Putting together a detailed bill of materials (BOM) is important for a number of reasons, such as making sure that all the needed parts are on hand and making assembly easier. This article is about How to Create Bill of Materials.
It helps cut down on wasted time and make accurate plans for getting things. The most common types of BOMs are Manufacturing Bills of Materials (BOMs) and Engineering Bills of Materials (BOMs).
Also, mistakes in the BOM can cause manufacturing delays that cost money. At the same time, workers look for parts that are missing, place new orders, or figure out how to put everything together in the best way.
How to Create Bill of Materials
- As you can see, creating and managing a Bill of Materials (BOM) as a custom manufacturer and based on your supply chain is not an easy task, as it requires a huge amount of accuracy and detail.
- Creating a bill of materials is not only a necessary step in the product development process, but it is also what makes your product design a reality. Most bills of materials go through multiple versions as your finished product and the way you make it change. This means that it is likely to be worked on by more than one person.
- So, using only a spreadsheet to manage a BOM is not ideal because information will need to be re-entered all the time, which leaves you open to costly human mistakes that can throw off your whole production, and it is hard to keep track of which version of the document your staff is sharing and using.
- For effective BOM management, you need to set up a system that can not fail and makes sure that the latest version is always being used by everyone who needs to access it.
- ERP systems made for manufacturers are the best way for custom manufacturers to make and manage bills of materials (BOMs). ERPs are your company’s single source of truth, so you can be sure that everyone is working from the same, most up-to-date version of a bill of materials (BOM). Using an ERP to manage your bill of materials (BOM) will save you time and make sure everyone is on the same page.
What are the Necessary Elements to Create Bill of Materials?
BOM level
Give each part or assembly a number to show its place in the BOM’s hierarchy. The BOM level makes it easy for anyone to understand how the BOM is put together and what its parts are.
Part number
Give each item in the BOM its own part number. This makes it easy for anyone involved in the manufacturing process to look up and find parts.
Part name
Each part, material, or assembly should have a detailed, unique name that anyone in your shop can use to figure out what it is without having to look up other information.
Description
Give a full, detailed description of each material or part in a bill of materials (BOM). The description helps you and others find parts and tell them apart from other parts and materials that look similar.
Phase
Make a note of where each part is in its life cycle. For example, a term like “In Production” is often used to describe the stage of a part that is being made. New parts that have not yet been approved can be called “Unreleased” or “In Design.”
Procurement type
This is a reference to how each part is gotten. For example, say whether a part should be bought off the shelf or made to fit the needs of the project.
Quantity
Tell the BOM how many of each part are used in each assembly.
Unit of measure
The BOM should say in what unit of measure the part or material is being measured. For example, you can use words like “each,” “inches,” “millimeters,” and “ounces.” This makes sure that the right amounts are bought and brought to the shop floor.
BOM notes
In addition to the other parts of the BOM, include any other information or documentation that is needed to build the finished product.
FAQ
Who creates a BOM?
When putting together a product, manufacturers start by making a BOM. Making an accurate bill of materials (BOM) is important because it makes sure that parts are available when they are needed and that the assembly process goes as quickly as possible.
What should be included in a BOM?
A bill of materials (BOM) is a complete list of all the parts, items, assemblies, subassemblies, intermediate assemblies, documents, drawings, and other materials needed to make a product. The BOM is like a recipe for making a finished product, and it is set up in a hierarchical way.
What is standard BOM format?
Information is put into columns in the basic BOM format. It has the BOM level, the part number, the name of the part, the revision, the amount, and the reference designators. A unit of measure and BOM notes are also helpful on a bill of materials.