Plan, Simulate, and Manage
Your Entire Production
Simulate before you change the line. Ask with AI chat, see with insights, act with AI agents you approve first — from a one-person workshop to the factory floor.
Three ways AI works in your factory
Not one chatbot doing everything. Optonum separates dialogue, proactive analysis, and approval-gated action — so you always know what the AI is for, and nothing changes your factory without a human click.
Ask
AI Chat
Ask open questions. Get grounded answers and charts from your live factory data.
See
AI Insights
Three improvement lanes + optional AI briefing — quick apply, approval drafts, investment park.
Act
AI Command Center
Four agents draft Change Requests. You approve or reject before anything applies.
AI Chat — ask anything about your factory
A grounded dialogue model that reads your assets, cycle times, orders, lines, and latest metrics. It explains OEE, bottlenecks, and Lean concepts using YOUR numbers — it never mutates factory state.
Example
"What's my bottleneck this week?" → OEE decomposition and station util from your data, with a link to dig deeper.
What it does
- Answer open questions in plain language
- Use live project context (sector, modules, strategies, simulation metrics)
- Offer prebuilt IE prompts plus free-form chat
- Point you to playbooks or modules when action is needed
What it does not do
- Does not change assets, schedules, or inventory
- Does not create purchase orders or Change Requests
- Does not replace the Command Center agents
AI Insights — see what needs attention today
Deterministic factory signals first, then an optional AI briefing. Improvements sit in three clear lanes: quick apply (small model settings), needs approval (Kaizen drafts), and investment park (capacity/automation ideas — no brand or hard price).
Example briefing
KPI · Risk"Assembly util 96% and OTIF at risk — check Bottleneck Oracle. Steel sheet below ROP — open Procurement when unlocked."
What it does
- Surfaces today’s top risks (constraint, material, delivery, quality…)
- Splits actions into Quick apply · Needs approval · Investment park
- Applies safe WIP/buffer tweaks after preview; parks CapEx ideas without fake quotes
- Optional AI briefing on top of your live metrics — not generic industry copy
What it does not do
- Does not buy robots or pick equipment brands for you
- Does not silently rewrite the factory — drafts and CapEx stay human-approved
- Does not burn unlimited tokens — briefings are capped by plan
AI Command Center — four agents that propose; you approve
The control panel for autonomous agents: activity feed, ROI per applied proposal, Run AI, approve or reject. Agents run the calculations first (Monte Carlo, EOQ, EDD, SPC); the AI writes the human briefing. Nothing applies without your approval. Free/Starter run Bottleneck Oracle only; Pro unlocks all four when the matching modules are on.
How a run works
01
When you click Run AI, scan live factory data for that agent’s risk
02
Run deterministic calculations / simulation in our engine
03
Draft a Change Request + short AI narrative
04
You approve → apply, or dismiss
Agents run when you click Run AI in Command Center. Every proposal is approval-gated — nothing applies without you.
The four agents
Each focuses on a classic factory fear: tomorrow’s constraint, stock-out, late orders, and out-of-spec quality — when you run them.
Bottleneck Oracle
Finds tomorrow’s constraint
Reads live utilization and queues, runs background Monte Carlo simulations, then proposes a cheap-to-expensive remedy ladder (labor move → setup cut → raise WIP/buffer → capacity) with Theory of Constraints — before the bottleneck slows the whole plant.
Example proposal
"Assembly Table hits 100% utilization — add 2 parallel units for +20.8% throughput."
Procurement Agent
Reorders before stock-out
Watches inventory vs reorder points, computes Economic Order Quantity, picks the best supplier by price and procurement lead time, and drafts a purchase order ready for one-click approval.
Example proposal
"Steel sheet below ROP — draft PO for 1,200 units from Supplier A (best procurement lead time)."
Scheduling Agent
Protects on-time delivery
Detects priority inversions and tardiness in the work-order queue, then re-sequences with a priority-weighted EDD rule when a rush order or breakdown puts OTIF at risk.
Example proposal
"Rush axle order at risk — re-sequence line to cut weighted tardiness by 34%."
Quality Agent
Turns OOS signals into CAPA drafts
Scans recent measurements outside USL/LSL and drafts a CAPA for approval. Requires a quality module (Six Sigma / 7 Tools / 8D). Approve opens a real CAPA record — nothing is filed without you.
Example proposal
"Diameter out of USL on Line 2 — draft CAPA for investigation and containment."
Who We Are
Industry 4.0 shouldn't be a privilege.
We're making it accessible to every manufacturer.
Optonum starts with a clear promise: simulate before you change the line. Then plan production, run Lean and quality, and use Ask · See · Act AI — grounded chat, Insights briefings, and approval-gated agents — so every production team can close the Industry 4.0 gap without a $100K ERP.
Most manufacturers still run on spreadsheets, paper, and gut feeling while large corporations spend millions on digital transformation. Whether you have not yet caught up to Industry 4.0 or you already improve every day, Optonum helps you close the gap — from a one-person workshop to a multi-line plant.
Our Vision
Closing the Industry 4.0 gap. While less than 10% of manufacturers worldwide have adopted smart manufacturing, we envision a future where every factory — from a family-run bakery to a multi-line automotive plant — operates with real-time data, predictive insights, and continuous improvement built into their daily workflow.
Our Mission
To raise productivity and cut waste for every manufacturer — especially teams still behind Industry 4.0 standards, and those who never stop improving. We help you improve step by step: simulate before you build, plan before you commit, optimize before you waste. No $100K ERP contracts. No months of implementation. Start today, see results this week.
Paper-based or spreadsheet-driven operations. Start in Simple mode for digital production tracking, basic simulation, and instant OEE visibility — your first step toward Industry 4.0.
Add MRP, inventory management, quality control, Lean tools, and production planning. Connect your operation with data-driven decisions and reduce waste measurably.
Pro adds Operate, Analyze, Lean, and approval-gated AI. The optional Real-Time add-on is GA lite for HTTP IoT ingest, supermarket Live overlay, digital-twin variance, and Andon — not a turnkey MES or native OPC-UA stack. Compliance and multi-plant deepen on Enterprise.
What You Can Do
Core capabilities from simulation and planning through Lean, quality analytics, and approval-gated AI — shop-floor logging on Pro, live IoT as a GA-lite add-on.
Run Factory Simulations
Discrete-event simulation via Quick Run — model continuous, batch, job shop, or craft. Monte Carlo replications with confidence intervals. Spot bottlenecks with Theory of Constraints before you change the line.
Implement Lean Manufacturing
Complete Lean execution hub: Kanban boards with real WIP limits, Kaizen journal with A3 problem-solving templates, automatic 8 Wastes (DOWNTIME) detection from simulation data, 5S audit scoring. Value Stream Mapping with push/pull symbols, takt time reference lines, and before/after comparison.
AI that Ask · See · Act — clearly separated
AI Chat for grounded Q&A, AI Insights for a real daily briefing from your KPIs, and AI Command Center for four approval-gated agents (Oracle, Procurement, Scheduling, Quality). Dialogue never mutates the factory; agents only propose — you approve.
Plan Production Scientifically
Demand forecasting with Moving Average, Exponential Smoothing, and Seasonal methods. Master Production Schedule with PAB algorithm. Capacity planning across multiple lines. Sales & Operations Planning to reconcile demand with supply. Stop guessing — start calculating.
Quality & Six Sigma tools
DPMO, Cp/Cpk, sigma from scrap data. SPC charts, FMEA worksheets, and 7 Quality Tools. Optional 8D/CAPA and regulated-industry checklists (PPAP, ISO 13485) — workflow templates, not a validated plant QMS or Part 11 MES.
Plan and operate the shop
Orders, customers, suppliers, multi-level BOM. MRP with lot sizing (LFL, EOQ, POQ). Procurement and warehouse lite. Maintenance with MTBF/MTTR. Operational depth for factories — not a full SAP FI/HR replacement.
Fits YOUR Production Model
Not one-size-fits-all. Optonum adapts dashboards, calculations, and insights to 7 production archetypes based on the Hayes-Wheelwright product-process matrix.
Continuous Flow
24/7 bonded flow, rate-based
Steel rolling, oil refinery, paper, cement, power generation
Repetitive / Assembly Line
High-volume, takt-driven
Automotive assembly, white goods, high-volume PCB, PET bottling
Batch Process
Lot-based, setup/cleaning between batches
Pharma tablets, bakery, paint, brewing, semiconductor wafer lots
Discrete Batch / Mixed-Model
Medium volume, multiple SKUs share a line
Furniture, shoes (mass), medical devices, serial sheet-metal
Job Shop / Custom Parts
Each job unique, variable routing
CNC machining, custom sheet-metal fab, weld shops, prototyping
Project / Engineered-to-Order
Single large unique deliverable
Construction, aerospace, shipbuilding, power plants
Craft / Artisan
Hand-made, master-artisan limited
Ceramics, leather goods, handmade shoes, jewelry, glass blowing
How Optonum Compares
Six capabilities that matter — compared to Katana (cloud MRP), AnyLogic (simulation), and enterprise stacks.
| Feature | SAP | Opcenter | Katana | AnyLogic | Optonum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud MRP & shop-floor tracking | |||||
| Factory simulation (Monte Carlo) | |||||
| Autonomous AI agents (approval-gated) | |||||
| Theory of Constraints engine | |||||
| Lean, quality & analysis toolbox | |||||
| Transparent pricing | $$$$$ | $$$$ | $$ | $$$ | Free / $59+ |
Why Manufacturers Choose Us
Theory of Constraints Built-In
Every throughput calculation uses Goldratt's bottleneck principle. The system automatically identifies your constraint and shows exactly how much adding parallel capacity would improve output.
From Time Study to Simulation in Minutes
Record cycle times, set up your production line on the visual canvas, and run a simulation — all in the same platform. No export/import between disconnected tools.
Scales from Workshop to Factory
Simple mode for small teams shows only essentials. Advanced mode unlocks MRP, warehouses, compliance, and full analytics. Start lean, grow into enterprise — one platform, no migration.
Real Formulas, Not Black Boxes
OEE = Availability x Performance x Quality. WIP = Throughput x Lead Time. Every calculation is transparent and traceable. Hover any metric to see the formula behind it.
AI Grounded in YOUR Data
The assistant receives your complete factory context: assets, work centers, production lines, orders, shift patterns, latest OEE. It answers using real calculations — separate from the autonomous agents in Command Center that scan, simulate, and propose changes for your approval.
Open & Affordable
No per-seat licensing. No $100K/year ERP contracts. Start free on one project, add modules as you grow.
14 Built-in Calculators
Analysis toolbox — time study, SPC, FMEA, queuing, 5S, and more. Every formula transparent; no simulation required.
Simple pricing that grows with you
Start free forever. AI usage caps are per organization — see each plan. No per-seat surprises.
Checkout opens Gumroad in a new tab. After payment, email contact@optonum.com with your optonum.com signup email, organization name, and Gumroad order # — we upgrade your plan within 1 business day.
Free
.
Model your first factory and run simulations.
- Central dashboard + KPIs
- Discrete-event simulation (Quick Run)
- Basic Calculators (OEE, takt, cycle time) — free on every plan
- AI Chat: 15 messages/day per org (grounded in your data)
- AI Insights: 1 real briefing/day per org
- Bottleneck Oracle: 5 on-demand runs/month in Command Center (Run AI)
Starter
.
For workshops going from spreadsheets to simulation.
- Everything in Free
- AI Chat: 50 messages/day per org
- AI Insights: 5 briefings/day per org
- Simulate pack: what-if, bottleneck analysis, line balancing, financials
- Full Toolbox Calculators: time study, FMEA, statistics, queuing, 5S, LP, ergonomics
- Warehouse Lite: inventory, warehouses, purchasing
- Guided playbooks
- Bottleneck Oracle: 25 on-demand runs/month in Command Center (Run AI)
Pro
.
Full operations: plan, produce, analyze, improve.
- Everything in Starter
- AI Chat: 500 messages/day per org
- AI Insights: 15 briefings/day per org
- Operate: MRP, workforce, DBR, Documents (PLM), production tracking
- Analyze: Six Sigma, maintenance, demand forecasting, energy, AI advisor
- Lean hub: Kanban, Kaizen, VSM, 8 wastes
- All 4 agents + Command Center — on-demand Run AI + shared pool of 200 agent runs/month (each agent needs its matching module on the project)
Enterprise
.
Multi-plant, compliance, and audit at scale.
- Everything in Pro
- Compliance workflows: 8D/CAPA + PPAP / ISO 13485 checklists (not validated Part 11 MES)
- Multi-plant hierarchy (unlimited plants) + CSV audit-trail export
- SSO (SAML/OIDC via sales-led setup), priority support, onboarding
FAQ
How is Optonum priced?
Per organization, not per seat you add — plans include a set number of users. Simulation runs in the app via Quick Run; you pay for the platform, not per-seat ERP.
How fast can an empty account see value?
Create a project → on an empty dashboard load a sample factory (or follow Help → Getting Started: work centers → assets → BOM → lines → orders) → Quick Run → open Insights. Sample data is for learning; replace it with your plant. AI gets richer as you add shift logs and saved runs.
Are AI Chat, Insights, and Command Center included?
Yes — as three separate surfaces. Free includes real AI Chat and AI Insights (tight daily caps) plus Bottleneck Oracle trial runs in Command Center (see pricing cards). Starter raises chat/insight and Oracle caps. Pro unlocks all four agents (Oracle, Procurement, Scheduling, Quality) via Run AI when the matching modules are enabled. Every agent proposal is approval-gated.
What's the difference between Chat, Insights, and Command Center?
Chat (Ask): you ask questions — answers only, no factory changes. Insights (See): a real AI briefing of today’s risks from your KPIs — still no auto-apply. Command Center (Act): four agents draft Change Requests after the calculations; you approve or reject. Free/Starter run Oracle only. Limits are on the pricing cards.
Can I start without a credit card?
Yes. The Free plan is $0 forever for one project. Upgrade only when you need more projects, users, or module packs.
Can I mix and match modules?
Plans bundle module packs (Simulate, Toolbox Calculators, Operate, Analyze, Lean, Compliance, Real-Time). You enable only the modules that fit your production type. Free allows 3 active modules at once; Starter allows 12; Pro and Enterprise are unlimited within your plan.
Stop Losing Money to Bottlenecks You Can't See
Create a project, load a sample factory or follow Getting Started, then Quick Run — first Insights in minutes. No credit card required.