Notes from the workshop
What we're thinking about, what we're building, and what we're reading: notes on AI-native engineering, product work, and shipping software that lasts.
What Is MRO in Aviation? Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Guide
MRO stands for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, the regulated work and certified repair stations that keep aircraft airworthy. This engineering guide breaks down the four MRO segments, the CAMO vs Part 145 boundary, MSG-3 task cards, and MRO software architecture.
What Is MES? Manufacturing Execution Systems Explained
A manufacturing execution system (MES) governs real-time shop-floor production at ISA-95 Level 3: dispatching work orders, enforcing station interlocks, capturing OPC UA telemetry, and building lot genealogy. Here is the engineering blueprint.
Quality Management Software: Modules, Integration, eQMS
Quality management software runs the quality system: document control, non-conformance, CAPA, audits, SPC, and supplier quality. Here are the modules, how they close the loop, how the QMS integrates with ERP and MES, what validation demands, and when to build instead of buy.
Production Planning Software: MRP vs APS and Finite Scheduling
Standard ERP material requirements planning assumes infinite machine capacity and static lead times. Here is how modern Advanced Planning and Scheduling software uses constraint programming, setup matrices, and real-time MES telemetry to build executable factory schedules.
Predictive Maintenance Software: How It Actually Works
Predictive maintenance software ingests vibration, current, and thermal telemetry to forecast equipment failures across the P-F interval. Here is the ISO 13374 architecture, edge FFT feature extraction, RUL modeling, and CMMS work-order automation.
PLM Software: BOMs, Engineering Change, Integration
PLM software manages the product definition: CAD data, the engineering and manufacturing BOMs, and engineering change. Here is what it is, how the eBOM becomes the mBOM, how change flows through ECR-ECO-ECN, where the ERP boundary sits, and when to build instead of buy.
OEE: What Overall Equipment Effectiveness Really Tells You
Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) multiplies Availability, Performance, and Quality into one score. Here is the ISO 22400-2 math, TEEP vs OOE worked examples, Six Big Losses mapped to PackML PLC states, and how to build a real-time OEE stack.
Manufacturing Inventory Software: WIP to Valuation
Manufacturing inventory software is not a retail stock tracker: it follows material through raw, work-in-process, and finished-goods states driven by the bill of materials. Here are the states, backflushing, traceability, valuation, and when to build instead of buy.
Manufacturing ERP: Modules, Integration, Build vs Buy
Manufacturing ERP is the system of record that ties planning, the shop floor, inventory, and costing together. Here are the modules, how it integrates with MES and machines, discrete vs process differences, and when to build instead of buy.
CMMS Software: Data Model, Integration, Build vs Buy
CMMS software runs maintenance: assets, work orders, preventive schedules, and spare parts. Here is the data model behind it, how it schedules PMs and integrates with ERP and IoT, the KPIs it computes, and when to build instead of buy.
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