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Put your manufacturing software knowledge into practice. Evaluate software options based on production processes, facility size, products, inventory requirements, users, integrations, reporting, budget, and growth. Then create an implementation plan covering data, workflows, responsibilities, training, testing, launch readiness, and ongoing monitoring.

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 Software Basics course

 <h1 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: -0.02em; margin: 0px 0px 18px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 34px; line-height: 1.2;">Manufacturing Software Basics</h1>

 <span style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 5px 12px; border-radius: 999px; margin: 0px 6px 6px 0px; display: inline-block; border: 1px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); background: rgb(245, 158, 11);">Self-paced&nbsp; <span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 70); font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 5px 12px; border-radius: 999px; margin: 0px 6px 6px 0px; display: inline-block; border: 1px solid rgb(212, 212, 216); background: rgb(244, 244, 245);">Hands-on manufacturing playground&nbsp; <span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 70); font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding: 5px 12px; border-radius: 999px; margin: 0px 6px 6px 0px; display: inline-block; border: 1px solid rgb(212, 212, 216); background: rgb(244, 244, 245);">No prior experience needed

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">Course Description</h2>

 Manufacturing software helps manufacturers plan production, manage materials and inventory, track work orders, control quality, and ship finished goods on time.

 Manufacturing Software Basics gives manufacturers and production teams a practical foundation for understanding how manufacturing software works, how to evaluate different options, and how to prepare for implementation.

 Learn how manufacturing software works, practice using it, and build the knowledge to evaluate and implement the right software for your operation.

 The course is organized into three major sections: Learn, Practice, and Apply. Each section builds on the one before it, taking you from understanding manufacturing software to practicing with it and applying what you learn to a real software decision and implementation plan.

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">How the Course Works</h2>

 <h3 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin: 28px 0px 12px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3;">01 | LEARN</h3>

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 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Read Learn what manufacturing software does, how its core features connect the shop floor to the front office, and why security and access matter.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Reflect Connect what you learned to your own operation. Identify your biggest production and inventory pain points and the features that could make the most difference.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Case Studies See how different manufacturers approach software and consider what applies to your own situation.</li>
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 <h3 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin: 28px 0px 12px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3;">02 | PRACTICE</h3>

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 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Practice Work inside a hands-on manufacturing playground. Create a bill of materials, release work orders, track production progress, check material levels, and review production reports in a safe environment.</li>
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 <h3 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin: 28px 0px 12px; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3;">03 | APPLY</h3>

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 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Evaluate Use a structured framework to compare and score manufacturing software options based on your specific needs, priorities, and business context.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Implementation Turn your decision into a plan. Define your team, timeline, product, bill of materials, and inventory data migration, risks, responsibilities, and go-live readiness.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Go-Live &amp; Monitoring Choose a launch approach, define success measures, create a feedback process, and plan for ongoing review after launch.</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Complete Review your work, rate your confidence, and take your completed manufacturing software workbook with you.</li>
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 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">What You'll Learn</h2>

 <ul style="list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;What manufacturing software is, how MRP and ERP systems differ, and how they replace spreadsheets and paper travelers with one production record</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How an order moves from sales order to material planning, production, quality checks, and shipping</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;Common features, including bills of materials, production scheduling, work orders, inventory and purchasing, quality control, and traceability</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How material requirements planning helps you buy the right materials at the right time</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;What to look for in manufacturing software security and access, including role-based permissions, shop floor access, encryption, two-factor authentication, audit trails, and compliance certifications</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to build a bill of materials, release and track work orders, check material levels, and review production reports</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;Which production and inventory pain points show up in your own operation, and what they cost you</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to define your type of manufacturing, number of products and users, budget, integration needs, and non-negotiables before you compare vendors</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to compare and score manufacturing software options using a structured framework, and which questions to ask each vendor</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;The red flags to watch for during vendor conversations, such as unclear data export, long implementations, and expensive customization</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(232, 230, 224);"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to plan an implementation, including your team, timeline, product, bill of materials, and inventory data migration, risks, and go-live readiness checklist</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 0px;"><span style="display: inline-block; width: 24px; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; text-align: center; border-radius: 50%; background: rgb(255, 247, 230); border: 1px solid rgb(240, 220, 138); color: rgb(138, 90, 0); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 0px; margin-right: 12px;">&#10003;How to choose between a big bang and a phased rollout, then track success metrics, gather feedback, and schedule regular reviews after launch</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 style="font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 44px 0px 16px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 3px solid rgb(26, 26, 26); color: rgb(26, 26, 26); text-align: left; font-size: 26px; line-height: 1.25;">Who Should Enroll</h2>

 This course is designed for anyone who wants to understand, choose, or improve the software behind their production, including:

 <ul style="list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Owners of small and growing manufacturers and makers</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Production planners, schedulers, and supervisors</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Purchasing and inventory staff who manage materials</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Quality control staff who track inspections and traceability</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Operations managers responsible for on-time delivery</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Decision-makers evaluating MRP or ERP software</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Teams moving from spreadsheets and paper travelers to a shared system</li>
 <li style="padding: 12px 18px; margin-bottom: 8px; background: rgb(250, 250, 250); border-left: 4px solid rgb(245, 158, 11); border-radius: 0px 8px 8px 0px;">Manufacturing students and career changers building foundational business software literacy</li>
 </ul>

 No technical background is required. You do not need to know how to code, and you do not need to have used manufacturing software before.

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Course content

Manufacturing Software Basics

Ashley Boucher