Carbon: The Open-Source ERP Revolutionizing Manufacturing Software

For years, manufacturers faced a painful dilemma: endure rigid, expensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems with punitive vendor lock-in, or attempt to build custom solutions from scratch. Enter Carbon—a game-changing open-source operating system for manufacturing that's rewriting the rules.

The Manufacturing Software Crisis

Traditional ERPs often fail manufacturers for three core reasons:
1. API-first tooling is nonexistent - Legacy systems resist integration
2. Extortionate vendor lock-in - Exit costs cripple innovation
3. One-size-fits-none approach - Unique workflows demand custom solutions

Carbon's founders experienced these pain points firsthand while building manufacturing systems. Their solution? An AGPLv3-licensed platform that combines ERP, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Quality Management (QMS), and more in a single extensible framework.

Architectural Breakthroughs

Caption: Carbon's ERP interface featuring nested Bill of Materials (BoM) and real-time traceability

Carbon's architecture solves critical industry challenges:
- Unified permissions across apps with ABAC and RBAC
- Full-stack TypeScript from database to UI
- Realtime subscriptions to PostgreSQL via Supabase
- Composable dependency graphs for complex operations
- Row-level security isolating tenant data

"Each manufacturing company has unique needs," explains Carbon's documentation. "We built extension points into every layer so you own your stack."

The Modern Tech Stack

Carbon's stack reads like a developer's wishlist:

// Core dependencies
{
  framework: 'Remix',
  language: 'TypeScript',
  styling: 'Tailwind',
  database: 'Supabase',
  auth: 'Supabase Auth',
  jobs: 'Trigger.dev',
  hosting: 'Vercel'
}

Supabase powers Carbon's real-time data layer

The monorepo (managed via Turborepo) separates concerns cleanly:
- /apps for deployable applications (ERP, MES, Academy)
- /packages for shared libraries (database schemas, UI components, Stripe integration)

Getting Started Guide

Clone the repository (public forks comply with AGPLv3)
Configure services (Upstash Redis, PostHog, Stripe)
Run npm run db:build to initialize containers
Launch apps simultaneously: npm run dev

Developers get immediate access to:
- ERP at localhost:3000
- MES at localhost:3001
- Supabase Studio at localhost:54323

Carbon's MES interface for shop floor operations

API-First Philosophy

Carbon treats APIs as first-class citizens:

// External API consumption example
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';

const carbon = createClient(API_URL, PUBLIC_KEY, {
  headers: { 'carbon-key': API_KEY }
});

// Fetch all items for authenticated company
const { data } = await carbon.from('item').select('*');

Auto-generated documentation lives at /x/api/js/intro, reflecting real-time schema changes.

Why This Matters

Carbon represents a seismic shift in industrial software:
- Democratizes manufacturing tech - No six-figure implementations
- Prevents vendor hostage situations - Own your data and logic
- Accelerates innovation - Extend rather than replace

As supply chains grow more complex, open-source platforms like Carbon offer something rare: adaptability without compromise. For developers in manufacturing tech, this isn't just another ERP—it's an architectural liberation.

#OpenSourceERP #ManufacturingTech #Supabase