Manufacturers Build Custom Apps With New Software

Job shop owners can now use plain language to create custom dashboards and tools, bypassing traditional coding requirements.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Manufacturing

Isometric editorial illustration showing a precision steel gear nested inside a complex translucent structural lattice, symbolizing manufacturing software integration. — Minneapolis-based Fulcrum has launched a software tool allowing manufacturers to create custom dashboards and automated workflows using simple plain-language commands. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Minneapolis-based Fulcrum has released a new software tool called Builder that allows manufacturers to create custom applications using plain language requests. The platform, which runs on the company's existing manufacturing data, aims to help job shops automate processes without requiring traditional coding.

Why it matters

Manufacturers often struggle with off-the-shelf software that fails to capture the nuances of custom production workflows. By allowing teams to build specific dashboards or interactive tools, operators can bridge the gap between standard ERP systems and their unique operational requirements.

Fulcrum serves a network of 600 job shops and fabricators, with 70% of participants at the company's 2026 Connect conference utilizing the new tool to build custom software. No per-seat charges apply to users who view apps published through the system.

The players

Fulcrum

A Minneapolis-based software provider serving more than 600 job shops and fabricators with specialized production management tools.

The details

Users generate custom tools by entering simple text prompts, which the software converts into functional applications. These tools operate on live business data and respect existing user permissions, allowing staff to add interactive buttons that log changes directly to job histories, such as outside processing or rework stages. Because the platform is trained specifically on manufacturing fundamentals, it avoids the typical integration barriers associated with general-purpose automation software.

October 27, 2026: Fulcrum officially launched the Builder software tool.
2026: Fulcrum held its annual Connect user conference in Minneapolis.

Market Landscape

The introduction of Builder follows the broader industry trend of adopting low-code application development platforms to modernize legacy manufacturing workflows. It represents a departure from rigid, monolithic ERP systems by allowing operators to build bespoke tools tailored to their internal processes.

Operators should evaluate if their current manual data entry tasks or workarounds can be streamlined using this no-code interface. Before deployment, confirm that sensitive internal data and existing security permissions remain isolated as the system scales.

The takeaway

Custom automation is becoming accessible to small job shops that lack dedicated software engineering teams. Evaluate your most frequent manual data entry tasks to determine if they are suitable for a custom-built app interface.