TEAMCENTER X: SIMPLIFYING BOM MANAGEMENT WITH CLOUD-BASED SAAS SOLUTION – PART 2

TEAMCENTER X: SIMPLIFYING BOM MANAGEMENT WITH CLOUD-BASED SAAS SOLUTION – PART 2

1. BOM FUNCTIONALITY ACROSS DEPARTMENTS

Many departments use the BOM for deeper analysis to make critical decisions.

• Engineering: uses the BOM to determine whether cost, regulatory, and equivalence requirements for form, fit, and function have been met.
• Manufacturing: requires the BOM to guide product production.
• Executive Management: relies on the BOM to assess supply-side risks and implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Accounting: depends on an accurate BOM for inventory cross-checking.

Analytical data (cost analysis, risk analysis, etc.) is generated using the BOM and must be linked to it to provide all stakeholders with consistent information. That is why the BOM must be considered a critical asset.

Traditional document-based BOM management cannot ensure these fundamental requirements. However, a modern PLM solution not only automatically generates BOMs but also manages and integrates all analytical data associated with the BOM. It allows different departments to develop strategies (cost, assembly planning, risk mitigation) from the BOM. This data can be accessed across the organization for accurate business decision-making.

The BOM is widely used across departments such as Manufacturing, Accounting, Procurement, etc.

2. HANDLING VARIANTS WITH THE BOM

Many products come with different variants. For example, trucks may have multiple color, size, and load options. Companies use collected data to determine production quantities for each variant. These decisions directly affect procurement, inventory management, and sales. All functions require accurate data to operate effectively, and the BOM plays a key role here.

Traditional spreadsheet-based BOM management only exacerbates existing challenges when changes occur. Changeability leads to more complex spreadsheets, higher error rates, and increased delays as stakeholders manually collaborate. Inefficient and cumbersome BOM management is a recipe for disaster.

However, when a company adopts PLM-based BOM management, it can automate BOM generation to handle changes. This can be done from the stage when engineers build CAD models and develop the BOM. Any subsequent additions or deletions are handled seamlessly, ensuring that tasks such as production planning, engineering, service, inventory management, procurement, and risk management are all informed with accurate, reliable data.

A PLM-based BOM management solution automatically handles changes

3. ADVANTAGES OF TEAMCENTER X SOLUTION

The cloud-based Teamcenter X SaaS solution offers built-in best practices, managed by the vendor, suitable for a specific industry or configurable by the customer. The result is faster, more accurate BOM creation and management. The platform provides the following benefits:

• Efficiency: Companies can easily customize the integrated best practices to meet their specific BOM-related needs.
• Productivity: The platform includes AI/ML features to help identify workflow issues and minimize collaboration conflicts.
• Rapid deployment: Because these solutions are cloud-based, users can access them from any browser. Companies can purchase a SaaS package and implement the solution with minimal IT support.
• Cost-effective: SaaS PLM subscriptions do not require significant upfront technology investment. Instead, costs are distributed over time.
• Collaboration: Creating a BOM requires input from internal and external stakeholders. Cloud-based SaaS solutions allow easy viewing of technical data without expensive software installations.
• Security: Internal data is always protected, as companies can set their own standards and permissions for both viewing and editing.

SaaS PLM provides fast access to critical features like BOM management with minimal IT support

4. OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSION

Nearly all functional departments in a company rely on the BOM to perform their work. It is critical for companies to collaborate and provide robust management of product changes. Spreadsheets, screenshots, and emails cannot provide stakeholders with a single source of accurate information. Investing in a PLM solution ensures everyone in the company works from the most accurate and up-to-date BOM.

• Modern PLM solutions can easily synchronize multiple data sources to ensure the BOM includes information from all design domains.
• Since the BOM underpins essential tasks across departments, it is crucial that stakeholders can easily access the latest updated version.
• With the right technology platform, the BOM can track product changes and provide accurate data on the different options that need to be manufactured.
• PLM solutions, including cloud-based SaaS options, help companies overcome many BOM creation and management challenges.

Source: Siemens

SDE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD (SDE TECH) was established in 2014. By 2018, we became a Smart Expert Partner – a leading partner of Siemens Digital Industries Software in Southeast Asia – Pacific region for Siemens NX (Unigraphics NX), Simcenter, Solid Edge, Tecnomatix, and Teamcenter solutions.