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A bill of materials, or BOM, is critical for maintaining smooth production lines, efficient supply chains, elaborate inventory scheduling, and error-free product costing.
A BOM is nothing but a detailed listing of all the materials, components, and parts necessary for manufacturing, repairing, or servicing a product. The BOM is like a centralized site map of all material inputs necessary to sustain a product development and delivery cycle.
10 Bom Takeaways Offered By The Market
An Electronic components shortage could become an organization’s primary motivation to migrate to an automated software system that secures the supply chain. But before you adopt a BOM, here’s an overview of what the market offers through supply chain automation.
The BOM Level
The BOM Level is a unique number assigned to a part telling you where the component fits in the inventory. For example, the engine and drivetrain in a car assembly line could be one level. The piston and crankshaft form another level. The piston ring would be level three.
The Intelligent Number
There may be parts or components that appear similar to the naked eye but are dissimilar in function. The intelligent numbering makes it easy to identify the part and know what it does.
The Part Name
The part name is what uniquely identifies the part or component of the assembly line.
The Phase
The Phase connects each component to the stage in the product journey. For example, a part could be designated as “In production,” “In design,” or “In rollout” stage.
The Description
A description uniquely identifies the part when it becomes difficult to distinguish between components that have similar functions. For example, a screw could carry the description – ½ inch or ⅝ inch depending on its dimensions.
The Quantity
The quantity precisely defines how many units measure a component in the assembly. For example, the quantity specified for a piston-cylinder is three piston rings.
The Unit Measure
The unit precisely measures how the part is going to be ordered. Small items like screws would be purchased by weight or box, wiring and wood by the foot, and liquids by the liter.
The Procurement Type
We have three types of procurement – a part could be purchased externally, produced internally, or manufactured through third-party contractors.
The Reference Designator
The reference designator is an instruction, a comment, or a drawing mapping out the role the part plays in the assembly line and the exact quantity of the part needed to sustain production.
The BOM Notes
The notes would include additional data regarding suppliers, combinations of parts used, or vital specifications/statistics.
The Importance Of The Bill Of Materials And The Value Addition It Provides
The software development outsourcing model provides ample advantages to put BOMs to good use to tackle component shortages and streamline the supply chain.
The bill of materials ensures a centralized record of every material or component in the product assembly line and ensures a sustainable supply chain. You minimize inventory errors, eliminate production delays, and save money and time in one stroke.
The uniformity that the bill of materials brings to an assembly line helps sustain the product rollout and maintain product quality.
BOMs effectively meet customer expectations and help companies to become compliant with industry safety norms and regulations.
The information gathered in BOMs helps detect flaws and avoid systemic failures. The organization gets a complete overview of what it takes to maintain operability and respond rapidly to changes in the market.
The 5 Steps That Create The Ideal BOM
Creating an accurate and successful BOM is possible only if certain core elements are incorporated into the BOM architecture.
1. Making The Data Inclusive
No part or component is too small or trivial to be excluded from the BOM because our inability to procure essentials can drain money, time, and energy.
2. Creating A Centralized Console
The organization might have departments catering to various functions and using dissimilar information systems. BOM integrates the data emanating from diverse systems into an actionable, uniform record.
3. Maintaining Editorial Control
There’s more control over who edits and changes the BOM to prevent flaws and inaccuracies from undermining production.
4. Tracking Change And Finalizing Policy
BOM provides a single source for monitoring changes and formulating strategic policy. Revisions in requirements may be frequent and are inevitable in any product assembly line. And every change creates scope for a detailed analysis to ascertain what the organization gains or loses.
5. Choosing Single Or Multi-Level Presentation
Creating a single-level BOM listing for an uncomplicated firm may be OK to determine what needs purchasing or replacement. The complex production line may require a more sophisticated BOM that inventories components at the assembly/sub-assembly level or individual components.
Conclusion
The manual handling of BOMs becomes a cumbersome and error-prone process. Poorly managed BOMs pile up wasteful inventory, create shortages of critical components, and cause production delays.
Automation BOM software helps track changes and identify discrepancies to prevent supply chain disruptions.
Automated, accurate, and updated bill of materials helps organizations boost supply chains, eliminate wastages, quickly roll out new designs, and capture more customers.
