RMDB vs JobBOSS2: Scheduling Comparison for Job Shops (2026)

RMDB vs JobBOSS2 is a comparison many job shop owners and production managers wrestle with — though the real question is not either/or. JobBOSS2 is a job shop ERP system with basic scheduling features. RMDB is a dedicated finite capacity scheduling tool that works alongside your ERP. For most job shops, the winning combination is both: JobBOSS for ERP and RMDB for scheduling. This guide explains why, and helps you understand what each tool does best.

For the broader scheduling tool landscape, see our production scheduling software comparison guide.

Company Background

JobBOSS2 by ECI Software Solutions

JobBOSS has been a staple of the North American job shop market for decades. Now owned by ECI Software Solutions, JobBOSS2 is a cloud-based ERP designed specifically for small to mid-size job shops. It covers quoting, order management, job costing, inventory, purchasing, shop floor data collection, and basic scheduling. JobBOSS has a loyal customer base among machine shops, fabricators, and contract manufacturers, with an estimated installed base of thousands of shops across North America.

RMDB by User Solutions

RMDB is developed by User Solutions, founded in 1991 with 35+ years of manufacturing scheduling expertise. RMDB is a dedicated finite capacity scheduling and planning system that integrates with any ERP — including JobBOSS. The software serves manufacturers across aerospace, defense, automotive, electronics, heavy equipment, and precision machining.

Feature Comparison

Why This Is Not Really a Head-to-Head

The comparison table makes it clear: RMDB and JobBOSS2 do fundamentally different things. JobBOSS2 is an ERP that runs your job shop's business operations — quoting, job tracking, costing, inventory, purchasing, and accounting. RMDB is a scheduling system that optimizes when jobs run, on which machines, and in what sequence.

Comparing them head-to-head is like comparing a lathe and a CMM. They serve different functions in the same shop. The real question is whether JobBOSS2's built-in scheduling is sufficient for your needs, or whether adding RMDB's scheduling depth delivers meaningful value.

JobBOSS2 Scheduling: What It Does Well

JobBOSS2 provides scheduling features that work for basic production planning:

• Dispatch board: Visual representation of jobs by work center, allowing planners to see loading and make basic sequencing decisions.
• Capacity views: See which work centers are overloaded or underutilized.
• Priority sequencing: Arrange jobs by due date or priority on each work center.
• Job tracking: Monitor progress of jobs through the shop with time and attendance integration.

For a 10-person shop with a dozen active orders and predictable work flow, these features provide adequate scheduling visibility. The strength is integration — scheduling data flows naturally from JobBOSS's orders, routings, and work centers.

Where JobBOSS2 Scheduling Falls Short

As shops grow and scheduling complexity increases, JobBOSS2's scheduling limitations become apparent:

• No true finite capacity logic: The scheduling board shows loading but does not automatically resolve overloads across multiple constraints.
• No what-if analysis: You cannot test "what happens if we accept this rush order?" without actually changing the schedule.
• No multi-constraint optimization: Labor, tooling, and machine constraints are not resolved simultaneously.
• No sequence-dependent setup awareness: The scheduler does not minimize changeover time by sequencing similar jobs together.
• Limited cascading impact visibility: Moving one job does not automatically show the ripple effects on other orders.

These limitations matter when your shop has 200+ active orders, 15+ machines, multiple bottleneck work centers, and customers who need accurate delivery dates.

RMDB: Scheduling Depth for Job Shops

RMDB was specifically designed for the scheduling challenges job shops face daily:

Finite Capacity Intelligence

RMDB's scheduling engine simultaneously considers machine capacity, labor availability, tooling constraints, and material availability. When a rush order arrives, the scheduler shows exactly what can move, what cannot, and which delivery promises are affected. This is the difference between a scheduling tool and a list-sorting tool.

Visual Planning with EDGEBI

The EDGEBI Gantt interface shows every operation on every resource across your scheduling horizon. Planners can drag and drop operations, see instant visual feedback on cascading effects, and compare scenarios side by side. This visual intelligence transforms how planners make decisions.

What-If Scenario Analysis

Before committing to any schedule change, RMDB lets you test alternatives. "What if we run overtime on the CNC mill? What if we move Job 4521 to the alternate lathe? What if we push the Smith order back two days?" Each scenario is evaluated against all constraints and shows the full impact before you commit.

Sequence-Dependent Setup Optimization

For shops where changeover time varies based on what ran previously — common in machining, coating, and finishing operations — RMDB sequences jobs to minimize total setup time. This can recover 10-20% of available capacity that is currently lost to unnecessary changeovers.

The Integration Story

How RMDB and JobBOSS Work Together

RMDB pulls data from JobBOSS:

• Work orders and operations from active jobs
• Routing information and standard times
• Work center definitions and capacity
• Material availability dates
• Due dates and customer priorities

RMDB generates optimized finite capacity schedules and pushes scheduled start/completion dates back to JobBOSS. The integration is set up during the 5-day implementation and typically takes one day of the five.

The result: JobBOSS remains your system of record for job tracking, costing, and business operations. RMDB handles the scheduling intelligence that JobBOSS's built-in features cannot provide.

Pricing Perspective

JobBOSS2 Pricing

JobBOSS2 subscription pricing typically runs $100-$200+ per user per month. For a 5-user shop, that is $6,000-$12,000 annually for the ERP platform.

Adding RMDB to JobBOSS

RMDB's one-time license of $5,000-$15,000 is a fraction of your existing JobBOSS investment. Over five years, RMDB adds $9,000-$23,000 in total cost (license + optional maintenance) — far less than the alternative of switching to a more expensive ERP with better built-in scheduling or purchasing an enterprise APS system.

Cost of Not Having Good Scheduling

The real cost comparison is RMDB's price vs the cost of poor scheduling: late deliveries, lost customers, excessive overtime, expediting costs, and missed revenue. Most job shops find that RMDB pays for itself within the first 3-6 months through improved on-time delivery and reduced expediting.

When JobBOSS2 Scheduling Is Sufficient

JobBOSS2's built-in scheduling works when:

• Your shop is small (under 15 machines, under 50 active orders)
• Production flow is relatively predictable
• You rarely deal with complex scheduling conflicts
• Your planner can manage scheduling mentally with some visual support
• On-time delivery is not a significant competitive issue

When You Need RMDB on Top of JobBOSS2

Add RMDB when:

• Scheduling complexity has outgrown the dispatch board
• You have 15+ machines, 100+ active orders, and multiple bottleneck work centers
• Late deliveries are costing you customers
• Your planner spends more time firefighting than planning
• You need to answer "when can we deliver?" with confidence and accuracy
• Setup time waste is significant and you want sequence optimization
• Rush orders routinely disrupt the entire schedule

The Bottom Line

JobBOSS2 is an excellent job shop ERP. Its scheduling features provide basic planning capability that works for simpler operations. But scheduling is not JobBOSS2's core strength — quoting, job costing, and shop floor tracking are.

RMDB is a scheduling specialist. It does one thing — production scheduling — and does it exceptionally well. For job shops where scheduling accuracy and responsiveness are competitive differentiators, adding RMDB to JobBOSS2 is one of the highest-ROI investments you can make.

Frequently Asked Questions

See RMDB and JobBOSS Working Together

Already running JobBOSS? See how RMDB adds scheduling intelligence to your existing setup. Contact User Solutions for a demo using your actual jobs and work centers. Our 5-day implementation includes the JobBOSS integration — you will be scheduling with real data by Friday. Request a demo today.