PAX

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What is PAX?

PAX ERP is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning system built specifically for small manufacturers with 5 to 50 employees. It combines inventory management, purchasing, work orders, shipping, accounting, and CRM in one unified browser-based platform. The system was created inside a real manufacturing operation to solve actual problems faced by small manufacturers, offering a simple alternative to complex legacy ERPs that teams struggle to use.

Key features include comprehensive inventory management with parts overview and lot tracking, manufacturing work order creation with component issue and labor recording, full finance modules covering receivables, payables, banking, credit cards, and general ledger, integrated CRM with pipeline management and email campaigns, and Paxy AI for intelligent assistance. The system supports sales order creation, invoicing, customer management, shipping and receiving, purchasing, and human resources management across 235 documentation pages covering all modules.

PAX ERP is designed for manufacturers producing medical devices, consumer packaged goods, supplements, electronics assembly, and light industrial products who need ERP and CRM without the enterprise price tag. It's ideal for companies replacing spreadsheets, QuickBooks, or disconnected tools, or those escaping legacy ERP systems that cost $1,000-$3,000/month with slow performance. The platform enables teams to go live in 3 days instead of 3 months, with operations managers becoming admins in an afternoon due to intuitive design requiring minimal training.

The system runs on Amazon Web Services with database storage on Amazon RDS (managed PostgreSQL) in the US East Ohio region, uses AWS IAM authentication for database connections with short-lived tokens, encrypts data at rest using AES-256, and provides daily automated backups with point-in-time recovery. Each tenant gets a dedicated PostgreSQL database for multi-tenant isolation, and the system achieves 0.3-second typical report load times compared to 7 seconds per click on legacy systems.

PAX pricing

Pricing model: Freemium

Free 14-day trial with full ERP plus CRM, all features unlocked, free onboarding support, no credit card required, and no commitment. Paid plans start from $350 per month with annual billing saving 17 percent. Full ERP plus CRM included in every plan, no long-term contracts, no implementation fees, and month-to-month billing where you can cancel anytime. Plans scale from 5 to 50 plus users.

PAX pros

  • Go live in 3 days instead of 3 months
  • No implementation fees or consultant costs
  • Full CRM included at every tier - no separate tool needed
  • Browser-based with 0.3-second report load times
  • Built by manufacturers for manufacturers with 5-50 employees
  • Free 14-day trial with full ERP plus CRM unlocked
  • No credit card required for trial
  • No long-term contracts - month-to-month billing
  • Annual billing saves 17 percent
  • Intuitive design requires minimal training
  • Operations manager becomes admin in an afternoon
  • AWS-hosted with 99.95 percent uptime SLA on RDS
  • AES-256 encryption at rest via AWS Key Management Service
  • AWS IAM authentication with tokens expiring every 12 minutes
  • Daily automated backups with 14-day retention
  • Point-in-time recovery to any specific second
  • Dedicated PostgreSQL database per tenant for isolation
  • Database not accessible from internet - only application server
  • Cloudflare full strict SSL encryption end-to-end
  • Multiple isolated environments for development and production
  • Code changes tested on demo before production deployment
  • Webhook signature verification prevents fake deployments
  • AWS Performance Insights for database health monitoring
  • PM2 process manager for real-time application logs

PAX cons

  • Only supports simple-to-moderate BOMs not multi-level
  • No support for multiple facilities
  • Not suitable for deep regulatory compliance like AS9100
  • Single database instance not Multi-AZ yet no automatic failover
  • No SOC 2 HIPAA or ITAR compliance certifications yet
  • Database in US East Ohio region only no other regions currently
  • 14-day backup retention window rather than longer
  • Basic monitoring not OS-level enhanced monitoring yet
  • No cross-region backup replication currently
  • Row-level security details not fully documented publicly

Frequently asked questions about PAX

What do I get in the free trial?

Full access to the complete ERP plus CRM platform for 14 days. No credit card required, no feature restrictions. At the end, pick the plan that fits your operation.

How do I move my data from another system?

Export your data from your current system and PAX will help you map and import it into PAX at no charge - customers, orders, inventory, history. Most teams are fully live within 3 days.

Do I need to hire a consultant to implement PAX?

No. PAX was designed to be set up without outside help. PAX walks you through your workflows, handles the data mapping, and provides free support until your team is comfortable.

Is there a long-term contract?

No. All plans are month-to-month and you can cancel anytime. Annual billing is available at a 17 percent discount.

Does PAX include a CRM?

Yes. Every plan includes a full CRM with pipeline management, email campaigns, customer history, and activity tracking - no need to bolt on a separate tool like Salesforce or HubSpot.

What if PAX isn't the right fit for my operation?

PAX is built for manufacturers with 5-50 employees and simple-to-moderate BOMs. If you need multi-level BOMs, multiple facilities, or deep regulatory compliance like AS9100, a larger system like Epicor or SYSPRO may be a better fit.

Where is my data stored and is it secure?

PAX runs on Amazon Web Services with your database on Amazon RDS managed PostgreSQL in the US East Ohio region. Data is encrypted at rest using AES-256, AWS IAM authentication uses short-lived tokens expiring every 12 minutes, and the database is not accessible from the internet - only your application server can connect.

How are backups handled?

AWS takes an automated snapshot of the database every single day retained for 14 days. RDS continuously backs up transaction logs giving you point-in-time recovery to any specific second within that 14-day window. The backup window runs at 6:00 to 6:30 UTC or 2:00 AM Eastern.

What roles have access to Finance and Sales sections?

Finance is available to admin and executive roles with full access. Sales is available to admin, executive, csr, and sales roles. If a user has multiple roles PAX combines access from those roles.

How does Paxy AI work and what modules does it cover?

Paxy AI is included in PAX ERP with 6 documentation pages covering intelligent assistance across sales, finance, manufacturing, inventory, shipping and receiving, purchasing, CRM, human resources, and system settings. It provides AI-powered help throughout all PAX modules.

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