E2 Shop System

Comments: We have been using E2 for well over 16 years and so far we love it. We have used other systems and this one just seed to get it right. In that time we have only had a handful of issues of which most were fixed in minutes and all we had to do was call Tech Support and explain what was not working. The customer and technical support staff are extremely knowledgeable in what their software can do and how they can customize it to fit your every need. They have even extra fields set aside for all most every function to carry different data types just in case you have found a data point that they haven't thought of.

Pros: E2 creates a clutter free work space with a simple layout and design. Shop Tech has broken down the manufacturing process to get a true understanding of how our company really operates. The bolt on modules allow for greater control of specific functions in particular departments. We specifically use the Scheduling and Custom Order Import Automation functions. Scheduling give us a top level view, department view, work center view, and all the way down to a view of sub parts that make up a single part. This tells us exactly where an order is as well as if we are under or over loaded at the work center and department level. All I have to do is pull up the schedule, click a button for the level of detail I want to display and away it goes. The Custom Order Import Function has allowed us to automate the order entry process by simply downloading a file from our customer, pointing where I saved the file, and clicking "Import". This function creates the order and based off our custom company settings which we have setup to automatically pull from stock jobs, inventory, post a quantity to make or a combination of all of the above. We can then run a requirement report to see what we need to make to fulfill open orders or to make stock for inventory. It really doesn't get easier than that.

Cons: The extra modules do have a cost but they are well worth it. On the plus side of that, E2 will demo the modules with full functionality and if it doesn't incorporate everything that you need you don't have to purchase it.

Comments: This software has all of the features necessary to quote a project, purchase for a project, and move the project successfully through the shop from one work station to another, accurately accumulating time as it goes. It will give you insight into your jobs as to estimated performance versus actual performance, it will give you control over your purchasing and a 30,000ft level view of your work center loading. Overall, it has the capabilities to meet a wide variety of manufacturing requirements with good reporting, and useful tools

Pros: The software is pretty easy to use. We can usually get new employees up and running fully on the software with only a couple of days of training. If you implement the time keeping module it allows for excellent review of jobs and verification of timing for your work. By far the best part of E-2 is the support. They have a wide range of support tools including Webex training's, customer support, and even analysts who can help implement, and improve your software usage.

Cons: Like most software it is built around a model that may not exactly match your business model. In this case the issue is Parts vs. Jobs. Our shop tracks jobs through the shop that are composed of multiple parts. E-2 works best if one part is one job. While it is possible to run multi-part jobs you lose some of the functionality of the software when you do. The other limitation is eliminating duplicate data. If you have customers, materials or parts that were duplicated, or just plain created incorrectly, it is cumbersome to remove them from the E-2 system.