PLM Essentials

4. BoM Setup

Adam Tonks16 June 2021

The Bill of Materials is the backbone of every new product development process, and how it's set up at the outset shapes the efficiency of everything that comes afterwards. The fourth instalment of QR_'s PLM Essentials series walks through the decision criteria for selecting the right BoM setup, the configurations that scale cleanly with operations, and the top-level structures QR_ has seen work across leading manufacturers.

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What you'll learn

Inside this guide

  • Decision criteria for selecting the right BoM setup. The questions to answer before you commit to a structure, and why getting these right at the outset saves months of rework further down the line.

  • Configuring a BoM that scales with operations. Practical guidance on avoiding the structural compromises that bite once part counts, variants, and release volumes start to rise.

  • Top-level structures used by manufacturing leaders. How established OEMs and disruptive start-ups alike organise the top of the BoM — and the logic behind their choices.

  • Relieving engineers of the data management burden. How a well-structured BoM shifts time away from manual reconciliation and data tidy-up and back into genuine engineering work.

PLM Essentials

The complete series

Nine focused guides covering the foundations of effective product data management. Each part tackles a specific discipline — from part numbering and attributes through to configuration management and process development. Written by practitioners, grounded in two decades of hands-on programme delivery across automotive, aerospace, defence, and energy.

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