Unlocking “Vibe Coding” for Manufacturing: My Experience with Google Opal

If you’ve ever wished you could build simple apps for your manufacturing team without learning a single line of code, you’ll want to know about vibe coding.

What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding is a new way of creating software applications—without needing to write traditional code. Instead of typing complex programming languages, you simply describe what you want the app to do in plain language, and the tool generates it for you.

Think of it as having a conversation with your computer to build an app.

For small and medium-sized manufacturers, this is a game-changer. You don’t need a team of developers or expensive software platforms to create custom tools for your shop floor, quality department, or audit program. With vibe coding, you can get from idea → working app in a matter of minutes.

How I’ve Been Using Google Opal

I’ve been experimenting with Google Opal, a vibe coding platform that makes it surprisingly easy to bring app ideas to life. You describe the functionality, provide a few prompts, and Opal builds an app you can immediately start using and refining. Keep in mind that, as of the time of this article, the tool is still in the experimental stage.

Here are two ways I’ve already put it to work in manufacturing:

1. Defect Reporter App

Defect Reporter App Home Button

One of the challenges in quality management is capturing defects quickly and consistently. Using Opal, I created a Defect Reporter app that allows users to:

• Record quality defects directly on a phone, tablet, or computer.

• Attach photos of the defect for clarity.

• Automatically generate a nonconformance report for follow-up.

What used to require multiple forms and manual data entry is now streamlined into one easy-to-use app.

Below is a snapshot of the "prompt & edit page". All I did was enter a prompt with a description of what I wanted and Opal took it from there; building the diagram of dependencies you see here. It automatically chooses the Google-based LLM it thinks will be best to pull from to do the job.

Opal Prompt & Edit Page

2. Audit Report Generator App

Audit Report Generator App Home Button

Audits are critical for ISO 9001 and other quality management systems, but writing up findings and corrective actions can be time-consuming. With Opal, I developed an Audit Report Generator app that:

• Guides auditors through the process step by step.

• Records findings, including nonconformities.

• Automatically compiles everything into a comprehensive audit report.

This has drastically reduced the time it takes to go from audit notes to final report, while improving consistency.

Once again, all I did was enter a prompt with a description of what I wanted and Opal built the diagram of dependencies you see below. You can even use Gemini, ChatGPT, Copilot...whatever works best for you...to help you design a prompt to be used in Opal.

Opal Prompt & Edit Page

The prompt page has a button to "Start" the app and the tool runs through a set of questions for you to answer or sections to complete; for instance, which ISO standard are you using & enter a list of audit findings. Once you have entered the requested information, Opal thinks for a brief time and then outputs a report similar to the one below.

Sample Audit Report Generator Final Output

And, if you don't want to start from scratch, there is a dashboard in Opal that allows you to "remix" apps that other users have created and made public.

Why This Matters for Manufacturers

For small and medium-sized manufacturers, resources are often stretched thin. You may not have a dedicated IT team or the budget to invest in custom software development. Vibe coding bridges that gap:

• Faster problem-solving – Turn an idea into a working tool within hours.

• Lower costs – No developers required; you control the build.

• Tailored to your processes – Apps are built around your exact needs, not generic templates.

• Improved efficiency – From defect tracking to audits, routine tasks become streamlined and standardized.

Getting Started

You don’t need to be a programmer or tech guru to try vibe coding. If you can describe your problem and the outcome you want, tools like Google Opal can help you create solutions that make a real difference in your operations.

I’ll be sharing more examples of how I’m using vibe coding in manufacturing, but my early takeaway is simple: this is one of the most accessible and practical digital tools I’ve seen for manufacturers!