A BOM is a fact of life in the manufacturing world and plays a critical role in the development of any product. Simply put, you cannot manufacture a quality product without one. In essence, a BOM is a comprehensive list detailing all the components and sub-assembled parts and raw materials needed to build your product.
Whether you are making a toy or a rocket, a BOM helps you to accurately manage and oversee resources and identify materials to reduce wasteful spending.
A BOM provides you with accurate information, which will help you to make better decisions to manufacture your product efficiently and cost-effectively.
Traditionally, the engineers overseeing a given project organize the bill of materials. They usually complete this process with the help of a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing. To create a polished finished product, multiple BOMs need to be created to keep a client informed during the production process and account for the specific material needs of a product.
An EBOM defines the product as designed, meaning it lists numerous items, components, subassemblies and overall parts needed for a product. For instance, a printed circuit board designed by engineers will list the resistors, capacitors and chips needed to assemble the board. Engineers use electronic design automation (EDA) to streamline the creation of their EBOMs.
Unlike other kinds of bills of materials, an SBOM outlines finished product details before the production and engineering teams assemble the product. Not only do the components appear as separate items, but the finished product is also listed as a separate item on the SBOM document for the client.
An MBOM constitutes the assemblies and parts required to create a business’s final product. This document usually contains detailed information about ordering parts and building the product that is passed on to the subsequent departments involved in a product’s building phase. The key to these kinds of BOMs is accuracy.
A CBOM is used in industrial and heavy manufacturing industries across the world. It hones in on a customer’s specific requirements for components that will be needed to design an item, manufacture it, and then pass it along to the next department in the product-building pipeline.
A PBOM lays out what will be the bedrock for a customer’s product order. Prices, quantities, descriptions and associated units of measurement are all laid out in a PBOM. This helps the production teams keep track of raw materials they will then transform into finished products for the next building stage.
An ABOM shows which items are listed to sell versus store for building. While it lists sales items like an SBOM, it does not list the finished product. An ABOM can be a single-level or multi-level, depending on the product demands.
Although a TBOM shares similarities with other BOMs, it breaks down what will be needed in each bill of materials, without specifically listing each product component, part, or stage that is displayed for the product teams in the other bills of materials that will be needed to create a customer’s final product.
Here is the step-by-step process for creating a BOM:
Continually revisit and revise your BOM. The list will grow over time, and you might need to add to or refine it throughout the process.
Like a recipe, a BOM ensures your product has the right ingredients (materials and components) to be made correctly. Whether you are planning your BOM or studying ways to improve your BOM, here are the most critical fields to include on your BOM record.
Creating a BOM is not just an ordinary development step; it’s a critical stage to ensure total consistency throughout the manufacturing process. A well-defined BOM will tell you how much of each individual part you need to purchase and when you should make these purchases.
Jared Haw contributed to the writing and research in this article.