Factoryos

What is factoryos

FactoryOS is a cloud-connected operations platform for manufacturing floors. It collects machine-level telemetry from CNC machines, PLCs, and other shop-floor equipment, normalizes that data, and presents it in dashboards, alerts, and production reports for operations, quality, and maintenance teams. The product targets production managers, process engineers, and IT/OT teams who need visibility into cycle times, downtime, throughput, and quality metrics.

The platform bridges OT protocols (OPC-UA, Modbus, MQTT) and modern cloud services to turn raw signals into actionable insights such as overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), job tracking, and preventive maintenance triggers. FactoryOS combines edge connectivity, a cloud analytics layer, and user-facing applications (dashboards, mobile alerts, scheduling) so teams can move from reactive firefighting to data-driven process control.

FactoryOS is positioned to support single-site deployments for discrete shops as well as multi-site rollouts for manufacturers that need centralized reporting, roll-up KPIs, and configuration governance across locations. It is often evaluated along with MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and IIoT offerings because it overlaps with data collection, visualization, and operational orchestration capabilities.

FactoryOS features

What does factoryos do?

FactoryOS captures machine and process data and turns it into operational intelligence. At the edge it supports direct machine connectivity through standard industrial protocols; in the cloud it stores and aggregates metrics, then exposes dashboards, alerts, and reports for different user roles. Core feature areas include data acquisition, visualization, analytics, alerts, scheduling, and integrations with enterprise systems.

A typical FactoryOS installation includes an edge gateway that collects data from machines (cycle signals, part counts, fault codes), a rules engine that transforms raw events into production events (start/stop, reject counts), and a central service that computes KPIs such as OEE, uptime, and yield. Users get role-specific interfaces: shop-floor dashboards for operators, KPI views for supervisors, and executive roll-ups for leadership.

FactoryOS supports manufacturing use cases such as job/tracking and traceability, scrap and rework analysis, planned vs actual time comparison, and shift-level reporting. It also includes alerting and notification capabilities (email, SMS, webhooks) for abnormal conditions and supports export and scheduled reporting for compliance or audit workflows.

Beyond real-time monitoring, FactoryOS provides historical analytics and trend analysis for process improvement projects. It includes queryable time-series storage, the ability to compare runs and process parameters, and data export for more advanced analytics in tools like Python or BI platforms.

Common features and modules you can expect:

• Data collection and protocol support: OPC-UA, Modbus TCP/RTU, MQTT, digital I/O capture
• Edge processing: local buffering, event generation, onboard rules to limit cloud bandwidth
• Dashboards and visualization: customizable operator dashboards, trend charts, and shift summaries
• Production tracking: job start/stop, part counts, scrap logging, and traceability
• Analytics and KPIs: OEE, MTBF/MTTR, cycle time distributions, yield metrics
• Alerts and notifications: webhook integrations, email and mobile alerts for exceptions
• Integrations and connectors: ERP/PLM connectors, CSV export, REST API access
• Security and compliance: role-based access control, TLS encryption for transport, audit logs

FactoryOS pricing

FactoryOS offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0/month — trial-tier for a single machine or proof-of-concept with basic dashboards and 7-day data retention
• Starter: $99/month per site — core data collection for up to 10 machines, standard dashboards, email alerts, and basic integrations; $1,068/year when billed annually (two months free)
• Professional: $499/month per site — extended machine support up to 50 machines, historical analytics, advanced reporting, priority support; $5,388/year when billed annually (two months free)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing — multi-site rollouts, single sign-on (SSO), custom SLAs, dedicated onboarding, and advanced security features (volume discounts available)

Check FactoryOS's current pricing tiers for the latest rates and enterprise options: https://www.factoryos.com/pricing

How much is factoryos per month

FactoryOS starts at $99/month per site for the Starter plan when billed month-to-month. That entry plan is intended for small shops evaluating continuous monitoring across a limited set of machines and includes basic dashboards and alerts.

Professional-grade cloud and connectivity features are available starting at $499/month per site and scale up based on machine count and required retention. Enterprise deployments use a custom quote model depending on integrations, number of sites, and on-premises gateway licensing.

How much is factoryos per year

FactoryOS costs $1,068/year for the Starter plan when billed annually, which represents an annual billing discount relative to month-to-month rates. The Professional plan is $5,388/year when billed annually under typical published discounts.

Enterprise annual agreements are negotiated and commonly include multi-year commitments, volume pricing, and options for on-premises appliance licenses and premium support. For precise enterprise rates, request a quote through FactoryOS's enterprise contact channels.

How much is factoryos in general

FactoryOS pricing ranges from $0 (trial) to custom enterprise rates starting in the mid-hundreds per site per month. Small shops can run a pilot at no cost or on the Starter plan, while production facilities with dozens of machines usually require the Professional plan or an Enterprise agreement. Total cost of ownership depends on machine count, retention windows for time-series data, and integration or customization needs.

When budgeting for FactoryOS, include one-time deployment costs such as edge gateway hardware, installation, and integration work with existing PLCs and ERPs. Ongoing costs typically cover licenses, cloud retention, and support tiers.

What is factoryos used for

FactoryOS is used to digitize the shop floor and make machine data accessible to operations, maintenance, and management teams. Primary use cases include real-time monitoring (showing live status of machines and lines), downtime tracking with root-cause tagging, and production reporting for shift-level and job-level performance.

Maintenance teams use FactoryOS to identify patterns that lead to breakdowns, which enables targeted preventive maintenance and reduced mean time to repair (MTTR). Process engineers leverage the historical data and cycle-time distributions to optimize tool paths, machining parameters, or line balancing to increase throughput and reduce scrap.

Quality teams use FactoryOS to link rejects and nonconformance to specific machine states, batches, or operators, improving traceability and reducing waste. FactoryOS can also feed ERP and MES systems with validated production events so inventory, costing, and shipping workflows remain synchronized.

In multi-site environments, FactoryOS provides centralized KPIs and roll-ups that let executives compare performance across plants and prioritize improvement projects. The platform is also commonly used for compliance reporting, production forecasting, and enabling remote monitoring for night shifts or distributed operations.

Pros and cons of factoryos

FactoryOS delivers clear shop-floor visibility and several operational advantages, but it also presents trade-offs that teams should consider during evaluation.

Pros:

• Real-time machine-level data: FactoryOS captures and normalizes signals from a variety of industrial protocols, giving operations immediate insight into production status and downtime reasons.
• Actionable KPIs: Built-in OEE, MTBF/MTTR, and yield metrics allow teams to quantify performance and monitor improvement initiatives.
• Flexible deployment: Edge gateways minimize cloud dependency and permit intermittent connectivity with local buffering and event generation.
• Integration focus: Connectors to ERP, BI, and maintenance systems reduce duplicate entry and keep transactional systems aligned with actual production.

Cons:

• Integration complexity: Connecting legacy PLCs, older controllers, and proprietary equipment may require onsite engineering effort and custom adapters.
• Cost for small shops: Licensing and gateway hardware can be a higher relative investment for very small shops with few machines.
• Implementation time: To realize full value (traceability, advanced analytics), FactoryOS deployments often need configuration and process alignment that extends beyond a quick pilot.
• Data governance needs: Centralized collection requires policies for retention, access control, and data ownership between IT and operations.

FactoryOS free trial

FactoryOS offers a trial-oriented Free Plan suitable for proof-of-concept work and short pilots. The free tier typically includes a limited machine count (one to three machines), reduced data retention (7 days), and access to core dashboards so teams can validate connectivity and immediate value without a paid commitment.

The free trial is designed to test machine connectivity, basic dashboards, and the ability to generate production events from machine signals. It is a practical way to run a 30–90 day pilot to assess ROI potential before upgrading to a paid plan.

During the trial, FactoryOS usually provides onboarding documentation, sample dashboards, and optional consulting at additional cost to accelerate setup. If the pilot proves the use case, customers can migrate to the Starter or Professional plan and retain historical data according to the elected retention tier.

Is factoryos free

Yes, FactoryOS offers a Free Plan for pilots and proofs-of-concept. The Free Plan is limited in machine count and data retention but allows prospective customers to validate machine connectivity, basic dashboards, and initial alerts before selecting a paid tier.

FactoryOS API

FactoryOS exposes integration points for both real-time and historical data access. The platform typically includes a RESTful API for query and management operations (jobs, machines, historical metrics), webhook support for event notifications, and MQTT/OPC-UA endpoints for telemetry ingestion and edge communication.

API capabilities commonly offered:

• REST endpoints for production events, machine status, and job metadata
• Time-series query API for extracting historical metrics and trends
• Webhooks for sending alerts and production events to external services in real time
• MQTT or OPC-UA bridges for device-level integrations and edge telemetry
• Authentication via API keys and OAuth2 for managed access

FactoryOS also supports third-party integrations through connectors that push summarized production data to ERPs (for example, production completion messages), BI platforms (for advanced reporting), and maintenance systems (to generate work orders on specific fault codes). For developer documentation and exact API schemas, review FactoryOS's developer resources: https://www.factoryos.com/developers

10 FactoryOS alternatives

Paid alternatives to FactoryOS

• Siemens Opcenter — comprehensive MES and performance management for complex manufacturing, strong in process industries and high-regulation environments.
• Rockwell FactoryTalk — industrial data collection and HMI/SCADA suite tightly integrated with Rockwell automation hardware and PLCs.
• GE Digital Proficy — industrial analytics and MES capabilities suited for large enterprises with extensive OT needs.
• Tulip — an operator-focused platform with low-code apps for work instructions, data collection, and quality checks on the shop floor.
• Plex — cloud-native manufacturing ERP with MES functionality that integrates production execution with inventory and supply chain.
• Epicor Mattec — production monitoring and MES features focused on discrete and mixed-mode manufacturers.
• Awesense (or similar IIoT providers) — small-to-mid market IIoT platforms that provide rapid deployment and machine-level monitoring.

Open source alternatives to FactoryOS

• OpenMCT — a NASA-originated visualization tool that can be adapted for time-series monitoring and dashboards on telemetry data.
• Node-RED — flow-based integration tool that is commonly used at the edge to collect and route machine data, ideal for custom IIoT projects.
• ThingsBoard — open source IoT platform with device management, telemetry storage, dashboards, and rule engines suitable for manufacturing experiments.
• Grafana + Prometheus — a common stack for time-series monitoring and visualization; requires custom collectors for industrial protocols.
• Kaa IoT — middleware and device management platform that can be extended for industrial use cases with custom connectors.

Frequently asked questions about FactoryOS

What is FactoryOS used for?

FactoryOS is used for shop-floor data collection, monitoring, and production analytics. It captures machine telemetry, generates production events, and provides dashboards and KPIs (like OEE) so operations and maintenance teams can reduce downtime, improve throughput, and trace quality issues across jobs and shifts.

Does FactoryOS integrate with ERP systems like SAP or NetSuite?

Yes, FactoryOS supports ERP integrations through connectors and APIs. Typical integrations push production completion events, scrap quantities, and work-in-progress updates to ERPs to keep inventory, costing, and scheduling synchronized with actual shop-floor activity.

How much does FactoryOS cost per site per month?

FactoryOS starts at $99/month per site for the Starter plan when billed monthly. Costs scale with machine count, retention, advanced analytics, and service-level requirements; Professional and Enterprise tiers are higher and may be quoted per site or per machine.

Is there a free version of FactoryOS?

Yes, FactoryOS has a Free Plan for pilots and proofs-of-concept. The Free Plan is limited in scope (machine count and retention) but lets teams validate connectivity, dashboards, and basic alerts at no cost.

Can FactoryOS read data from legacy PLCs and older controllers?

Yes, FactoryOS supports common industrial protocols such as OPC-UA, Modbus, and MQTT. For very old or proprietary controllers, a gateway or protocol adapter may be required; FactoryOS typically documents supported devices and offers gateway solutions for legacy integration.

Does FactoryOS provide an API for custom integrations?

Yes, FactoryOS provides REST APIs, webhooks, and MQTT endpoints. These interfaces let developers pull historical metrics, subscribe to production events, and integrate alerts or operational data into BI and maintenance systems.

Can FactoryOS help reduce machine downtime?

Yes, FactoryOS helps reduce downtime by giving teams real-time visibility and root-cause tagging for stoppages. With alerting and historical analysis, teams can prioritize maintenance tasks and identify recurring failure modes to reduce mean time between failures (MTBF).

Is FactoryOS suitable for small job shops as well as large factories?

Yes, FactoryOS can be deployed for single-site job shops and scaled to multi-site enterprises. Small shops benefit from the Starter plan or Free Plan pilots, while larger organizations use Professional or Enterprise plans with multi-site roll-ups and advanced security features.

What security features does FactoryOS include?

FactoryOS uses TLS encryption, role-based access control, and audit logging for secure operations. Enterprise customers can enable single sign-on (SSO), stricter retention policies, and network segmentation for OT/IT separation as part of their deployment.

How long does it take to implement FactoryOS?

Implementation time varies but pilots can be completed in weeks; full rollouts take months depending on scope. A single-machine pilot can be operational in a matter of days with an edge gateway and basic configuration, while multi-site rollouts require planning for hardware, PLC integrations, and process alignment, which extends timelines.

factoryos careers

FactoryOS maintains hiring pages and lists roles across product, engineering, sales, and customer success. Common positions include field implementation engineers with OT experience, cloud engineers for data infrastructure, and customer success analysts who help manufacturers realize value from pilot projects. For up-to-date openings and role descriptions, consult FactoryOS's careers page: https://www.factoryos.com/careers

factoryos affiliate

FactoryOS offers reseller and partner programs for system integrators, automation vendors, and value-added resellers that implement the platform for customers. Partner tiers often include technical enablement, access to developer tools, and margin structures for certified implementations. Interested integrators should contact FactoryOS's partner team through their partner program information: https://www.factoryos.com/partners

Where to find factoryos reviews

Independent reviews and case studies for FactoryOS are available on third-party software directories, manufacturing technology review sites, and in customer testimonials published on FactoryOS's website. For peer feedback, check industrial automation forums, industry-specific LinkedIn groups, and software comparison pages where practitioners share deployment experiences and ROI observations.