Timeline Factory Manager

Offline factory management software features, screen by screen

Timeline Factory Manager is free offline factory management software from Timeline Digital for one Windows PC or one Apple silicon Mac. This page explains each of its 15 screens, and what the app leaves out.

Download for WindowsWindows 10 and 11 · 111 MB Download for MacApple silicon (M1 or later) · 123 MB

Version 1.0.0 · Free · Works offline

Timeline Factory Manager: work order page with materials reserved, production recorded and buttons for the job card and material issue slip — One work order: materials, production and printouts. Screenshots on this page show made-up companies, not customers.

What features does the factory management software have?

Timeline Factory Manager has 15 screens. The sidebar lists Dashboard first, then the Sales, Production, Stock and Purchasing groups, then Reports, Settings and About. Together they cover customer orders, work orders, daily production, raw material and finished goods stock, purchasing and reports. The table lists each one.

1. DashboardNo sidebar group
Units made in the last 7 days, open orders, work orders, low stock and what is late
2. Sales ordersSales group
Customer orders with product lines, due dates and delivery status
3. Delivery notesSales group
Goods sent to a customer, taken out of finished goods stock
4. CustomersSales group
Contact details and every order for each customer
5. Work ordersProduction group
An instruction to make a quantity of one product: planned, in progress, done
6. Daily productionProduction group
Made and rejected counts for every running work order, on one screen
7. ProductsProduction group
What you make, each with a bill of materials and material cost per unit
8. Raw materialsStock group
On hand, reserved, available and on order, with reorder levels and stock history
9. Finished goodsStock group
Stock of each product, quantity in production and any shortfall against orders
10. Purchase ordersPurchasing group
Orders to suppliers for raw materials, with part deliveries
11. Goods receivedPurchasing group
A goods received note for each delivery, which adds the materials to stock
12. SuppliersPurchasing group
Contact details and every purchase order for each supplier
13. ReportsNo sidebar group
Production, material use, order status and stock value, each exportable to CSV
14. SettingsNo sidebar group
Company details and logo, country and formats, theme, backups and app password
15. AboutNo sidebar group
Version, where your data is stored and how to request a custom version

The 15 screens of Timeline Factory Manager
Screen	Sidebar group	What it does
1. Dashboard	None	Units made in the last 7 days, open orders, work orders, low stock and what is late
2. Sales orders	Sales	Customer orders with product lines, due dates and delivery status
3. Delivery notes	Sales	Goods sent to a customer, taken out of finished goods stock
4. Customers	Sales	Contact details and every order for each customer
5. Work orders	Production	An instruction to make a quantity of one product: planned, in progress, done
6. Daily production	Production	Made and rejected counts for every running work order, on one screen
7. Products	Production	What you make, each with a bill of materials and material cost per unit
8. Raw materials	Stock	On hand, reserved, available and on order, with reorder levels and stock history
9. Finished goods	Stock	Stock of each product, quantity in production and any shortfall against orders
10. Purchase orders	Purchasing	Orders to suppliers for raw materials, with part deliveries
11. Goods received	Purchasing	A goods received note for each delivery, which adds the materials to stock
12. Suppliers	Purchasing	Contact details and every purchase order for each supplier
13. Reports	None	Production, material use, order status and stock value, each exportable to CSV
14. Settings	None	Company details and logo, country and formats, theme, backups and app password
15. About	None	Version, where your data is stored and how to request a custom version

Also on this page: lists and tables, printing and PDF, importing from Excel, backups, the app password, keyboard shortcuts, how stock is kept correct, what it does not include and common questions. New to the app? Start on the factory management software page.

What does the app look like in use?

These three lessons show the sidebar, the way every list works and how documents are printed, in the real app. There are 27 lessons in all, about 34 minutes, and each screen below names its own lesson.

Lesson 2: Finding your way around (1:19)
The sidebar groups, collapsing the menu and themes.
Lesson 4: Working with lists (1:27)
Search, sort, pages, columns, the row menu and CSV export.
Lesson 23: Print documents and save PDFs (1:20)
The seven printable documents and saving them as PDF.

All 27 lessons with written steps · Watch the playlist on YouTube

What does the dashboard show?

The dashboard is the first screen you see. It shows the units made in the last 7 days with rejects, a bar for each of the last 14 days, and counts of open sales orders, work orders and open purchase orders. Five short lists point to what needs attention, and three buttons start the most common jobs.

Dashboard is screen 1 of 15, at the top of the sidebar. Watch lesson 3: The dashboard.

Made in the last 7 days, with rejects, and a bar for each of the last 14 days.
Open sales orders and how many are late, work orders that are planned and running, and open purchase orders.
Five lists of up to 8 items, each with a link to the full list: in production now with progress, ready to deliver, due in the next 7 days or late, low stock, and late sales orders.
Quick buttons: New sales order, New work order and Record production.
In a new, empty factory the dashboard shows four first steps instead, with a button for each, and ticks them off as you go.
The whole app can be shown in a light theme, a dark theme, or the same as your computer.

Timeline Factory Manager: dashboard showing units made in the last 7 days, open sales orders, work orders, low stock and orders in production — The dashboard: production, orders and low stock on one screen.

Timeline Factory Manager: dashboard in the dark theme — The same dashboard in the dark theme.

How do you enter a sales order?

Open Sales orders and click New sales order. Pick the customer, add their reference if they gave one, set the order date and due date, then add product lines with quantity and price. From the saved order you click Make work orders to plan production, and Create delivery note when the goods are ready.

Sales orders is screen 2 of 15, in the Sales group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 12: Take a sales order, lesson 13: Make work orders from a sales order and lesson 15: Change or cancel orders and deliveries.

You enter: customer, the customer’s reference (their purchase order number), order date, due date, and product lines with quantity and price.
Pressing Enter on the last line adds a new line. Save with the Save button or Ctrl+Enter.
Statuses: Open, Part delivered, Delivered, Cancelled. Late orders are marked.
Make work orders creates planned work orders for whatever the order still needs.
Create delivery note sends goods from finished goods stock.
Cancel order keeps the order on record as cancelled. Planned work orders linked to it are not changed.
Rule: delivered lines cannot be removed, or reduced below what was delivered.
A sales order carries prices, but the app prints no invoice.

Timeline Factory Manager: new sales order form with customer, dates and product lines with quantity and price — Enter a sales order line by line.

Timeline Factory Manager: sales order page showing ordered, in production and delivered quantities for each line — One sales order: ordered, in production and delivered.

Timeline Factory Manager: sales orders list with customer, due date, status and late marks — Sales orders with status and late marks.

How do delivery notes work?

A delivery note records goods leaving the factory for a customer. You make it from the sales order by clicking Create delivery note. The quantities are filled in from what is in stock, and saving takes the goods out of finished goods stock and updates the order to part delivered or delivered.

Delivery notes is screen 3 of 15, in the Sales group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 14: Deliver goods with a delivery note.

Delivery notes are always made from a sales order.
Quantities are filled in from what is in stock. Change them if you are sending less.
Saving takes the goods out of finished goods stock and updates the order’s status.
A delivery note can be cancelled. The goods go back into stock and the order reopens.
The printed delivery note has spaces for Received by, signature and date.

Timeline Factory Manager: printed delivery note with received by, signature and date spaces — Printed delivery note with a signature space.

Timeline Factory Manager: create delivery note dialog with quantities filled in from stock — Create a delivery note from the sales order.

Timeline Factory Manager: delivery notes list — Delivery notes.

What does a customer record hold?

Each customer has a name, code, contact name, phone, email, address and notes. If you leave the code empty the app gives one, starting at C-0001. A customer’s page lists all of their sales orders, and customers can be imported from a spreadsheet saved as CSV.

Customers is screen 4 of 15, in the Sales group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 5: Add and edit a customer.

You enter: name, code, contact name, phone, email, address and notes.
Leave the code empty and one is given automatically (C-0001, C-0002 and so on).
The customer page lists every sales order for that customer.
Rule: a customer with open sales orders cannot be deleted. The app tells you why.
Error messages appear beside the field that needs fixing and say what to fix.
Import customers from a spreadsheet with Import CSV.

Timeline Factory Manager: customers list with code, contact and search — Customers.

Timeline Factory Manager: customer page listing all of that customer's sales orders — A customer and all their orders.

Timeline Factory Manager: customer form showing a clear error message under the field that needs fixing — Errors appear beside the field and say what to fix.

How does a work order run from start to finish?

A work order is an instruction to make a quantity of one product. It is planned, then started, which reserves its materials. Production is recorded while it runs. Completing it takes the materials used out of stock and adds the good units to finished goods. If stock is short, starting is refused and each short material is named.

Work orders is screen 5 of 15, in the Production group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 16: Start a work order, lesson 18: Complete a work order and lesson 19: Fix mistakes, reopen or cancel a work order.

You enter: product, quantity, an optional sales order, planned start, due date and instructions for the floor.
Statuses: Planned, In progress, Done, Cancelled.
Start reserves the materials from the bill of materials. If there is not enough available stock, starting is refused and each short material is named, so you know what to buy.
Record production takes made and rejected units while the work order is running.
Complete shows the totals made and rejected so far and lets you add a final count for anything made since the last daily entry. Leave it at 0 if all production is recorded.
On completion, the materials used for everything made and rejected are taken out of stock, and the good units are added to finished goods.
Reopen undoes a completion to correct a mistake, while its goods are still in stock.
Rule: a work order with production recorded cannot be cancelled. Complete it instead, so the materials used are accounted for.
Print a Job card and a Material issue slip for the shop floor.

Starting, completing, reopening and the two shop-floor printouts are covered in more detail on the free work order software page.

Timeline Factory Manager: work orders list with product, quantity, progress and status — Work orders: planned, in progress and done.

Timeline Factory Manager: work order that cannot start because a material is short, naming the material and the missing quantity — Not enough material: the app names what is short.

Timeline Factory Manager: complete work order dialog showing totals made and rejected and a final count box — Complete a work order: totals so far and a final count.

How do you record daily production?

Daily production is one screen for the whole day’s output. It lists every running work order with a made box and a rejected box. Type the counts and click Save all. Progress then shows on the dashboard and on each work order. Stock itself moves when the work order is completed.

Daily production is screen 6 of 15, in the Production group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 17: Record daily production.

Enter made and rejected counts for each running work order, then click Save all.
Entries can be edited or deleted while the work order is running.
A list of recent entries has search and a date range.
Recording production shows progress on the dashboard and on work orders. Stock moves when the work order is completed.

Production recording and the Production report are covered together on the free production management software page.

Timeline Factory Manager: daily production screen with made and rejected boxes for each running work order — Enter the day's made and rejected counts on one screen.

Timeline Factory Manager: daily production screen after saving, with the new entries in the recent list — Saved entries appear in the recent list.

How are products and bills of materials set up?

A product is something your factory makes. Each has a name, code, unit, sale price and notes, plus a bill of materials: the raw materials and quantities needed to make one unit. From that list and each material’s unit cost, the app works out the material cost per unit.

Products is screen 7 of 15, in the Production group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 8: Add a product and its bill of materials.

You enter: name, code, unit, sale price and notes, and opening stock when you add the product.
Bill of materials: the raw materials and quantities needed to make one unit, for example 6 m of steel tube and 0.2 litre of paint per gate.
Material cost per unit is worked out from the bill of materials and each material’s unit cost.
The product page shows stock, quantity in production, quantity on customer orders, and the full stock history.
Bills of materials are single level. Sub-assemblies, routings and operations are not part of the free edition.
Import products from a spreadsheet with Import CSV.

Bills of materials and material cost are covered in more detail on the free bill of materials software page.

Timeline Factory Manager: new product form with a bill of materials listing each material and quantity per unit — A product and its bill of materials.

Timeline Factory Manager: product page showing its bill of materials, material cost per unit, stock and stock history — A product: bill of materials, material cost and stock history.

How is raw material stock tracked?

Raw materials are everything you buy to make your products. For each one the app shows four figures: on hand, reserved by running work orders, available, and on order from suppliers. A material with a reorder level is listed as low stock when its available stock is at or below that level.

Raw materials is screen 8 of 15, in the Stock group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 9: Adjust stock and read its history and lesson 10: Find low stock and order more.

You enter: name, code, unit, unit cost, reorder level and notes, and opening stock when you add the material.
The list shows on hand, reserved (held by running work orders), available, and on order (on open purchase orders).
Low stock: materials with a reorder level whose available stock is at or below it. The sidebar shows how many are low.
Order low stock makes one purchase order, to a supplier you choose, for all low materials. It orders enough to bring each back to twice its reorder level, counting what is already on order. You can edit the order before sending it.
Adjust stock adds or removes stock with a date and a reason, for stock counts, damage and so on.
Stock history for every material, with a running balance and links to the document that caused each change.
There is one unit cost per material, with no average or FIFO costing.

Reorder levels, Order low stock and stock counts are covered in more detail on the free manufacturing inventory software page.

Timeline Factory Manager: raw materials list showing on hand, reserved, available and on order quantities with low stock marked — Raw materials: on hand, reserved, available and on order.

Timeline Factory Manager: raw material page with stock history, running balance and links to each document — Stock history with a running balance.

What does the Finished goods screen show?

Finished goods shows, for each product, the stock you have, the quantity in production and the quantity on customer orders. Where orders need more than you have or are making, it shows the shortfall, so you can see which products need another work order. The list can be printed as a stock list.

Finished goods is screen 9 of 15, in the Stock group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 11: Finished goods stock.

Stock of each product.
Quantity in production and quantity on customer orders.
Any shortfall, where orders need more than you have or are making.
Print a stock list from this screen.

Timeline Factory Manager: finished goods list showing stock, quantity in production, quantity on customer orders and shortfall — Finished goods and any shortfall against orders.

How do purchase orders work?

A purchase order is an order to a supplier for raw materials. You enter the supplier, order date, expected date, notes, and material lines with quantity and price. When the delivery comes, Receive goods records what arrived. Part deliveries are supported, and the order can be printed or saved as a PDF.

Purchase orders is screen 10 of 15, in the Purchasing group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 20: Raise a purchase order.

You enter: supplier, order date, expected date, notes, and material lines with quantity and price.
Statuses: Open, Part received, Received, Cancelled.
Receive goods records what arrived. Part deliveries are supported.
Print the purchase order, or save it as a PDF to email to the supplier yourself. The app does not send email.
Order low stock on Raw materials makes a purchase order for you when you click it. You pick the supplier and can edit the order.

Timeline Factory Manager: purchase order page with material lines and the Receive goods button — A purchase order to a supplier.

Timeline Factory Manager: receive goods dialog with the quantity arrived for each material — Receive goods, in full or in part.

What is a goods received note?

A goods received note is the record of one delivery from a supplier. Each time you click Receive goods on a purchase order, the app creates a goods received note and adds the materials to stock. The note can be printed and kept with the supplier’s paperwork.

Goods received is screen 11 of 15, in the Purchasing group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 21: Receive goods.

Each delivery from a supplier creates a goods received note and adds the materials to stock.
Rule: a goods received note can be cancelled only while enough of its materials are still available to take back out of stock.
Print the note from its page or from the row menu.

Timeline Factory Manager: printed goods received note in the print preview window — Printed goods received note.

Timeline Factory Manager: goods received notes list — Goods received notes.

What does a supplier record hold?

Each supplier has a name, code, contact name, phone, email, address and notes. If you leave the code empty the app gives one, starting at S-0001. A supplier’s page lists their purchase orders, and a supplier with open purchase orders cannot be deleted.

Suppliers is screen 12 of 15, in the Purchasing group of the sidebar. Watch lesson 6: Add a supplier.

You enter: name, code, contact name, phone, email, address and notes.
Leave the code empty and one is given automatically (S-0001 and so on).
The supplier page lists that supplier’s purchase orders.
Rule: a supplier with open purchase orders cannot be deleted.

Timeline Factory Manager: suppliers list with code and contact details — Suppliers.

Which reports are there?

There are 4 reports: Production, Material use, Order status, Stock value. Each covers a period you choose: this month, last month, the last 30 days, this year, or any dates. Every report can be exported to CSV. The Production report can be printed, and the Stock value report can print a stock list.

Reports is screen 13 of 15, at the bottom of the sidebar. Watch lesson 22: Use the reports.

Production: made, rejected and reject rate by product, with a breakdown by day.
Material use: used, received and adjusted per material, with the cost of what was used.
Order status: every open sales order with ordered, in production and delivered quantities, and late orders.
Stock value: raw materials at unit cost; finished goods at material cost and at sale price.
Every report can be exported to CSV, which opens in Excel.
Stock value uses material cost. The app does not work out labour cost, job cost or profit margins.

Timeline Factory Manager: production report showing made, rejected and reject rate by product with a breakdown by day — Production report: made, rejected and reject rate.

Timeline Factory Manager: material use report showing used, received and adjusted quantities and the cost of what was used — Material use report.

Timeline Factory Manager: order status report listing every open sales order with ordered, in production and delivered quantities — Order status report.

Timeline Factory Manager: stock value report with raw materials at unit cost and finished goods at material cost and sale price — Stock value report.

What can you change in Settings?

Settings holds your company details and logo, which appear on every printed document, plus your country, currency, date format, number format and paper size. The app knows 233 countries and territories and 152 currencies. Settings is also where you choose the theme, manage backups and set the optional app password.

Settings is screen 14 of 15, at the bottom of the sidebar. Watch lesson 25: Company details, logo and formats.

Company details: name, address, contact details, tax number and logo, shown on every printed document.
Country, currency, date format, number format (for example 1.500,5 in Germany) and paper size, A4 or US Letter.
Theme: Same as computer, Light or Dark.
Backups and the app password, both described further down this page.
Shows where your data is stored on the computer.

Settings: company details, formats, backups and password.

What is on the About screen?

The About screen shows the version of the app you are running and where your data is stored on the computer. It also says how to request a custom version from Timeline Digital. The app only opens your browser or email program when you click a Timeline Digital link.

About is screen 15 of 15, at the bottom of the sidebar.

The version number.
Where your data is stored.
How to request a custom version from Timeline Digital.

Timeline Factory Manager: About screen showing Timeline Factory Manager version 1.0.0, free edition — About screen: version 1.0.0, free edition.

How do the lists and tables work?

Every main list works the same way, so what you learn on Customers also applies to Work orders or Raw materials. Each has a search box, sortable columns, pages of 10 to 100 rows, a column chooser, a row menu and an Export CSV button.

Search box. Press / or Ctrl+K to jump to it.
Sort by clicking a column heading.
Pages of 10, 25, 50 or 100 rows.
Show or hide columns. Your choice is remembered on that computer.
A row menu (the three dots) with actions such as View, Edit, Print and Delete.
Export CSV, to open the list in Excel.
Arrow keys and Enter move through rows and open one.
The sidebar can be collapsed to icons, and on narrow windows it becomes a slide-out menu.

Timeline Factory Manager: list with page controls and rows per page — Lists show 10, 25, 50 or 100 rows a page.

Timeline Factory Manager: list with the column chooser open and some columns hidden — Show or hide columns on any list.

Timeline Factory Manager: row menu on a list with View, Edit, Print and Delete — The row menu: view, edit, print or delete.

Which documents can you print or save as PDF?

7 documents: job card, material issue slip, purchase order, goods received note, delivery note, production report, stock list. Each opens in a preview window with Print and Save as PDF, and shows your company name, address, contact details, tax number and logo from Settings.

Job card
Work order page, Job card (or the row menu on Work orders)
See a sample job card (PDF)
Material issue slip
Work order page, Material issue slip
See a sample material issue slip (PDF)
Purchase order
Purchase order page, Print (or the row menu)
See a sample purchase order (PDF)
Goods received note
Goods received note page, Print (or the row menu)
See a sample goods received note (PDF)
Delivery note
Delivery note page, Print (or the row menu)
See a sample delivery note (PDF)
Production report
Reports, Production, Print report
See a sample production report (PDF)
Stock list
Raw materials, Finished goods, or Reports, Stock value, Print
See a sample stock list (PDF)

Documents Timeline Factory Manager prints, where to print each one, and a sample PDF
Document	Where to print it	Sample
Job card	Work order page, Job card (or the row menu on Work orders)	See a sample job card (PDF)
Material issue slip	Work order page, Material issue slip	See a sample material issue slip (PDF)
Purchase order	Purchase order page, Print (or the row menu)	See a sample purchase order (PDF)
Goods received note	Goods received note page, Print (or the row menu)	See a sample goods received note (PDF)
Delivery note	Delivery note page, Print (or the row menu)	See a sample delivery note (PDF)
Production report	Reports, Production, Print report	See a sample production report (PDF)
Stock list	Raw materials, Finished goods, or Reports, Stock value, Print	See a sample stock list (PDF)

Long documents run over several pages, and table headings repeat on each page.
Paper size is A4 or US Letter, set in Settings.
Every page ends with a small Timeline Digital bar with the website and email.
The sample PDFs were made by the app from made-up data.

Timeline Factory Manager: printed job card showing product, quantity to make, materials required and a daily production table — Printed job card for the shop floor.

Timeline Factory Manager: printed stock list with a Checked by column for stock counts — Printed stock list for a stock count.

Can you import products, materials and customers from Excel?

Yes, as CSV files. You can bring in existing products, raw materials and customers from a spreadsheet. A preview shows which columns were recognised and which rows have problems, and nothing is saved until you confirm. Other records are not imported.

Click Import CSV on the Products, Raw materials or Customers list.
Not sure of the columns? Click Save a template for a file with the right headings.
Save your spreadsheet as CSV from Excel and choose the file.
A preview shows which columns were recognised and which rows have problems. Nothing is saved until you confirm.

Good to know

Column headings are matched loosely: "Sale price", "price" and "selling price" all work.
Both comma and semicolon files are read. Semicolon files use decimal commas (2,5).
A row whose code matches an existing record updates it. Empty cells leave existing values alone. The Name column is always needed.
Opening stock can be included for new products and materials.

Going the other way, every list and every report has Export CSV. The app does not read or write Excel files directly. Lesson 24: Import from a spreadsheet shows the import.

Timeline Factory Manager: CSV import preview showing recognised columns and rows with problems before anything is saved — CSV import shows a preview before saving.

How do backups work?

The app backs up your data file automatically once a day while it is open and keeps the latest 14. You can also back up at any time, save a copy to a USB drive, and restore from any backup. Everything is in Settings, Backups.

Automatic: once a day while the app is open. The latest 14 automatic backups are kept.
A backup is also made before every restore, and before an app update changes the data file.
Back up now: make one any time.
Save a copy to: save a backup to a USB drive or network folder. Do this regularly, because the other backups stay on the same computer.
Restore from a backup in the list, or Restore from a file. A backup of the current data is made first, so a restore can itself be undone.

To move to a new computer, use Save a copy to on the old one, install the app on the new one and use Restore from a file. If you loaded the sample data, restoring the backup made just before it clears the sample. Lesson 26: Back up and restore your data shows both.

Your factory data is kept in one data file on your own computer. The app works fully offline, has no account or sign-up, sends nothing over the internet and collects no usage data. It only opens your browser or email program when you click a Timeline Digital link.

How does the app password work?

The password is optional and keeps casual users out of the app. Once set, the app asks for it when it opens and when you click Lock. A recovery code, shown once, lets you set a new password if you forget it. The password does not encrypt the data file.

Open Settings, App password, and click Set a password. It needs at least 6 characters, typed twice.
A recovery code is shown once, in the form XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. Write it down or print it and keep it safe, then click I have saved the code.
From now on the app asks for the password when it opens, and when you click Lock.

Forgot password? on the lock screen lets you enter the recovery code and set a new password. You get a new recovery code.
After five wrong tries, the app waits 30 seconds before accepting more.

Lesson 27: Protect the app with a password shows the steps.

Timeline Factory Manager: recovery code shown once after setting an app password — The recovery code is shown once: write it down.

Timeline Factory Manager: lock screen after a wrong password, with a Forgot password link — Lock screen with password recovery.

Which keyboard shortcuts does it have?

Seven, for the jobs you repeat most: saving a form, starting a new record, searching a list, moving through rows, jumping between screens, adding an order line and setting a date to today. On a Mac, use Cmd in place of Ctrl.

Keyboard shortcuts in Timeline Factory Manager
Keys	Does
Ctrl+Enter	Save the form
Ctrl+N	New record on the current list
/ or Ctrl+K	Search the current list
Arrow keys, Enter	Move through rows and open one
Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+9	Jump between the main screens
Enter on the last order line	Add a new line
T in a date box	Set it to today

How is stock kept correct?

Every stock change is recorded as a movement, and balances are worked out from those movements. On hand and available stock can never go below zero: an action that would do this is refused with a message saying what to do. Every material and product has a stock history with a running balance.

Each line of a stock history links to the document behind it. Reserved stock is what running work orders are holding. Available stock is what a new work order can use. The rules listed with each screen above, such as refusing to start a short work order or to cancel a goods received note whose materials are gone, all come from this.

The stock movements Timeline Factory Manager records
Movement	What it does to stock
Opening stock	Sets the starting balance when you add a material or product
Goods received	Adds raw materials to stock
Work order started	Reserves the materials on its bill of materials
Work order completed	Takes the materials used out of stock and adds the good units to finished goods
Delivered	Takes goods out of finished goods stock
Adjusted	Adds or removes stock with a date and a reason
Cancellations	Recorded as movements too, so the history still adds up

What does the free edition not include?

The free edition is for one computer and one user. It has no extra users or logins, no shared data, no scheduling, no job costing, no traceability, no barcode scanning, no accounting links or invoices, and single-level bills of materials only. Check this list before you download.

Several users, logins or permissions
Use on more than one computer, or shared data over a network or the internet
Online or browser access, a mobile app, or cloud backup
Machine and shift planning, scheduling or capacity planning
Job costing, labour costing or profit margins (material cost from the bill of materials is shown)
Quality checks, batch or lot numbers, serial numbers or traceability
Barcode or QR code scanning, label printing
Several sites or warehouses, or stock locations
Links to accounting software, invoicing, quotations, statements or payments
Sending email from inside the app
Multi-level bills of materials (sub-assemblies), routings and operations
Languages other than English

Other limits: one unit cost per material, with no average or FIFO costing. CSV import covers products, raw materials and customers only. There is no Intel Mac download yet, and no version for Windows 7, Windows 8, 32-bit Windows, Linux, iPad or Android. System requirements and install steps are on the Windows page and the Mac page.

Need one of these?

These are available as custom work from Timeline Digital, for example several users, shop-floor tablets, costing, traceability or accounting links. The pilot is always free. We build 2 to 3 of your key modules first, and the scope and terms are agreed after you approve the pilot. See manufacturing ERP software and custom ERP software.

Tell us what you need

Common questions about the features

Are all the features on this page free?

Yes. Every screen described here is in the free download of Timeline Factory Manager: all 15 screens, the 7 printed documents, the 4 reports, CSV import and export, backups and the app password. There is no account and no sign-up. The things it does not do are listed on this page and are available as custom work.

What happens if I start a work order without enough material?

Timeline Factory Manager refuses to start it and names each short material, so you know what to buy. You can then click Order low stock on Raw materials, or make a purchase order, and click Receive goods when the delivery arrives. Once enough stock is available, the work order starts and its materials are reserved.

Can stock go below zero in Timeline Factory Manager?

No. In Timeline Factory Manager, on hand and available stock can never go below zero. An action that would do this, such as starting a work order without enough material or cancelling a goods received note whose materials have been used, is refused with a message saying what to do. Balances are worked out from recorded movements, and every material and product has a stock history.

Can I delete a customer or supplier that has orders?

Not while the orders are open. Timeline Factory Manager will not delete a customer with open sales orders or a supplier with open purchase orders, and it tells you why. In the same way, a work order with production recorded cannot be cancelled: you complete it instead, so the materials used are accounted for.

Which documents can it print, and can I save them as PDF?

Timeline Factory Manager prints 7 documents: job card, material issue slip, purchase order, goods received note, delivery note, production report, stock list. Each opens in a preview window with Print and Save as PDF, and shows your company name, address, contact details, tax number and logo. It does not print invoices, quotations or statements.

Can I import my products and materials from Excel?

Yes, as CSV. Timeline Factory Manager imports products, raw materials and customers from a spreadsheet saved as a CSV file. Save a template gives you the right headings, and a preview shows recognised columns and problem rows before anything is saved. Other records, such as orders and suppliers, are not imported. Every list can be exported to CSV.

Does it do job costing, scheduling or MRP planning?

No. Timeline Factory Manager shows the material cost per unit from the bill of materials, but not labour cost, job cost or profit margins. It has no machine, shift or capacity planning. On the material side it reserves stock, names shortages and lists low stock against a reorder level, but it does not plan dates or calculate time-phased requirements.

Does the app password encrypt my data?

No. The optional password in Timeline Factory Manager keeps casual users out of the app: it is asked for when the app opens and when you click Lock, and after five wrong tries the app waits 30 seconds. It does not encrypt the data file. A recovery code, shown once when you set the password, lets you set a new one.

Download Timeline Factory Manager and try every screen

It is free, with no account and no sign-up. Setup is three short steps, and you can load the sample data, a made-up furniture workshop, to try every screen before entering your own records.

Download for WindowsWindows 10 and 11 · 111 MB Download for MacApple silicon (M1 or later) · 123 MB

Version 1.0.0 · Free · Works offline

Both systems show a warning on first run, because the files are not code-signed or notarized yet. Install steps are on the Windows page and the Mac page. You can also watch all the lessons on the YouTube playlist or read them on the how to use it page.

More about Timeline Factory Manager

Timeline Factory ManagerThe product page: what the app is, who it suits and who it does not.
Free manufacturing software for WindowsThe Windows installer and how to install it.
Free manufacturing software for MacThe Apple silicon disk image and the first-open warning on macOS.
How to use it27 short video lessons, about 34 minutes in total.
Free manufacturing softwareWhat the free app covers and how it compares with other kinds of software.
Free MRP softwareThe material side the app covers. It does not plan dates or schedule work.
Free production management softwareWork orders, daily production and the Production report.
Free manufacturing inventory softwareRaw materials, finished goods, reorder levels and stock counts.
Free bill of materials softwareProducts, their materials and material cost per unit.
Free work order softwareStart, record, complete and reopen, with Job cards and Material issue slips.