Free Is a Fair Price

For over a decade I’ve been building software – websites, mobile apps, custom systems tailored to specific needs. I spent 9 years building the software house Nice Code, which has delivered a lot of genuinely interesting projects. I know what software looks like behind the scenes: from the first conversation with a client, through process analysis, all the way to deploying and maintaining a system that real people use every single day.

In mid-2025 I decided it was time to do something more. Something of my own – open, and available to everyone. Because every developer should have their own Open Source project, and I always told beginners the same thing: come up with a project and build it. You don’t have to finish it. The point is to keep going and keep developing, because that’s exactly when you run into harder and harder problems. And every problem you solve is unique experience you can’t buy on any course.

That’s the kind of experience I wanted – and still want – to gain. This time by working with manufacturing companies on the core of OpenMES: an open manufacturing execution system (MES). If you’re such a company and you want real influence over a tool you’ll use yourself – get in touch.

“Surely a serious company won’t use Open Source software”

This is one of the most common myths – and it’s simply not true.

Serious companies run their business every day on WordPress, PrestaShop, Magento and dozens of other open source systems. They’re used by banks, stores with millions in revenue, and international corporations. Being able to inspect the code scares no one – on the contrary, it’s an asset.

Open code means full transparency. You’re not buying a “black box” no one can explain to you. You can see exactly how the system processes your production data, where it stores it, and what it does with it. You’re also not locked into a single vendor – if you ever want to, you can develop the system yourself or hand it to anyone on the market.

Openness is also an enormous value for security. Every cybersecurity enthusiast loves projects like this – it’s the perfect place to learn how to find bugs and report them. That’s why I warmly encourage all Bug Hunters to review the code and report security vulnerabilities in OpenMES. (We do not hack the demo version!) You’ll find more information in the security.md file.

The more eyes on the code, the more secure the system – and every company that uses it benefits from that.

“Nothing is free”

And yet – OpenMES really is free.

Open Source means making the codebase available for anyone to inspect who has the will and the time, and free for anyone to use. As people, we’ve learned to think that “nothing in life is free” – but this program breaks that rule. If you’re wondering why a free, open-source MES system is genuinely the best choice for manufacturers today, the answer is simple: value without vendor lock-in. It works exactly like WordPress (the website engine): anyone can download, install and configure OpenMES on their own, with no licensing fees and no hidden catches.

To make getting started as easy as possible, I provide full documentation where you’ll find everything you need to launch and operate the system. I keep it up to date with every release, so you won’t miss a thing. I’m also working on a series of tutorial videos walking you through the whole program step by step – that’s still “in progress”, but it’s high on the priority list.

In other words: you can deploy OpenMES yourself, completely on your own, and pay nothing. And that’s perfectly fine – that’s the whole idea behind the project.

“Everyone has to eat – so how do you make money as the creator of OpenMES?”

Fair question, so I’ll answer it directly.

I’m a specialist in systems engineering and cybersecurity, and I’m now steadily building my expertise in production management and optimization. Behind every idea there’s a mission – and mine is simple: I want to lead manufacturing companies out of paper-based production plans and into the era of digitalization and modern production management.

Instead of paper notes taped to production lines – tablets with a real-time, up-to-date plan. Instead of piles of quality reports scattered across binders – a single system where all the information about a given production batch is one click away. Less chaos, fewer mistakes, less time wasted searching for data. More control, more predictability, more peace of mind.

So how do I make money? Through deployments and partnerships with companies that need them. The software itself is free, but my knowledge and time are not.

If you decide to work with me:

  • I’ll come to you in person – to get to know your processes, your procedures, and most importantly the people who work on the lines every day. Their perspective on what they do is invaluable for a good deployment.
  • I’ll adapt OpenMES to your reality – not the other way around. You should get a tool that fits your production, not a rigid system you have to bend to.
  • I’ll build dedicated extensions that integrate OpenMES with the systems you already use – ERP, PLM, OMS, even PrestaShop. Thanks to the ISA-95 standard, MES-ERP integration goes faster and without the chaos, so data flows smoothly and nothing has to be entered twice.
  • I’ll build the additional software your company is missing.

In short: you get a solid, open foundation for free, and you only pay for what genuinely moves your company forward – deployment, integrations, and the support of someone who treats your production as if it were their own.

Is your production still running on paper? Let’s talk about how OpenMES can change that – no risk, no licensing fees, with full transparency from day one. Check out the scope of deployment services and get in touch to schedule a call.