OpenBOM cloud-based real-time collaboration & data management technology allows managing Parts, Catalogs, Bill of Materials, Inventories, and purchase orders across networks of engineers, supply chain managers, and contract manufacturers. BOM data needs to be up to date, and manufacturers have to be confident that they can access the current version when they need it. As David Anderson of Verdetech Products shares, “Sometimes you get away with things by luck, but a major problem could kill a company.” It’s time for companies to raise the bar on BOM data and processes.Effective BOM management creates a cohesive process that connects everything from design to purchase orders to production. To be effective, the BOM needs to include not only the raw materials but also any subassemblies, subcomponents, and parts—and the precise quantities of each. This is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Bill of Materials as a list of parts. Informal communication mechanisms like emails and spreadsheets quickly break down and lead to errors in these environments. As Verdetech Products’ David Anderson shares, “When someone asks what the product costs, I don’t have to worry if it’s current or not.”Of course, data currency is highly dependent on how the data is shared and accessed.
These informal methods are also challenging because data in a spreadsheet can’t easily be integrated with downstream people, processes, and systems. Remember, it’s a communication tool.
[…] line (Windchill) and now expanded with Onshape Cloud CAD. The bill of material is essentially the backbone of the manufacturing business, specifying what to buy and what to build. OpenBOM is different…It is a cloud based system that I can invite anyone into to view and edit…This means that I CAN share my BOMs with others and they CAN review and/or edit this single source of truth.”“I use @openbom for a very limited but important use case of communicating BOM’s to the production planning team. They are hard to interpret, lead to duplicating data, don’t manage data relationships, and often contain errors.
Many companies are considering cloud software because it lowers the barriers to adopting new technology.
Ineffective BOM processes, though, lead to low productivity and costly errors.With that in mind, why do so many manufacturers rely on substandard BOM management approaches like spreadsheets and email?
It goes further to provide the right information, including historical data, to resolve service issues. In a similar way, third parties like suppliers may only require access rights to a subset of information. However it rocks compared to Solidworks for doing this in terms of making my life easier….This is the part number, this is what it looks like, this is description”“My first impression of OpenBOM was “Yay, No More Excel. But that doesn’t mean they can’t improve.
Manufacturers can focus on the five identified opportunities to improve BOM processes and improve performance by using lighter weight, targeted cloud solutions. As our BOM Management Buyer’s Guide shares, many companies manage BOMs in ways that don’t adequately support the business, including documents or embedding BOMs into CAD drawings in addition to spreadsheets.Spreadsheets are not good for data management, and they are even more problematic when they’re shared through email.