Early access open

Smart Factory Core

A complete, vendor-neutral grounding in how a modern factory works — process, technology, people and data, and how they connect. Taught by one practitioner from the vendor side and one from the factory floor.

Get early access → See the modules

Expect early-access pricing in the [$X–$Y] range — final pricing announced at launch. Early-access members get first place and early-access pricing.

6modules, in order

4pillars: process, tech, people, data

1certificate, earned by assessment

2perspectives — vendor and factory

Why this course exists

This is not a vendor pitch.

Most smart factory programmes do not fail because the technology does not work. They fail because four things are quietly broken at the same time.

01 The brief is wrong. Companies invest in tools before they have defined the problem the tools are meant to solve.

02 The vocabulary is shared but undefined. Everyone says digital, smart, OEE, connected — and nobody agrees on what they mean.

03 Process and people are skipped. Technology is bolted on top of legacy ways of working, then blamed when it does not stick.

04 Decisions get made too late. By the time leaders see the data they need, the moment to act has already passed.

The full picture

Four pillars. And how they connect.

That connection is where the smart factory lives — and where most programmes come apart.

01ProcessHow production flows

02TechnologyWhat enables it

03PeopleWho runs it

04DataWhat guides it

The SMART framework

How to digitally transform — five moves, in order.

SSpeakthe language of smart manufacturing

MMapwhere you are today — process and systems

AArchitectwhere you are going, and how it fits together

RRoadmapthe path to get there, step by step

TTransformlead the people and change through it

Course structure

Six modules, in order

Each one assumes you have absorbed the one before it.

M1 The shift Why it is happening. Global pressures, operational pressures, and what a smart factory is.

M2 Process before technology Map, standardise and improve before going near a piece of software.

M3 The technology landscape ERP, PLM, MOM, connectivity, architecture, AI — and how they connect.

M4 Organisation & change Team, sponsorship, stakeholders, resistance. The hardest part.

M5 The transformation roadmap From maturity assessment to business case to go-live.

M6 Bringing it all together The full journey end-to-end — and what comes after go-live.

Outcomes

By the end, you will be able to…

Five things you will be able to do back at work.

01 Speak the language fluently. Hold your own in any smart manufacturing conversation — without bluffing.

02 Map a process before you digitise. So you do not end up with a faster version of a broken one.

03 Evaluate tech without being sold to. Tell what ERP, MES, MOM and APS actually do — and where the boundaries are.

04 Build a team that will not stall. Sponsorship, stakeholders, resistance — handled before they bite.

05 Run the project end-to-end. From business case to go-live to what comes after.

Certificate of completion Earned by assessment, not by watching videos.

Complete the course and pass the assessment. It proves comprehensive understanding across process, technology, people and data — and signals you know how a modern factory operates and where the common pitfalls are.

Your resource library

Practical tools for during the course — and long after.

Templates Process mapping, business case and readiness assessment — built from real implementations.

Glossary Every key term defined: MES, MOM, OEE, ISA-95. A reference to keep coming back to.

Reading lists Curated articles and papers per module, for depth where you need it.

Standards Direct links to ISA-95, ISO 22400 and MESA — the source material itself.

Who is this course for?

Four people we built this for

01 Young professionals You are early in your career, or new to manufacturing. Build the foundation: how modern factories work, what systems matter, and how it all connects.

02 Operations leaders You have run factories for years and know it is time to modernise. Where to start, what technology to evaluate, and how to build the case for investment — step by step.

03 IT teams You know enterprise systems. The shopfloor is unfamiliar territory. Understand what happens between the ERP transaction and the finished product, so you can make better tech decisions.

04 Consultants & SIs You advise manufacturers on what to buy and how to implement it. The full picture across process, technology, people and data — so you can serve your clients well.

FAQ

Before you sign up

When does Smart Factory Core open?

We are building it now. Early-access members hear first, get module previews as they are finished, and get first place when enrolment opens.

Is this a vendor pitch?

No. We are not selling a platform and nobody is sponsoring the curriculum. You get the vendor's view and the factory's view of the same system, which is the point.

Do I need a technical background?

No. The course starts with the language and the process, then goes into the technology landscape. Young professionals, operations leaders, IT teams and consultants all sit in the same material on purpose.

How much time will it take?

It is designed to be done alongside a full-time job, module by module. Each module stands on its own evening, and the resource library is there whenever you need it.

Is the certificate worth anything?

It is earned by passing an assessment, not by watching videos. It says you understand how a modern factory operates across process, technology, people and data — and where the common pitfalls are.

Early access

Enrol for early access

Join the early-access list for first place when enrolment opens, plus the module previews we send out as we build.

First place and early-access pricing when enrolment opens Module previews as we build A say in what gets covered

Join a growing list of manufacturing and MES professionals on the early-access list.

No spam. Module previews and one email when enrolment opens.