Practical Tips for Managing Bill of Materials


At its most basic level, a bill of materials (BOM) is a recipe. Here's a list of raw materials and how to combine them to produce something. BOMs also include sub-assemblies, intermediate assemblies, sub-components, and quantities—all of which must be managed carefully. Factor in multiple warehouses, multiple BOM types, and frequent variations/customizations, and BOMs can be difficult to manage.


Identification of problems

Make a list of your manufacturing business pain points. That may include difficulty creating multi-level BOMs, entering data on a BOM-by-BOM basis, or a lack of material requirements planning capabilities

(MRP). Then, identify upcoming business changes, such as new production facilities, new items that require new production methods, mergers, or acquisitions.


Prioritize

Lakukan analisis biaya-manfaat sederhana untuk setiap masalah. Jangan tersesat dalam hal-hal kecil. Satu masalah mungkin rumit dan mahal untuk dipecahkan, sementara yang lain mungkin memiliki perbaikan yang mudah dan terjangkau.


Understand Your Production Process

Outline your production processes and how they affect your operations. Include the type of production you perform, if the process converts inventory items into other inventory items, and if each process will remain static or unique to customer needs.


Trust the Experts

Once you have a thorough understanding of your starting point, leave the hard stuff to the experts. A company like Boyum IT will understand your needs and recommend technology solutions to help you meet your manufacturing business goals.

Here are some solutions that make BOM management easier:

  • SAP Business One: A powerful enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution
  • Boyum Cloud Produce: A cloud-based production management environment that places a web interface on your shop floor
  • Prodimex Scan: Capture production information on mobile devices
  • Produmex WMS: A warehouse management system that builds raw material picking and other workflows into your production process
  • Beas Manufacturing: Handles complex scheduling, planning, costing, and quality control requirements