Factory-OS

Factory-OS is the operating system that keeps engineering, fabrication, and quality work coherent at The Backyard Shop.

It was built to solve a specific failure mode common in hardware teams: designs drift, decisions get lost, documentation falls behind reality, and nobody can confidently answer "where does this stand" without chasing people down.

Factory-OS is actively used to track projects, designs, validation status, and readiness across the shop. It does not run machines or issue work orders. It ensures the people doing the work are aligned on what is being built, why it is being built, and whether it meets the requirements.

This system is developed alongside live shop activity, meaning every feature is validated against real constraints: changing designs, limited resources, student turnover, inspection requirements, and customer expectations.

What Factory-OS actually handles

Factory-OS manages the state of hardware work, not the transactions.

• It tracks active projects and builds from concept through fabrication, test, and closeout.
• It captures engineering intent through design documents, specifications, and structured notes tied to real projects.
• It enforces revision awareness so teams know what version is current and what changed.
• It records quality requirements, inspection checkpoints, and validation evidence without turning quality into an after-the-fact report.
• It tracks student training, competencies, and readiness so responsibility matches capability.
• It provides a single source of truth for project status, risks, and open questions across engineering, fabrication, and quality.

How it is developed