diff --git a/.devcontainer/postCreateCommand.sh b/.devcontainer/postCreateCommand.sh
index 66b8d7f5..8bd14678 100755
--- a/.devcontainer/postCreateCommand.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/postCreateCommand.sh
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 # re-included here for the benefit of manual dev environments.
 poetry self add "poetry-dynamic-versioning[plugin]"
 poetry config virtualenvs.in-project true --local
-poetry install --with dev --all-extras
+poetry install --with dev,docs --all-extras
 poetry run pre-commit install --install-hooks
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b184c7bd..c6fe85bd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,25 +1,44 @@
-# Minimal makefile for Sphinx documentation
-#
+install: .devcontainer/postCreateCommand.sh ## Install the poetry environment and install the pre-commit hooks
+	@echo "🛠️ Creating virtual environment using poetry and installing pre-commit hooks"
+	@bash .devcontainer/postCreateCommand.sh
+	@echo "🐢 Launching poetry shell"
+	@poetry shell
 
-# You can set these variables from the command line, and also
-# from the environment for the first two.
-SPHINXOPTS    ?=
-SPHINXBUILD   ?= sphinx-build
-SOURCEDIR     = docs
-BUILDDIR      = build
+.PHONY: check
+check: ## Run code quality tools.
+	@echo "🔒 Checking Poetry lock file consistency with 'pyproject.toml': Running poetry lock --check"
+	@poetry check --lock
+	@echo "🔎 Linting code: Running pre-commit"
+	@poetry run pre-commit run -a
 
-# Put it first so that "make" without argument is like "make help".
-help:
-	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M help "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+.PHONY: test
+test: ## Test the code with pytest
+	@echo "🧪 Testing code: Running pytest"
+	@poetry run pytest --cov --cov-config=pyproject.toml --cov-report=xml
+
+.PHONY: docs
+docs: ## Build the documentation
+	@echo "📚 Building documentation"
+	@poetry run sphinx-build docs build
+
+.PHONY: build
+build: clean-build ## Build wheel file using poetry
+	@echo "🛞 Creating wheel and sdist files"
+	@poetry build
 
-.PHONY: help Makefile
+.PHONY: clean-build
+clean-build: ## clean build artifacts
+	@echo "🧹 Cleaning build artifacts"
+	@rm -rf dist
 
-# Catch-all target: route all unknown targets to Sphinx using the new
-# "make mode" option.  $(O) is meant as a shortcut for $(SPHINXOPTS).
-%: Makefile
-	@$(SPHINXBUILD) -M $@ "$(SOURCEDIR)" "$(BUILDDIR)" $(SPHINXOPTS) $(O)
+.PHONY: docker-build
+test_docker_build: ## Build the docker image and run the tests
+	@echo "🐳 Building docker image and running tests"
+	@docker build -f build/docker/Dockerfile -t pycytominer:latest .
+	@docker run pycytominer:latest poetry run pytest
+
+.PHONY: help
+help:
+	@grep -E '^[a-zA-Z_-]+:.*?## .*$$' "$(MAKEFILE_LIST)" | awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "}; {printf "\033[36m%-20s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}'
 
-# note: presumes the existence of docker daemon to receive docker commands
-test_docker_build:
-	docker build -f build/docker/Dockerfile -t pycytominer:latest . && \
-	docker run pycytominer:latest poetry run pytest
+.DEFAULT_GOAL := help
diff --git a/make.bat b/make.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index 3e4fe6d7..00000000
--- a/make.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-@ECHO OFF
-
-pushd %~dp0
-
-REM Command file for Sphinx documentation
-
-if "%SPHINXBUILD%" == "" (
-	set SPHINXBUILD=sphinx-build
-)
-set SOURCEDIR=docs
-set BUILDDIR=build
-
-if "%1" == "" goto help
-
-%SPHINXBUILD% >NUL 2>NUL
-if errorlevel 9009 (
-	echo.
-	echo.The 'sphinx-build' command was not found. Make sure you have Sphinx
-	echo.installed, then set the SPHINXBUILD environment variable to point
-	echo.to the full path of the 'sphinx-build' executable. Alternatively you
-	echo.may add the Sphinx directory to PATH.
-	echo.
-	echo.If you don't have Sphinx installed, grab it from
-	echo.http://sphinx-doc.org/
-	exit /b 1
-)
-
-%SPHINXBUILD% -M %1 %SOURCEDIR% %BUILDDIR% %SPHINXOPTS% %O%
-goto end
-
-:help
-%SPHINXBUILD% -M help %SOURCEDIR% %BUILDDIR% %SPHINXOPTS% %O%
-
-:end
-popd