Visual EstiTrack
by Henning Software
Job-shop management software from Henning Software (Ohio, since 1990) for machine, tool and die, sheet metal and screw machine shops: estimating, sales and shop orders, finite forward and backward scheduling, job cards and bar-code time collection, inventory with lot and heat tracking, purchasing, inspection and corrective action, with an optional integrated accounting package, Visual Books.
Why it is classified this way
We call this a Light manufacturing product. Has bills of materials or recipes, consumes stock when you build, and tracks production, but time-phased planning is not verified.
It is not labeled Full MRP because we have not verified that it nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming; explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials; uses lead times or required dates; and produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations. That is a statement about the evidence we found, not a claim that the product is weak, see the capability table and the sources below.
The six Full MRP tests, and how Visual EstiTrack does on each (2 of 6)
- YesIt represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula.Evidence: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)
- YesIt accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule.Evidence: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- UnknownIt explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials.Not established. No evidence found yet.The feature list includes a BOM-based purchase order generator but does not describe a planning run that explodes demand through levels. henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)
- UnknownIt uses lead times or required dates.Not established. No evidence found yet.
- PartialIt produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
These rules are applied identically to every product and enforced at build time, a record cannot be published as Full MRP unless all six pass with a source attached. Read the methodology.
Best for
- US machine, tool and die, sheet metal and screw machine shops that quote and schedule job by job
- Shops that want accounting and payroll from the same vendor, through the Visual Books add-on
Not a fit when
- Manufacturers who need dated MRP suggestions; none are described
- Buyers who want a cloud subscription with a published price
Pricing facts
What it costs to do manufacturing in this product.
No published price
This vendor does not publish pricing, so you cannot compare it against anything here without contacting them. We will not estimate a figure.
What moves the real bill
- No published price. You have to contact the vendor, which usually means a sales call.
Pricing detail
No price is published. The feature list includes "90 Days Free Support", "1 Year Free Upgrades" and a "30 Day Money Back Guarantee", which points to a license purchase; customers buy seats, per the testimonials. Visual Books accounting is an add-on.
Checked on September 19, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com(opens in a new tab). Prices change. Check before you buy.
Manufacturing capability
16 of 25 fields resolved. "Unknown" means we have not found first-party evidence. It is not a No.
Planning
Working out what to buy or make, and when.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | Yes | Sales orders and releases with delivery schedules, plus forecast reports ("Forecasted Sales Order Report", "Forecast vs. Actual Sales Order Report"). Marketing page only.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Partial | The inventory section lists an "Inventory Reorder Report" and a "Future Inventory Requirements Calculator". How requirements net against stock is not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | Partial | A "Materials On Order Report" and vendor delivery schedule exist; whether they offset requirements is not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation showing lead time fields that shift a suggested order or start date.Know the answer? |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | Partial | Purchase orders can be generated from inventory, the materials worksheet or the BOM ("Inventory-Based P.O. Generator", "BOM-Based P.O. Generator"). No dated suggestion list is described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Yes | "A sophisticated yet easy-to-use Forward and Backward Finite Scheduling system", with workcenter loading, utilization and a Gantt chart.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Production
Recipes, bills of materials, and running the work.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of materialsA list of the parts and quantities needed to make one of something. | Yes | Product structure maintenance, parts master, bill of materials and where-used reports.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | Partial | Product structures with cost roll-ups and a make/buy report suggest nested assemblies, but levels are not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | Partial | A "Resin Formulation Screen" and resin additives are listed for plastics work. General recipes and scaling are not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | Yes | Shop orders are generated from quotes or created at the order level, with production and cost monitoring.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Yes | Operations are defined on the quote and reused on every order, with a routing report and an operations master library.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Yes | Job cards, bar-code time collection and remote time card entry, plus a Shop Kiosk display for the floor.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab); henningsoftware.com › Shop kiosk system(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Yes | Inspection with AQL tables, corrective and preventive actions, deviations, containment, gage maintenance, internal audits and document control.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Inventory & traceability
Knowing what you hold and being able to trace it.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Batch & lot traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | Partial | An inventory lots listing and a "Lot/Heat Tracking Report" are listed. Tracing a lot through to the customer is not described.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of expiry, best-before, or shelf-life date fields.Know the answer? |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of serial number tracking on individual units.Know the answer? |
Commerce & accounting
Costs, purchasing, storefronts, and the books.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | Yes | Job costing, shop order cost reports, cost roll-ups and profit margin by shop order.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | Yes | Purchase orders, receiving, vendor invoices and outside-work status.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | Yes | Visual Books, the vendor's add-on, provides general ledger, receivables, payables and payroll; interfaces for QuickBooks and Peachtree are also offered.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: henningsoftware.com › Visual books(opens in a new tab); henningsoftware.com › Visual estitrack(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a named storefront or marketplace integration.Know the answer? |
Openness & your data
Getting data in, out, and away if you leave.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: public api documentation.Know the answer? |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of outbound webhooks or event subscriptions.Know the answer? |
| MCP supportA Model Context Protocol server, letting an AI assistant read or act on this data. Useful, but it has nothing to do with whether the product plans materials. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: a first-party mcp server, or documentation of one.Know the answer? |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of csv or spreadsheet export.Know the answer? |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a complete account export, database dump, or equivalent.Know the answer? |
Deployment, licensing and your data
- Deployment
- On-premise (vendor-supported)
- Licensing
- Proprietary on-premise
- Team sizes
- 2–5 people, 6–20 people, 21–50 people
- Manufacturing styles
- Custom or job-shop work
Integrations
- QuickBooks
- Peachtree
Industries
Jobs this product qualifies for
Derived from the capability table above, not hand-assigned.
Editorial notes and cautions
Things we would want a friend to know before buying.
- Evidence is the vendor's feature list only. Manuals and tutorials are behind a license number on the support site.
- Deployment is read from the license-number support model and program updates; the site does not say whether a hosted option exists.
Evidence and verification
Why this record is not Verified. Held at partially verified: marketing pages only and no price.
Researched 2026-09-19 from Henning Software's home page, the Visual EstiTrack page (full feature list read from the page HTML), the Visual Books and Shop Kiosk pages, and the support site. The Visual EstiTrack Ultimate page showed a bot check and was not read. The 2022 brochure link was replaced with the product page. Held at partially verified: marketing pages only and no price.
Sources we checked (5)
henningsoftware.com
support.henningsoftware.com
What we still want to confirm
We publish our gaps rather than hiding them. If you can point us at a first-party page for any of these, we will update the record and credit the correction.
- Confirm how the materials worksheet and future-requirements calculator work, and whether they use lead times or dates.
- Confirm multi-level BOMs, serials, and lot trace to the customer.
- Get an indicative price and confirm deployment options.
- Confirm export options and any API.
Still unknown: uses lead times, expiry & shelf life, serial numbers, ecommerce connection, api, webhooks, mcp support, csv export, full data export.