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Write a bill of materials

A bill of materials (BOM), also called a specification, states what one batch of a product or material takes: the materials, and the works done to them. Production orders, planned costs, reorder plans and safety data sheets all read from it. Open it in Production → Bill of Materials.

Create one

Section titled “Create one”
  1. Open Production → Bill of Materials and click Add bill of materials.
  2. Choose the Output kind: Product or Component (a material you make).
  3. Choose the Output entity, name the BOM (for example “Standard pour v1”) and set the Batch size and Batch unit. The batch unit defaults to the output’s own unit and can be any unit of the same kind.
  4. Click Create BOM version. The rest is filled in on the card.

A BOM is a statement about one thing. To describe something else, create another.

Add the materials

Section titled “Add the materials”

On the card, go to Contents.

  1. Click Add materials (or Add products, for a product used as a part) and pick items.
  2. Set the Quantity and Unit of each. Every quantity is for one batch of the size above.
  3. Set Waste % for material drawn on top of the quantity: spillage, offcuts, make-ready. Leave it at 0 for none.
  4. Add a Line note if useful.

Each line can state its quantity per batch (stays the same however many you make, like a purge or a priming charge) or per unit (grows with the quantity). For a quantity that depends on something, switch the line to Use a formula: it can read the batch size, the product’s own attributes or other lines, for example 0.5 * batch.

A part counted in pieces has to be a whole number. If you enter a fraction of a piece, the card offers to make it whole by raising the batch, or tells you to use a measurable unit.

Add the works

Section titled “Add the works”

Go to Works and describe the steps. See Cost the work with positions, works and rates.

Read the cost

Section titled “Read the cost”

The Production cost at the top adds the materials and the works. Calculate it By plan, at each material’s production cost (the basis price lists use), or By actual, at the moving average of purchase prices. If something has no cost yet, the card says Incomplete and lists what is missing, so a partial figure is not mistaken for a full one. See Compare planned and actual cost.

Other tabs on the card: Batches (batch size and ranges), Production cycle (a diagram of the build, showing what you make and what you buy), Files, Safety data sheet and Lifecycle (every change to the specification and its lines).

Section titled “Print, export and import”

Print and Print with prices produce a sheet. Export XLSX and Import XLSX work with one row per BOM line, matching outputs and inputs by SKU. An existing version’s lines are replaced, and a new version is created otherwise.

Section titled “Related”