How-toJobBOSS2 (ECI)Shop Floor / Data Collection / Labor

JobBOSS2 Data Collection: How Shop Floor Labor and Job Tracking Work

Question
jobboss2 data collection

Also searched as

  • jobboss2 shop floor data collection
  • jobboss2 clock in clock out job
  • jobboss2 labor not posting to job
  • jobboss shop floor terminal vs mobile

Short answer

JobBOSS2 data collection means operators identify themselves and a job operation at a shop floor station, start and stop time against that operation, and report quantities completed. That transaction becomes actual labor and progress on the job, which feeds job costing, scheduling and WIP. Most posting problems come from an inactive employee, an operation that is closed or not released, or a station that is not set up for the job's work center.

Applies to: JobBOSS2 (cloud and on-prem) and, in concept, classic JobBOSS and E2 shop floor tracking. Screen names differ slightly by build, so confirm labels in your own menu.

How to set up and run data collection in JobBOSS2

  1. 1Confirm every employee who will clock in exists as an active employee record with the right department, pay rate (if you cost labor by employee) and a unique badge or login ID.
  2. 2Make sure each job you want tracked has its routing released: operations must exist on the job, be assigned to a work center, and be in a status that allows time to be reported.
  3. 3Decide the capture method per area of the shop: a fixed terminal or kiosk at the machine, a tablet or phone using the mobile or web shop floor client, or supervisors keying time sheets in the back office.
  4. 4Have the operator identify themselves, pick the job and the operation (scan the traveler barcode if you print one), and start the clock. One operator can usually run more than one operation at once if your shop allows it, so decide that rule in advance.
  5. 5Stop the clock at the end of the shift or when the operation changes, and enter good quantity, scrap quantity and, where relevant, mark the operation complete.
  6. 6Have a supervisor review and approve time entries daily so errors are caught while the operator still remembers the job.
  7. 7Check the job's actual hours against estimate on the job cost view and correct any mistaken entries through the time entry edit screen rather than adjusting the job directly.

What data collection actually records

Every shop floor transaction ties four things together: an employee, a job, an operation on that job, and a time span with quantities. From that, the system derives actual run and setup hours, actual labor cost, quantity completed and operation status. Those numbers are what make estimate-versus-actual reporting, on-time delivery tracking and schedule updates possible. If one of the four is wrong, the downstream numbers are wrong too.

That is why the quality of the routing matters as much as the terminal. If operators cannot find the operation they are physically performing, they pick the nearest one, and the cost lands on the wrong step. A short, accurate routing with clear operation descriptions gives you better data than an elaborate one.

Terminals, tablets and mobile

A fixed terminal at the work center is the most reliable option for repetitive work because the work center is known and the operator only chooses a job. Tablets and phones are better for large floors, field work and shops where a machine is shared across work centers. Barcode or QR scanning on the traveler removes most typing errors, which are the main source of bad labor data.

Whichever you pick, keep one rule: the person doing the work records the work. Batch entry at the end of the day by a supervisor is the second best option and produces rounded, guessed times. If you must do it, at least capture start and stop times, not a single hours figure.

Labor will not post: the usual causes

The most common reasons a clock-in is rejected or does not show on the job are an employee that is inactive or missing a department, an operation that is already marked complete, a job that is on hold or not yet released, and a work center mismatch where the operation belongs to a center the station is not allowed to report for.

Another frequent cause is an open time entry from yesterday. If an operator forgot to clock out, the next day's start can be refused or can create a very long entry that distorts costs. Run a daily review for open entries and correct them before payroll or job close.

Daily data collection checklist
1. Open time entries older than 12 hours
2. Entries with zero quantity on completed operations
3. Operations marked complete with no labor
4. Employees who worked but have no entries
5. Entries over 12 hours for one operation

Making the numbers trustworthy

Pick three metrics and watch them weekly: percent of operations with labor posted, number of corrected entries, and variance of actual versus estimated hours by work center. Data collection improves when operators see that the data is used, so review one job with them per week.

If you pay from the same data, agree on rounding and lunch rules early, and keep payroll-grade time separate from job costing time if your shop is not ready to treat them as the same record.

Try it here, free

JobBOSS to E2 Shop System Migration Checklist

Open full tool

A 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.

Common pitfalls

  • !Letting operators log into the nearest operation instead of the one they are doing, which corrupts both costing and scheduling.
  • !Leaving open time entries overnight; they inflate hours and block the next clock-in.
  • !Closing operations early so the job looks finished, then posting late labor to a closed step.
  • !Using one shared login on a terminal, which removes any link between labor and the person.
  • !Fixing job cost by editing the job totals instead of correcting the underlying time entries.

How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this

Shops often have good data collection and still cannot answer simple questions without a report writer. A private assistant grounded in the JobBOSS database can answer questions like which jobs have open time entries, or where actual hours exceed estimate by more than 20 percent, show the query it ran, and stay read-only. Netray runs this on the shop's own server so job and labor data never leave the building.

See ERPray

Frequently asked questions

Do I need special hardware for JobBOSS2 data collection?

No. A touch-screen PC or tablet at each work center with an optional barcode scanner is typical. Phones and tablets can work through the mobile or web client. The key requirement is that the device can reach your JobBOSS2 server reliably, so check Wi-Fi coverage on the floor before you commit.

Can one operator work on several jobs at once?

Usually yes, but it is a policy decision. Some shops allow overlapping clock-ins for machine-tending work and split the time between jobs. If you allow it, make sure your labor reports divide the time rather than double counting it, otherwise job cost looks higher than reality.

Why does my job show no actual hours?

Check that operators clocked in against that job and operation, that the entry is not still open, and that the employee and operation are in valid statuses. Also confirm you are looking at the right job cost view, since some views show only approved time.

How do I correct a wrong time entry?

Edit or reverse the time entry itself through the time entry or labor review screen, then re-enter it against the correct job and operation. Avoid changing job totals directly, because the next recalculation can overwrite your change.

Related

How-to

How 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.

How-to

How to Create Custom Reports in JobBOSS and JobBOSS2

Start from the standard report closest to what you need, copy it, and change the copy in the report designer rather than editing the original. For anything the designer cannot express, write a SQL query or view against the JobBOSS database and use it in the designer or in Excel. The designer and the file format differ between classic JobBOSS and JobBOSS2, so check which one you are on.

How-to

JobBOSS Custom Reports: Building and Editing Crystal Reports

JobBOSS reports are Crystal Reports (.rpt) files that read the JobBOSS SQL Server database. To customise one, copy the standard report, open the copy in Crystal Reports, point it at your database, change the fields or layout, and place it where JobBOSS looks for custom reports. JobBOSS2 reporting differs, so check the supported report tooling for your edition.

How-to

JobBOSS2 API: Documentation, Keys and Integration Options

There is no single public developer portal you can sign up to for instant JobBOSS keys. Integration options are the vendor-provided API or web services where your edition includes them (which ECI grants through your licence and account), direct read access to the SQL Server database for reporting, and file or report-based exchange. Ask ECI or your reseller what API access your version includes and how keys are issued, and use read-only SQL access for analytics.

Error fix

E2 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-to

E2 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 ERP

AI for ECI JobBOSS2 and E2 Shop System

Add AI to ECI JobBOSS2 or E2 Shop System for faster quoting, tighter scheduling, and shop-floor answers, without sending your job data to the cloud.

Stuck on JobBOSS2 (ECI)?

Talk to engineers who work inside JobBOSS2 (ECI) every week, and who build private AI that answers these questions from your own ERP data.

Talk to an ERP engineerBrowse ERP Help
All ERP Help articles

Keep exploring

Free tools

ERP fixes and how-tos

Guides

AI on your ERP

Integrations

Software