on the server, upgrading the database, and updating each workstation. Allow for custom reports and scripts being retested.
Moving from classic JobBOSS to JobBOSS2 is a migration: data mapping, rebuilt or re-tested reports, retraining and a cutover plan. Run a pilot on a data copy and compare outputs, such as open job totals, WIP and AR, between the two systems before committing.
What to ask ECI or your reseller
Ask what is the current supported version for your edition, when your version leaves support, what the licence terms are for JobBOSS2, whether your add-ons and integrations are supported, and how data migration is handled. Get answers in writing.
Do not rely on third-party forum answers for newest version numbers, since they go stale quickly.
Try it here, free
JobBOSS Classic Private AI Layer Blueprint Generator
Fill in your version, database, hosting and use cases to get an architecture plan for a private, on-prem AI assistant on JobBOSS Classic, ready to share with IT and security.
Common pitfalls
- !Updating production first without a test copy.
- !Updating the server but leaving some workstations on an old client.
- !Assuming reports and scripts survive an upgrade unchanged.
- !Treating the move from classic to JobBOSS2 as a patch.
- !Not keeping the pre-upgrade backup long enough.
- !Upgrading right before month-end.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
Before and after an upgrade, the question is whether the numbers still match. A read-only assistant can run the same open jobs, WIP and AR queries on the test copy and production, show the SQL, and list the differences so testers know where to look. On-prem hosting means a copy of your data is never sent to an outside service.
Frequently asked questions
What is JobBOSS 2?
JobBOSS2, also called JobBOSS squared, is ECI's newer job-shop ERP, positioned as the successor to classic JobBOSS.
What is the newest version of JobBOSS?
Check ECI's current release notes or ask your account team. Version numbers change often and are not reliable from third-party pages.
How do I update JobBOSS?
Back up the database, test on a copy, run the update on the server, then update each workstation and verify the versions match.
Can I move from JobBOSS to JobBOSS2 easily?
It is a migration, not a patch. Plan data mapping, report rework, testing and training with ECI or a reseller.
Related
How to Back Up the JobBOSS Database
JobBOSS stores its data in a Microsoft SQL Server database, so a backup is a SQL Server backup, not a copy of program folders. Take a full backup on a schedule, verify it with RESTORE VERIFYONLY, copy it off the server, and take an extra one immediately before any upgrade. Practise a restore into a test database at least once so you know it works.
How-toHow to Install JobBOSS: Server, Workstations and Drivers
A JobBOSS install has two halves: a SQL Server database on a server, and a client (workstation) install on each PC that connects to it. Prepare the SQL Server instance and account permissions first, install the server components from the media ECI provides, then run the workstation setup on each PC and point it at the server. Most install failures come from SQL connectivity, permissions or missing prerequisites, not from the installer itself.
How-toHow to Close a Job in JobBOSS2
A job in JobBOSS2 will not close cleanly until every routing operation is marked complete, all material has been issued or returned, and all labor and cost transactions are posted. Review the job's Work In Process detail first, clear any open items, then change the job status to Complete and run final job costing before it is locked.
Error fixJobBOSS Script Error: How to Diagnose It, and What Triggers and Custom Apps Are
A script error in JobBOSS means custom code attached to a screen or event failed, not that the core application is broken. Note the exact message and the action that caused it, identify which custom script or trigger fired, and test the same action with scripts disabled or on a test copy. Common causes are a changed field or table, a missing reference or driver, a permissions problem, and bad data.
Error fixE2 Shop System Error 5093: Causes and How to Troubleshoot
We could not find an authoritative public definition of E2 error 5093, so treat any single-cause answer with caution. In practice, numbered E2 errors raised at login or while opening a module come from the client talking to the database: a changed server name, a SQL permission or login problem, a missing or mismatched driver, or a network or firewall change. Isolate which with the checks below and give Shoptech support the exact context.
How-toE2 Shop System 7.2 (Shoptech): Versions, Manuals, Training, Support and Reporting
E2 Shop System is Shoptech's ERP and MRP software for job shops and make-to-order manufacturers, covering quoting, orders, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, shop floor tracking and accounting integration. Version 7.2 is one release in its line. For manuals, training, support and upgrade eligibility, Shoptech and its resellers are the authoritative source, so confirm details for your own license.
AI for ERPAI for JobBOSS2 in Precision Machining: Quotes, Routings and Job Cost Answers from Your Own Data
Private AI for JobBOSS2 precision machine shops: quote history, routing actuals, job cost variance and on-time delivery answers, kept on your own network.
AI for ERPAI for JobBOSS2 quoting and scheduling
How AI helps JobBOSS2 job shops quote from past job actuals and explain scheduling conflicts, with read-only access and private hosting options.
Stuck on JobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI)?
Talk to engineers who work inside JobBOSS / JobBOSS2 (ECI) every week, and who build private AI that answers these questions from your own ERP data.
Keep exploring
Free tools
- JobBOSS Classic Private AI Layer Blueprint GeneratorFill in your version, database, hosting and use cases to get an architecture plan for a private, on-prem AI assistant on JobBOSS Classic, ready to share with IT and security.
- JobBOSS Classic AI Assistant Sizing and Value CalculatorEstimate peak concurrency, GPU count, index size, hours saved and payback for a private AI assistant on JobBOSS Classic.
- JobBOSS to E2 Shop System Migration ChecklistA practical checklist for moving a small shop from JobBOSS to E2 Shop System, from data audit through cutover and first month close. Works in reverse too.
ERP fixes and how-tos
- JobBOSS2 API: Documentation, Keys and Integration OptionsWhat integration options JobBOSS and JobBOSS2 offer: API access, SQL reads, reports and file exchange, how to get access, and how to connect apps or AI safely.
- How to Create Custom Reports in JobBOSS and JobBOSS2Create and customise reports in JobBOSS and JobBOSS2: report designer basics, common shop reports, parameters and SQL-based alternatives.
- JobBOSS Script Error: How to Diagnose It, and What Triggers and Custom Apps AreDiagnose a JobBOSS script error: find the script, read the message, test safely, and understand JobBOSS2 triggers and custom apps for extending the system.
AI on your ERP
- AI for JobBOSS2 quoting and schedulingHow AI helps JobBOSS2 job shops quote from past job actuals and explain scheduling conflicts, with read-only access and private hosting options.
- AI for JobBOSS2 in Precision Machining: Quotes, Routings and Job Cost Answers from Your Own DataPrivate AI for JobBOSS2 precision machine shops: quote history, routing actuals, job cost variance and on-time delivery answers, kept on your own network.
Integrations
- How to add AI agents to ECI JobBOSS2How to add AI agents to ECI JobBOSS2: a read-first tool layer over the SQL Server data and API, agents for quotes, late jobs and POs, with human approval on writes.
- How to use ChatGPT with ECI JobBOSS2Using ChatGPT with JobBOSS2: exports versus live access, custom GPT actions over an API, enterprise data controls, and when a private model is the safer choice.
Software
- ECI JobBOSS2Independent profile of ECI JobBOSS2, a job shop ERP: what it does, main modules, integration options, strengths, limits, alternatives and where AI can help.
- ECI M1ECI M1 is an ERP for small and mid-sized discrete and process manufacturers from ECI Software Solutions. See modules, integrations, limits and alternatives.