Carbon: Open Source ERP, MES, and QMS for Manufacturing

Introduction

Carbon is an open-source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and Quality Management System (QMS) specifically designed for manufacturing. It is ideal for businesses involved in complex assembly, job shops, and configure-to-order manufacturing processes. With 1670 stars and 170 forks on GitHub, Carbon offers a modern, API-first approach to manufacturing operations, built with TypeScript and leveraging technologies like Supabase and Remix. It aims to provide a flexible and extensible platform to avoid common pitfalls like vendor lock-in.

Installation

To get Carbon up and running locally, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/crbnos/carbon.git
   cd carbon
   

2. Ensure Docker is installed on your system as it's used for local development.
3. Configure external services: You will need accounts for Upstash (Redis), Trigger.dev (Job runner), and Posthog (Product analytics). Free tiers are available for local development.
4. Install dependencies and start database containers:

   nvm use           # use node v20
   npm install       # install dependencies
   npm run db:start  # pull and run the containers
   

5. Create and configure your .env file: Copy .env.example to .env and fill in the required environment variables for Supabase, Upstash, Trigger.dev, Posthog, Stripe, and authentication methods (Resend for email or Google OAuth).
6. Build the database and packages:

   npm run db:build     # run db migrations and seed script
   npm run build        # build the packages
   

7. Start the applications:

   npm run dev
   npm run dev:mes        # to run all apps & packages
   

After these steps, you can access the applications locally.

Examples

Carbon is a monorepo structured with /apps for applications and /packages for shared code. You can explore the following applications locally:

• ERP: http://localhost:3000
• MES: http://localhost:3001
• Academy: http://localhost:4111
• Starter: http://localhost:4000

The project also provides examples for extending the platform in the examples folder. The API documentation is auto-generated and available within the ERP app at ${ERP}/x/api/js/intro. You can interact with the API from another codebase using Supabase client libraries or directly within the monorepo using @carbon/auth utilities.

Why use Carbon?

Carbon was developed to address critical gaps in existing manufacturing software solutions. It offers:

• Modern, API-first tooling: Unlike many legacy systems, Carbon is built with a focus on modern APIs, enabling seamless integration and extensibility.
• Avoidance of vendor lock-in: The open-source nature and modular architecture empower companies to customize and extend the platform without being tied to a single vendor.
• Flexibility for unique needs: Recognizing that no "perfect ERP" exists for every company, Carbon is designed to be highly adaptable, allowing businesses to build their own apps through its API.
• Comprehensive functionality: It covers essential aspects of manufacturing with integrated ERP, MES, and QMS capabilities, including nested BoM, traceability, MRP, and configurator features.
• Robust technical foundation: Key technical highlights include full-stack type safety, real-time database subscriptions, attribute-based and role-based access control, and row-level security.

Links

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/crbnos/carbon
• Official Website: https://carbon.ms
• Documentation: https://docs.carbon.ms
• Discord Community: https://discord.gg/yGUJWhNqzy
• Full Roadmap: https://github.com/orgs/crbnos/projects/1/views/1