A bill of materials template provides a standard set of formulas, catalogs and initial data for new projects. This can save you a lot of time and effort in repetitive projects.
It enables all parties to adhere to the same communication process and avoid errors. It also helps you control inventory levels and prevent waste on the production line.
Parts and Components
If your company designs or produces products, you need a bill of materials to ensure that all the raw material requirements are identified and tracked. More than just a list of ingredients, a BOM is an instruction manual and a tool to prevent production delays and waste. This free template helps you create a comprehensive, effective document that will benefit anyone involved in the assembly line.
The basic elements of a BOM include the components that are needed for your product, their quantity and cost. You can also add notes about each component or material that provide additional details for the manufacturing process. A unique part or material number must be assigned to each item on the BOM, so that it can be easily retrieved and referred to when needed.
You can choose a single-level BOM that lists each component as an individual unit or a modular BOM that displays components in parent-child relationships and appears “indented.” Modular BOMs are useful when you’re building complex, high-level products with multiple layers of sub-assemblies. You can also use a BOM for tracking inventory levels to help you determine just how much space is required for holding raw materials and finished goods. This facilitates Material Resource Planning (MRP), which is helpful in determining the amount of raw materials to buy for a specific time and date.
Raw Materials
The raw materials section of a bill of materials template contains the list of the items that are required for creating a product. These are usually listed with their individual costs and unit of measurements. This information helps reduce production delays and waste because it acts as a guide for the manufacturing process. It is also important to keep in mind that the unit cost of a material may change over time, so it is best to include this information in the template as soon as possible.
A bill of materials format also includes the method of procuring each raw material, component or part – whether it is purchased off-the-shelf or made as per specific project specifications. It also provides the measurement units used for each component to promote uniformity. This allows for a seamless transition between different groups as they work on the same project.
As a result, the use of a BOM template improves project management, enhances precise inventory tracking and eliminates production delays. In addition, it reduces the need for manual documentation and helps reduce production waste. As a result, it is an essential tool for DTC brands looking to streamline and optimize their production processes. An automated BOM software, such as Craftybase, can provide an even more streamlined approach by automating the entire calculation process, allowing for instant estimates in real-time.
Sub-Assemblies
The use of subassemblies allows for a more detailed breakdown of the product production steps, which may make it easier to track and plan manufacturing and staffing requirements. For example, let’s say you want to produce the bicycle wheel, which requires a specific type of rubber and metal. You would create a bill of materials for this subassembly, including raw materials required and labor estimates. This can help you keep the bicycle assembly process running smoothly by not needing to wait on a supplier to deliver the specified raw materials, or for your production team to estimate the labor cost for this particular step.
BOMs are used by different departments in a company, such as engineering, purchasing, and inventory management. Depending on the type of BOM, it can include details from all or multiple of these areas. For example, an engineering bill of materials (EBoM) is designed to display components that are based on a CAD design and is often created as part of project management. This differs from a manufacturing bill of materials, which displays all materials and assemblies required to manufacture a finished product.
The type of BOM structure is another aspect that can vary, with the most common being a single-level bill of materials. This is suitable for simpler products that do not require any subassemblies, and it can help to reduce complexity for those that do. However, a multi-level or indented BOM is typically used for more intricate developments as it helps to demonstrate the relationship between components, subassemblies, and assemblies.
Assembly
A bill of materials template will contain the assembly parts or sub-assemblies required to produce a finished product. These items will be shown at BOM level 0. A pair of sunglasses, for example, would have a level 0 consisting of the sunglasses themselves and the packaging. It’s important to note that the BOM will include not just parts, but also the quantity or volume required to create a finished product. This can help with scheduling and production planning.
There are several different types of BOMs, but one of the most common is an engineering bill of materials (EBOM), which is used in the design and engineering phases of new products. The EBOM provides the necessary details for planners, engineers, and buyers to trigger purchases of raw materials and to manufacture components as per their specifications.
Another common type of BOM is a manufacturing bill of materials (MBOM). A MBOM shows all the parts and assemblies that go into building a final, ready-to-ship product. It includes the sourcing information for all parts, sub-assemblies and assemblies. Often, these are listed as parent and child items. For example, a circuit board might have a parent part — copper wire — and multiple children, such as soldering irons. Using a template BOM encourages standardized communication between departments, helping to control inventory levels and minimizing waste.