Ok folks, i hope this is the correct forum.

What do you guys use for your B.O.M management? A simple spreadsheet? Access database? or full blown management system. But more importantly why does it work for you?

What is B.O.M?

corus

Bill Off Materials

At certain times in our product cycles, we may start out with a spreadsheet or simple database which we use to develop initial BOMs and structure, once we get close to releasing a product, the Bill of Material then gets loaded onto our MRP/ERP system.

Management of the BOM is initially by highlighting changes in the spreadsheet and notating the document with date(s) of modification.  Once an assembly drawing is created, it becomes the controlling document and when the drawing is released, it goes under ECO (Engineering Change Order) control.

Regards,

so how do you search a b.o.m? the troubble were having at the moment is that all the b.o.m's are on a spreadsheet or drawing. We would like to search the bom's to reuse parts.

what do you think the best option is?

Which CAD system are you using to create the BOMs?

SunshineBuddy,

The site below might be something worth looking at.  If nothing else it is short course on what management resource planning (MRP) is all about.

http://pcmrp.com/

Then main parts of a part management system are the item master and the bill of materials database.  The item master is primarily a list of part numbers, descriptions, and units of measure.  It is like a master index for part numbers where a part is a single piece part, assembly, weldment, bulk material, etc.  A well organized item master is handy to search for parts.

Some items are assemblies or weldments and have a list of part associated with the top level number, and this list is called a bill of materials.  A useful function is the where used search that gives a list of where items have been used before.

Regards,
-Mike

As mrMikee indicates, in our system, we assign each component a unique part number.  Part numbers that have been issued are stored in a separate database/spreadsheet along with the component description.  It then becomes relatively easy to search another spreadsheet for a part number in order to see where it is used.  Many MRP/ERP systems have this capability of determining the "where used" on an item (part number).  In Excel, you can use the "find" function to locate various instances of a part number (ctrl+f).

Regards,

The BOM is independant of the CAD system or any software application.  The software is just a tool for the user to utilize the BOM.

My company actually has multiple BOMs for the same product.

We have the assembly BOM.  This BOM is created in the CAD system and is only lists the parts, components, and subassemblies used to create an assembly.  This is essentiall the basis for the other BOMs.  This BOM only exists on the face of each assembly drawing.

We have the production BOM.  Our production controllers/planners take the assembly BOM and recreate it in an Excel spreadsheet.  I'm ashamed to say this is a totally mismanaged process because each planner creates their own BOM in their own format for the program they are assigned to.  Not to mention, the human transfer of data from drawing face to spreadsheet leads to errors.  But, this BOM has more information in it than the assembly BOM.  It has make/buy fields and also has required quantities, including scrap allowance, for the production run of product (contract deliverable quantity).  This BOM gets recreated each time a new fixed-price/fixed-quantity contract is awarded.  Purchasing also uses this BOM to get pricing.

Finally, there is the product baseline.  It's a product baseline more than a BOM, but resembles a BOM none the less.  It contains all the revision information of every part of every component including what materials requirements and/or specifications are called out on the drawing notes, including surface finishes.  It captures the as-built condition.

The good news is that we are trying to implement a PDM/PLM system to incorporate these distinctly separate BOMs into one system.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

We try to use the same Excel BOM for both design and procurement.  The make/buy fields are embedded from the get-go, since that determines the level of design detail needed in the design phase.

TTFN

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We have a software created espacially for this, It is used to create the B.O.M. for a whole project, then the system check if we have the parts (or materials) in stock if not it sends a purchase request to the purchasing people for what we don't have. It also controls every hour worked on the project from every worker so that when to job is finished all the info is sent to the administration for billing.

I didn't go very far into the detailling of how it works but that's pretty much it.

Patrick

I worked for a company that installed Oracle as their business system.  Even though my division was very small and very different from the rest of the corporation we had to use Oracle too.  I often wondered if it wouldn't have been better for us to develop something for our own use as PatCouture's company did.  In fact I did write software to manage files and export parts lists from drawings using Visual Basic.  I tried to sell the idea of project BOMs to the powers in charge but they said there was a better way to do it.

Regards,
-Mike

The B.O.M. Management really depends on the type of fabrication/manufacturing your company does.

 If you are a custom fabrication shop that rarely manufactures the same product, you could get away with tracking materials used per work order in an excel program.  

If your company manufactures a standard product line that has many specific parts that are required for fabrication, you may want a full-blown management system.  The company I work for has a full-blown management system that tracks from the time an item is purchased, to the time it is shipped out the door.  All parts have a specific part number so when a part is ordered, it automatically checks the quantity of parts on-hand.  If material or parts are required, it generates requirements for work orders or material required.  When a work order is processed, it automatically removes the used material/parts from our running inventory.  This system also tracks manufacturing time and can give you a good estimate on cost based on your shops labour rate.  

The system takes a lot of time to get set-up.  Once it is set-up, it makes tracking material and parts much easier.

Check out www.cincom.com  

You might not need the full System management system but they might have alternate solutions that meet your specific needs.

Regards