Can I try manufacturing software before I buy it?
Yes. Our live manufacturing software demo at manufacturing-demo.varsuite.co.uk gives you your own private copy of a working factory portal, with a sample UK engineering company and its jobs already in it, and you can sign in as the managing director, the operations manager, an estimator, a CNC machinist, stores, quality or a customer buyer. Nothing you change affects anyone else, and you can reset it whenever you like.
Last reviewed: 20 October 2026
- A working factory portal, not a video or a slide deck.
- Seven people to sign in as, from the MD to the shop floor.
- Your own private copy that you can reset at any time.
- Realistic data: live jobs on the schedule, a machine down and orders at risk.
- Everything you see can be tailored to your factory.
How to try the demo
Open manufacturing-demo.varsuite.co.uk, fill in a short form and choose who to sign in as. Two factor sign in is switched on, as it would be in a real system, and the demo code is shown on screen. Short guided tours show you around, or you can explore on your own.
What you can do in the demo
The sample company, Hollinbrook Engineering, is a fictional precision engineering and fabrication firm in Accrington with 11 work centres, two shifts and 25 customers. Some things to try:
- as the estimator, ask whether a quote can be delivered by a date and see the earliest date with the reasons
- as the operations manager, preview a rush job and see which orders it would make late before you commit
- as the CNC machinist, use the shop floor tablet to book good parts and scrap
- as stores, book in material with its heat number and trace a heat to every customer it reached
- as quality, work through a non conformance report with a photo and quarantined parts
Press Run the factory for an hour and the clock moves on, so jobs progress and the board changes. The full list of features is on our manufacturing software page.
What is real and what is simulated?
The scheduling, delivery date checks, shop floor bookings, stock, traceability and quality records all run on the demo's own data. The purchase order reader, which checks a customer's PDF order against the quote, is a labelled simulation in the demo that works on sample files. In a customer build it can be connected to an AI model that reads real purchase orders.
What happens to my data?
The demo only holds the sample company. Your copy is private to you, and you can reset it to the original at any time. The short form at the start is how we know who has tried it, so we can follow up if you would like to talk about your own factory. See our privacy policy for how we handle those details.
From demo to your own factory portal
If the demo is close to what you need, we walk through it with your team and note what you would change: work centres, routings, shift patterns, documents, inspection points and connections to your accounting software. We then tailor the portal to your factory rather than building from a blank page.
Is the manufacturing demo free?
Yes. Trying the demo is free, there is no card to enter and no obligation.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The demo runs in your web browser on a computer or tablet, and the shop floor screens are designed for tablets.
Can I see it with our own work centres and parts?
The demo uses a sample company. When we tailor it for you, it is set up with your own work centres, routings, parts and documents.
Can my colleagues try it too?
Yes. Each person who fills in the short form gets their own private copy, so your production manager, estimator and quality lead can each try it without getting in each other's way.
Get The Signal
Practical notes on AI, websites and automation for UK businesses. One useful email at a time, unsubscribe whenever.
Still want to ask it in person?
Tell us what you are building and we will give you a straight answer, and a plan, within 72 hours.