Siemens solution for an Enterprise BOM
What is enterprise BOM management and what are the signs that your BOM infrastructure needs modernization?
A bill of materials (BOM) is a structured list of all components, materials, and assemblies required to manufacture a product.
The manufacturing landscape is on the verge of an unprecedented surge in complexity with 46% of manufacturers reporting that their current bill of materials (BOM) approach actively hinders their business, and the problem is about to get worse. Companies are now left to determine if their current BOM infrastructure can support this scale of innovation and production without creating significant operational bottlenecks.
The hidden costs of fragmented BOM management
Industry surveys forecast a massive increase in BOM complexity over the next three years
Source: CIMdata Siemens Solution for an Enterprise BOM, pg. 9
Projected increases:
- Part counts up 58%
- Product variants up 57%
- Production volumes up 72%
FAQ's
Q: What is a fragmented BOM?
A: Disconnected BOMs with poor visibility and alignment.
Q: What are the costs of poor BOM management?
A: Slower launches, more errors, rework and higher costs.
Q: How does a unified BOM improve operational efficiency?
A: Role-based views tailored to each function from one source.
Q:What is the difference between an engineering BOM and a manufacturing BOM?
A: EBOM defines intent; MBOM defines how it’s built.
Q: How does BOM complexity affect production lead times?
A: Multiple domains and variants can slow coordination.
Q: What does a unified digital BOM solution look like in practice?
A: Configure and analyze BOMs and execute changes in one system.
Q: How do manufacturers manage BOM changes across multiple product variants?
A: Unified change propagates across configured variants.
How do I know if my BOM process is broken?
- You manually reconcile BOMs.
- Software and hardware fall out of sync.
- Configured BOM views can’t be trusted.
- Changes are difficult to propagate.
- DMU is costly to maintain.
- Field changes are hard to trace.
- Recalls or warranty claims are rising.
The path to modernizing a legacy BOM infrastructure into a unified digital solution isn't just about consolidating data; it's about reinventing how you drive operational scale and efficiency.
This executive brief outlines the strategic imperative operational leaders must consider in order to keep up with today's complex demands and ensure efficiency and profitability.