Friday · 8:02 AM
Today's signal
4must move
2blocked
1at risk
Priority queueNext action
01
Pull now26-0417Weld assembly
02
Confirm ETA26-0382Outside FPI
03
Stage26-0441Final inspection
Practical AI systems for small manufacturers
Your ERP has the data.
Your team needs the answer.
I turn the reports you already export into one calm, clear daily priority system—so the right jobs move before the due date becomes an emergency.
NP
Built by an Ohio engineering manager who runs production-planning systems in a real machine shop.
Live
No new ERP. No black box.
One place to answer:
01 What must move today?
02 What is quietly blocked?
03 What slips next if we wait?
The 30-day shop reset
Keep the tools. Fix the visibility.
This is not a six-figure software replacement. We clean the signal coming out of your current system, build the daily view around how your shop actually runs, and make it usable by more than one person.
Find the friction
Map the reports, handoffs, overrides, and workarounds your team relies on now.
Backlog · routers · outside service · due datesBuild the signal
Turn the useful data into one ranked, explainable view for the people doing the work.
Daily queue · risk flags · capacity · KPIsMake it stick
Document the logic, train the team, and tune the system against real production days.
Training · SOPs · weekly tuning · supportBuilt for the overlooked middle
Too complex for a whiteboard. Too practical for a giant software project.
Shopfloor Signal is for small and midsize job shops that already have an ERP, capable people, and plenty of data—but still lose time stitching the daily truth together.
Strong fit15–150 people
A planner or manager still cleans reports by hand
Priority changes faster than the ERP view
Outside service status lives in a separate list
Supervisors rely on one person for the real answer
You want practical AI, not an AI science project
What changes
Before
The shop runs on interpretation.
- Three reports before the first decision
- Hot jobs passed through texts and hallway conversations
- Blocked work found after someone asks
- KPIs explain yesterday, but do not guide today
After
The team starts with the same signal.
- One ranked view with the reason behind the rank
- Manual overrides stay visible and intentional
- Blockers and outside-service gaps surface early
- Daily actions connect cleanly to management KPIs
Free shop clarity check
How much of your schedule is a system—and how much is memory?
Five honest questions. No email wall. You will leave with one practical next move.
Question 1 of 5
By 8:15 AM, can the team see the shop’s real priorities in one place?
Simple scope. Visible finish line.
Start with the smallest useful move.
No vague transformation retainer. Every engagement starts with a defined question, deliverable, and owner.
$750
One week · fixed scope
- 90-minute workflow walkthrough
- Report and data health review
- Shop visibility scorecard
- Prioritized 30-day action plan
From $3,500
Build · train · stabilize
- One live daily priority system
- Ready, blocked, and risk logic
- Management KPI view
- Team training and plain-English SOP
- Two weeks of post-launch tuning
$1,500/mo
After a successful build
- Weekly data reliability check
- Priority-rule tuning
- One workflow improvement each month
- Leadership review and support
Final scope and price are agreed in writing before work begins. No surprise software purchases.
No guru story
Hi, I’m Nick. I built this work before I ever tried to sell it.
I manage engineering and production-planning systems inside an Ohio manufacturer. My day-to-day work is the unglamorous, important stuff: backlog logic, capacity, ERP exports, Power BI, outside services, shop-floor handoffs, and the reports leaders actually use.
Shopfloor Signal is the productized version of that experience for smaller manufacturers. I will not pretend AI knows your shop better than your people. It is here to remove repeatable cleanup, catch patterns sooner, and give good judgment a cleaner place to start.
Human-reviewedExplainable rulesBuilt around your process
Straight answers
Questions a shop owner should ask.
Does this replace our ERP?
No. The first goal is to make the information you already own easier to trust and act on. We usually begin with read-only exports.
What systems can you work with?
If your ERP, spreadsheet, or report can export structured data, we can usually assess it. The audit confirms fit before any build is sold.
Is AI setting our production schedule?
No. AI can help classify, summarize, or surface patterns, but the priority logic stays explainable and important decisions stay human-reviewed.
What if our data is messy?
That is normal. We separate what can be cleaned safely from what needs a process fix. You get that answer before committing to a full reset.
How much time will this take from our team?
A typical reset needs one process walkthrough, access to agreed read-only reports, brief weekly check-ins, and a final working session with the people who will use it.
Founding-shop engagements
Let’s make Monday morning quieter.
Start with one messy decision your team repeats every day. We will figure out whether it deserves a system—before you buy a system.
Request a 20-minute shop conversation →Three founding-shop openings · Ohio first, remote where the fit is right