How to create an accurate bill of materials for heavy equipment

With the increase in complex technology, heavy equipment engineering teams across disciplines must collaborate easily with internal and external stakeholders.

As each department tweaks and modifies the bill of materials (BOM) for their own purposes, it’s important that these stakeholders easily access the most up-to-date version.

Read this ebook to learn how product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions can help companies support a collaborative BOM process and create an accurate bill of materials for heavy equipment.

The role of bill of materials in product development

The BOM plays a key role in product development for heavy equipment companies. Once engineering develops this deliverable, downstream departments use it to guide development, from design to manufacturing to regulatory approvals and certifications. Engineering, manufacturing, procurement and even service all tweak and modify the BOM for their own purposes. So any shift in its creation or management must be efficient and cost-effective.

Synchronizing the BOM with CAD data

Since so many different departments rely on the BOM to make decisions, it must link to computer-aided design (CAD) data and supplier component databases to ensure the information is current and accurate. Traditionally, heavy equipment companies have used emails or spreadsheets to manually synchronize the BOM with CAD data. Modern PLM software can automatically generate the BOM based on existing templates whenever CAD models are checked in.

The advantage of SaaS solutions for heavy equipment manufacturers

Cloud-based SaaS PLM solutions offer many advantages for heavy equipment manufacturers including:

• Security
• Fast implementation
• Distributed total ownership
• Extended collaboration

Download this ebook to see how PLM solutions, including cloud-based SaaS options, help organizations overcome many BOM creation and management challenges.