What Is Global Shop ERP? A Complete Guide for Manufacturers
Global Shop ERP is a manufacturing-specific enterprise resource planning system built for job shops, machine shops, and discrete manufacturers. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, Global Shop Solutions has grown into one of the most widely used ERP platforms for small-to-mid-size manufacturers in the United States and internationally.
This guide covers what the system does, who it serves, how it is deployed, and what manufacturers typically need from consulting services to get full value from their investment.
What Does Global Shop ERP Do?
Global Shop ERP manages the full operational lifecycle of a manufacturing business — from the moment a sales order arrives through production, purchasing, inventory, shipping, and accounting. The system is built around the concept that all manufacturing data should live in one place, eliminating the spreadsheet-and-email workflows that most small manufacturers rely on.
Core modules include:
Shop Management — Work order creation, routing, scheduling, and shop floor tracking. This is the operational center of the system for most job shops.
Scheduling — Forward and backward finite scheduling for work centers, with tools for identifying bottlenecks, managing capacity, and sequencing jobs to meet due dates.
Inventory Management — Real-time inventory tracking by location, lot, and bin. Includes cycle counting, reorder points, and material availability checks against scheduled production.
Purchasing — Purchase order management, vendor tracking, receiving, and purchasing exception management. Includes MRP-driven purchasing suggestions.
Accounting — Job costing, general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll integration, and financial reporting all integrated with production data.
Quality Control — Inspection tracking, nonconformance management, corrective action workflows, and quality reporting.
CRM — Customer contact management, quote history, order tracking, and customer portal capabilities.
Estimating and Quoting — Built-in estimating tools that pull routing and material costs from the production database.
Scheduling and Planning — Advanced scheduling boards, capacity planning, and production sequencing tools for operations managers.
Who Uses Global Shop ERP?
Global Shop Solutions is optimized for manufacturers in the following environments:
Job Shops and Machine Shops — Companies manufacturing custom or semi-custom parts to order, often for multiple customers simultaneously. Work order management, scheduling, and job costing are the primary use cases.
Metal Fabricators — Sheet metal, structural steel, and precision fabrication operations that need strong inventory, purchasing, and quality integration alongside production management.
Industrial Equipment Manufacturers — Companies building equipment, assemblies, or systems with complex BOM structures, multi-step routings, and long production lead times.
Automotive Parts and Tier 2/3 Suppliers — Companies supplying automotive OEMs who need scheduling precision, on-time delivery tracking, and cost visibility.
Aerospace and Defense Subcontractors — Manufacturing operations that require lot and serial tracking, quality documentation, and compliance reporting.
Medical Device Manufacturers — Companies with quality and traceability requirements who need tight integration between production, quality control, and documentation.
The system supports between 5 and 500 users, is available in both cloud and on-premise deployments, and has been implemented in over 3,000 manufacturing facilities across 25+ countries.
Global Shop ERP Deployment Options
Cloud Deployment — Global Shop Solutions hosts the ERP in a managed cloud environment. This removes the need for on-premise server infrastructure and IT management, with software updates handled by Global Shop Solutions.
On-Premise Deployment — The ERP is installed on servers at the manufacturer's facility. This option gives IT teams full control over the environment and is preferred by manufacturers with data residency requirements or existing infrastructure investments.
Both deployment options support the full feature set of the platform.
What Is Global Shop GAB?
GAB — Global Application Builder — is the built-in customization framework that makes Global Shop stand apart from many competing manufacturing ERP systems.
GAB allows consultants and advanced users to create custom screens, add custom fields and logic, build workflow automations, and extend system functionality without modifying the core application code. This means customizations are more upgrade-safe than traditional code-level modifications.
For manufacturers with unique processes, specialized workflows, or complex reporting needs, GAB is the primary tool for making Global Shop fit the way the business actually operates.
Why Do Manufacturers Need Global Shop ERP Consulting?
Most manufacturers who invest in Global Shop ERP get the system implemented and running — but not always configured in a way that fully serves their operations. Common gaps include:
Reporting that doesn't match decision-making needs. Standard reports may be too broad, too slow, or organized around system logic rather than business workflow.
Dashboards that lack role-specific clarity. Without custom dashboard design, each team sees the same generic views rather than the prioritized, role-specific information they need.
GAB customizations that are outdated or undocumented. Many manufacturers have GAB extensions built during implementation that were never fully documented, tested across edge cases, or maintained as the business evolved.
Workflow gaps between ERP and real operations. Over time, teams develop workarounds — spreadsheets, manual steps, off-system tracking — that undermine the value of having an integrated ERP.
Low user adoption. When the ERP doesn't match how teams actually work, users revert to familiar tools outside the system.
Global Shop ERP consulting addresses all of these gaps — through GAB customization, dashboard and report builds, workflow alignment, user training, and continuous improvement support.
How DESSS Helps Global Shop Manufacturers
DESSS delivers Global Shop consulting services to manufacturers across the United States, with a focus on practical, fast-turnaround improvements that production teams, buyers, planners, and leadership will actually use.
Our service scope includes:
- Global Shop GAB Services — Custom screen development, workflow automation, and GAB cleanup
- Dashboard Creation Services — Role-based visibility for production, purchasing, inventory, and management
- Reports Creation Services — Actionable reports for scheduling, costing, purchasing, and executive review
- Customization Services — Screen, field, workflow, and automation customization
- Implementation Services — Structured rollouts for new or re-implementation projects
- Support Services — Ongoing enhancement, troubleshooting, and roadmap planning
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