What is a Bill of Materials (BOM)
A Bill of Materials, or popularly known as BOM, is a comprehensive document that encompasses all the parts, components, and materials needed to manufacture a product. It is an important document for manufacturing and construction organizations as it specifies the material as well as the exact quantity of the material that will be required.
A BOM generally includes detailed information, like the part name, code, description, quantity, unit of measurement, and dimensions. In many cases, it also includes a step-by-step process for efficient manufacturing of the product. It helps organizations evaluate materials and costs, schedule purchases, and ensure parts are available at the right time.
Types of BOM
There are different types of BOMs:
- Engineering BOM – It is created by the engineering team during product design. It lists the components used to build the product model.
- Manufacturing BOM – It is used on the shop floor. It reflects the production process and includes additional items needed for assembly.
- Service BOM – Some businesses also use it for maintenance and repair teams. This version lists the parts used in servicing the product.
BOM Explosion
BOM Explosion or Bill of Materials Explosion is a process of breaking down a product’s components into a detailed list of parts and materials needed at each level of production. It helps to keep the required materials and components ready for the production team, in the proper quantity when they need them.
BOM Explosion offers certain benefits to manufacturers:
- Resource planning to streamline inventory procurement and management
- Cost estimation for effective budgeting
- Efficient manufacturing of products
BOM Flattening
BOM Flattening is the process of turning a multi-level BOM into a single, simplified list. BOM Flattening is just the opposite of BOM Explosion. It gives you one clean view of every part, along with the quantity required. Teams don’t have to dig through multiple levels or switch between drawings and spreadsheets. Everything is visible at once.
This helps organizations in several ways. Sales teams can generate quotes faster as they can reduce the confusion of managing a large and complex BOM. Production planning is simplified since planners may view material requirements at a glance. Furthermore, it makes it easier to communicate with external partners like suppliers, consumers, and regulators.
Effectively Using a BOM
BOM acts as a centralized source of truth for customers, sales teams, engineering teams, supply chain teams, and production teams. It ensures that all materials are available at the time of production. This makes the production process smoother and more efficient, eliminating the risk of delays and missing parts.
The structure of a BOM varies based on product complexity. Complex items, such as industrial equipment, medical equipment, and specialized automobiles, may need a BOM that includes assemblies, sub-assemblies, and subcomponents. It demonstrates how components fit into larger assemblies and subassemblies. This helps engineering and production teams understand the product’s hierarchy.
A BOM connects with other systems across the business. Many manufacturers link the BOM to ERP software for procurement and inventory management. Engineering teams often manage the BOM within a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to track revisions and approvals.
