Five dedicated tools for building Manufacturing Data Books (MDB) and Manufacturing Record Books (MRB) side by side: what each one does, who it suits, and how it is sold.
The main dedicated Manufacturing Data Book / MRB software tools are MDB Builder, DocBoss, CodeIT eMRB, Ignos MRB and CertaFab; which is best depends on where your work sits. DocBoss focuses on submittals and VDRL workflows for process equipment suppliers; CodeIT eMRB on project-wide MRBs fed by SAP data; Ignos MRB on books that build themselves during production; CertaFab on validating certificates and welding records for PED fabricators. MDB Builder covers the whole book, from an AI-proposed structure to client approval, and, of the five, is the only one whose website states a free plan, published prices and a no-login sandbox.
This page is published by MDB Builder. Everything about the other tools comes from their own websites, linked below, as checked on 17 October 2026. "–" means the feature is not stated on that website, not that it is missing. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we correct it.
| CAPABILITY | MDB BUILDER | DOCBOSS | CODEIT EMRB | IGNOS MRB | CERTAFAB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index / structure templates | Yes | Yes | Partly | Yes | Partly |
| Structure proposed from your ITP (AI) | Yes | – | – | – | – |
| Supplier uploads into the book | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| Progress / completeness tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | Yes |
| Revision control | Yes | Yes | – | Yes | – |
| Compiled PDF with bookmarks | Yes | Yes | Partly | – | – |
| Online client review and approval | Yes | Partly | Partly | – | – |
| Certificate / WPS validation | No | – | – | Partly | Yes |
| Traceability matrix / trace lists | No | – | Partly | Partly | Yes |
| ERP / SAP integration | No | Partly | Yes | Partly | – |
| Free plan | Yes | – | – | – | – |
| Try without an account (sandbox) | Yes | – | – | – | – |
| Prices published | Yes | – | – | – | – |
Yes = stated on the vendor's website. Partly = stated in part or through a separate add-on or module. – = not stated on the vendor's website. No = MDB Builder does not offer this. Sources per tool below; checked 17 October 2026.
Web application to structure, compile and approve Manufacturing Data Books, MRBs, Vendor Data Books and quality dossiers. The structure can be proposed by AI from your ITP; suppliers upload into their chapters; one click compiles the bookmarked PDF; the client reviews and approves online.
Best fit: Fabricators and equipment suppliers who want to start without a sales process: there is a free plan, published prices and a no-login sandbox.
Sources: Pricing · User manual
Document control system built for process equipment suppliers, from receiving the VDRL to the final databook. States templates for cover sheets and indexes, full submission history, one-click final databook with bookmarks and hyperlinks, a sub-supplier portal and a customer portal.
Best fit: Process equipment suppliers (valves, instruments, pumps, vessels, skids) with heavy submittal and VDRL workflows towards EPC contractors.
Sources: Why DocBoss · Sub-supplier portal · Customer portal · VDRL upload · Integrations · About
eMRB module within CodeIT eLCI that compiles BOMs, material certificates, inspection records and traceability data into one indexed PDF or digital binder. States supplier access to an online workspace, real-time progress for contractor and owner, and imports from SAP.
Best fit: Larger projects where the principal contractor and owner/operator follow MRB progress, and where SAP data should feed the traceability.
Source: CodeIT eMRB
Documentation builder where the MRB builds itself during production, following the customer's own template. States it handles as many customer templates as needed, revision tracking in multi-level BOM deliveries and trace lists. A separate Ignos product, Ignos Match, uses AI to check EN 10204 material certificates against standard, specification and order.
Best fit: Manufacturers and machining companies, notably in Norwegian oil & gas supply, that want the MRB to grow with production data.
Sources: Ignos MRB · Ignos Match (AI material certificate)
MRB software for PED fabricators that watches your existing project folder (Google Drive, OneDrive or network share), indexes documents into MRB sections, shows completeness per job, and validates material certificates, WPS and welder qualifications. States an automatic weld traceability matrix linking heat numbers.
Best fit: PED and pressure-equipment fabricators who want validation of certificates and welding records on top of the folders they already use.
Source: CertaFab
Companies that already run an enterprise content platform sometimes add MRB compilation to it, for example OpenText with SAP through a partner solution such as Global Cents (described in a customer case study). And many small fabricators still use Excel with Adobe Acrobat; see MDB Builder vs. Excel for where that works and where it stops.
It depends on your situation. Process equipment suppliers with heavy VDRL and submittal workflows towards EPCs often look at DocBoss. Large projects that want SAP data to feed the MRB look at CodeIT eMRB. Manufacturers that want the MRB to build itself from production data look at Ignos MRB, and PED fabricators who want certificate and WPS validation on their existing folders look at CertaFab. MDB Builder fits fabricators and suppliers who want to start immediately: it proposes the MDB structure from the ITP, collects supplier documents per chapter, compiles the bookmarked PDF and handles client approval, with a free plan and a no-login sandbox.
MDB Builder has a free plan for teams of one to four people and a sandbox you can open without an account. Of the other dedicated tools compared here, none states a free plan on its website; DocBoss and Ignos offer a demo and CertaFab early access. For very small or occasional books, Excel plus Adobe Acrobat remains an option, with the limits described in our Excel comparison.
Dedicated alternatives for manufacturing data books and record books include MDB Builder, CodeIT eMRB, Ignos MRB and CertaFab. They differ in focus: DocBoss centres on submittals and VDRL workflows for process equipment suppliers; the others focus on building the book itself, on SAP-linked traceability, on production-driven MRBs or on certificate validation.
According to their websites, CertaFab validates material certificates, WPS and welder qualifications, and Ignos offers a separate AI product (Ignos Match) that checks EN 10204 material certificates against standard, specification and order. CodeIT eMRB mentions early approval of documents. MDB Builder does not validate certificate contents; it organises, tracks and compiles them for review.
No. The tools on this page are for the Manufacturing Record Book, the documentation package delivered with fabricated equipment. Material Review Board software handles nonconforming material (NCR dispositions) inside a quality management system.
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