Free masterclass · 4 modules · ~3 hours
AI for operations leaders
who are done
with the hype.
A practical, vendor-neutral course for plant managers, ops directors, and supply-chain leads. No buzzwords. No magic. Just a framework for evaluating AI, a playbook for deploying it, and the language to defend the ROI to your CFO.
✓No credit card
✓Verifiable certificate
✓Built by operators
12
Lessons
4
Modules
~3
Hours total
100%
Free
[The Curriculum]
Four modules. Twelve lessons.
Zero filler.
Every lesson is taught the way an operator would brief their own team — concrete examples from manufacturing and distribution, real numbers, and the worksheets to take it back to your floor.
Module 01
The Operator's Mindset for AI
+
What AI does well, where it fails, and how to evaluate vendor claims without being sold to
The operator's framework for separating signal from noise in AI pitches
How to run a 30-minute AI vendor evaluation without a technical background
Module 02
AI in Daily Operations
+
OTD dashboards that actually get used — build vs. buy decision framework
AI-assisted root cause analysis: how to structure it without replacing human judgment
Supplier scorecards that your procurement team will actually maintain
Module 03
Building AI Workflows That Get Adopted
+
The 90-day pilot framework — scoped to succeed, not to impress a vendor
Change management for the floor: how to get operators to actually use the tool
What to measure to know if it's working — and when to pull the plug
Module 04
The Future of Operations + AI
+
Building a business case your CFO will actually approve
AI governance for operations leaders — what you need to know about EU AI Act and internal controls
What the next three years look like for the operations function — and how to stay ahead of it
[What You'll Walk Away With]
A toolkit your team will actually use
on Monday morning.
→Diagnose where AI actually moves the needle in your plant — and where it's noise.
→Run a 90-day pilot that gets adopted instead of shelved.
→Build supplier scorecards and OTD dashboards your team will actually use.
→Quantify ROI in language a CFO will sign off on.
→Spot vendor red flags before you sign a contract.
→Understand what EU AI Act and AI governance mean for your operation.
[What Operators Are Saying]
Trusted by the people running
real plants and real P&Ls.
Finally, a course that doesn't try to convince me AI is magic. William's framework for vendor evaluation alone saved us from a six-figure mistake.
Megan Holcomb
VP Operations, Midwest Distribution Group
I've sent every plant manager in our network through this. The OTD playbook is the cleanest treatment of the problem I've seen.
David Reyes
COO, Tier-2 Automotive Supplier
It's the first AI training I've taken where I came out with worksheets I actually used the next week, not just slides I'd never open again.
Priya Natarajan
Director of Supply Chain, Specialty Foods
[The Instructor]
William McCann
Founder · Catalyst Operations Partners
I built this for the operator who's tired of being sold to.
William has spent 40+ years inside manufacturing and distribution operations — first running plants, then advising COOs and ops directors on the messy work of actually deploying technology on the floor.
Catalyst Operations Partners helps mid-market operators evaluate, pilot, and scale AI-driven workflows. This course is the framework his clients pay for, distilled into something you can finish over coffee.
Six consecutive SQF Excellent audit ratings
40+ years in food manufacturing, packaging, and distribution
Founder of ClearpathAI — AI governance for mid-market operators
Founder of CORA Partners — AI Operators for operations teams
[FAQ]
Straight
answers.
Who is this for?+
Operations directors, plant managers, supply-chain leads, and the COOs who own the operations function. Roughly $5M–$500M revenue, manufacturing or distribution. If you've been pitched AI tools and wanted a framework to evaluate them — or if you're trying to figure out where AI actually makes sense in your operation — this course was built for you.
How long does it take?+
About three hours across four modules and twelve lessons. You can take it in one sitting or spread it over a week. The course is self-paced — start, stop, and pick up wherever you left off.
Is it really free?+
Yes. No credit card. No free trial that rolls into a subscription. You sign up with an email and a password and you have access to everything — all four modules, all worksheets, and the certificate when you finish.
Do I get a certificate?+
Yes. Verifiable certificate of completion when you finish all four modules. It's worth adding to your LinkedIn profile — it signals to your organization and your network that you're taking AI governance and operations AI seriously.
Is the content vendor-neutral?+
Yes. We don't recommend specific vendors, platforms, or tools. The course teaches you how to evaluate AI — not which AI to buy. That's intentional. The framework works regardless of which vendors you're looking at.
Can my team take it together?+
Absolutely — and it works well that way. Each person needs their own account (it's free), but the modules are designed to prompt discussion and the worksheets are built for team use. Some clients have run it as a structured workshop across multiple sessions.
Three hours that change how you evaluate
every AI pitch you'll get this year.
Sign up with an email and a password. Start in under a minute. Pick it up wherever you left off.
Start the course — free