Bill of Material

The OpenLogistix Bill of materials module provides true multi-level bill structures, holding the relevant information required for integrated ordering systems (sales, purchase or works) to function in a manufacturing or assembling environment.

It caters for organisations that need to assemble components into finished goods items designated at the head of the Bill, as well as performing the traditional parts ‘explosions’ and ‘where used’ facilities, the data may be viewed using leading edge ‘tree view’ visualisations. A Bill of Materials can comprise of individual stock items and/or previously made kits along with the quantities required for each component.

Features include:

• Unlimited relationships
• Multi-layered BOM’s can be defined with unlimited components. Reports and screens allow full tree-like BOM explosions to be displayed.
• Component usage
• Usage of components within order requirements is available for a complete overview.
• Automated Requests
•  Sales and Works Orders requiring components to satisfy requirements, will generate appropriate requests automatically within OpenLogistix.
• BOM Versions
• Manage product development through different versions of product.
• Monitor the use of different versions in Works Orders.
• Release new product versions through the use of date driven processing.

Bill of Materials Processing

There is no limit to the ‘depth’ and ‘width’ of Bills which may be created, allowing the Advanced Bill of Materials data structure to store products of any shape and complexity. The key objectives are to provide enhanced customer service satisfaction, reduced administration, and to ensure that sufficient parts are either stocked or purchased to fulfil customer orders.

Using the Bill to define finished goods items, in terms of which goods are bought and which are manufactured, Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) module will calculate suggested Purchase & Builds as appropriate, using time spanned Sales Demand as input. The Bill for each item in the Sales Demand is ‘traversed’ and ‘recursed’ to create a Production Schedule, from which the buying and making elements are calculated.

Bill of Materials Versions

Multiple versions of Bills of Materials can be held against a product for use as the product develops. A default can be identified but the user is prompted at appropriate times e.g. Works Order Processing, to choose the default or a different version. The version number of the Bill of Material used is then stored against the item for traceability.

In the System

The requirement for a ‘Works Order’ will typically arise in the Supply Chain ‘request’. A ‘request’ is the mechanism by which Advanced modules communicate with each other. If a Sales order requires a ‘backordered’ Works Order to fulfil its demand, it will communicate this need with a Sales to Works request. On receipt of the request, the Works Manager can then turn the request into a Works Order. In raising the Works Order, the system uses the Bill of Materials of the manufactured items to create the detail of the Works Order.