BUS Core — the digital shop jig for manufacturing workflows

Local-first production tracking for small manufacturing shops.

track materials and inventory
run repeatable production batches
calculate real product cost
maintain a production ledger

Download BUS Core Star the repo

Local-First SQLite Database No Telemetry Open Source Core Versioned Releases

The Problem

Most small manufacturing shops run production on:

spreadsheets
notebooks
sticky notes
memory

This works until the operation grows slightly.

Then problems emerge:

materials run out mid-job
pricing becomes guesswork
nobody remembers the cost of the last batch
inventory drift appears

BUS Core replaces that chaos with a structured workflow.

Target Users

BUS Core works well for:

laser engraving shops
3D print farms
small fabrication shops
Etsy-scale manufacturing
small product assembly operations

If you build real products in small batches, BUS Core is designed for your workflow.

The Shop Jig Concept

A jig ensures consistent production on a machine.

BUS Core ensures consistent production workflows.

Instead of relying on memory or scattered notes, the system enforces a structured production process.

Materials

Blueprint

Manufacturing Run

Inventory Movement

Cost Calculation

Production Ledger

Core Capabilities

Inventory Control

Track raw materials and product stock in a structured system.

Production Blueprints

Define how materials become products using repeatable recipes.

Manufacturing Runs

Record what was produced and which materials were consumed.

Real Cost Calculation

Understand the actual cost of each batch and product.

Production Ledger

Maintain a complete history of inventory movement and manufacturing activity.

Architecture & Credibility

Local-first architecture
SQLite database
No telemetry
Runs on your machine
Open source core
Versioned releases

BUS Core
|- Local Database
|- Inventory Engine
|- Manufacturing Engine
|- Finance / Cost Engine
\- Web Interface

Screenshots

Inventory Management Interface

Manufacturing Run Interface

Cost Analysis View

Production Ledger

Installation

Download latest release
Run executable
Browser will auto open

Example access:

http://localhost:8765

Optional Docker command:

docker run buscore

Philosophy

Small manufacturing shops often fall between two extremes.

Spreadsheets are too fragile.

ERP systems are too complex and expensive.

BUS Core exists to fill that gap with a practical, local-first operational tool.