Bill of Materials

A Part may be an assembly of other Parts keeping them in a Bill of Materials (BOM). A BOM is a list of components, parts, materials, other assemblies, and the quantities of each that are needed to put together this Part. A BOM is sometimes called a parts list, product structure, or associated list. In process industries, it is also known as a formula, recipe, or ingredients list.

A Part with a BOM is a Parent that has Parts as Children. In technical terms, it is a Part that has Part BOM Relationships to other Parts. A Child can be a single Part or another assembly (Parent) creating a multi-level BOM structure.

A Part may have Alternates. Alternates are Parts that can replace this Part globally in the scope of a company. For more details on this topic, refer to section 6.7 Alternates. A Part can have Substitutes, which are Parts that can replace this Part in a specific BOM only. For more details on this topic, refer to section 6.8 Substitutes.

A Child Part can be used in a Parent multiple times. Each of the child instances may need to be identified individually to provide its specific X, Y and Z coordinates or Reference Designation information. Use the Instances tab of a BOM relationship to specify instance information.

The Goals of a Parent Part are automatically rolled up from all its Children. For more details on Goals, refer to section 6.11 Design Goals.

A Part BOM relationship is a relationship between a Parent Part and its Child Part defined in the BOM relationships accordion tab of the Parent Part.

To view a Part BOM relationship:

1. Open the Parent Part item.
2. Go to the BOM tab.
3. In the BOM grid, right-click a Child → BOM → Open. The view of the Part BOM relationship between the Parent and the Child appears.



• Quantity – The number of Parts used in the assembly.
• Part Number– The part number.
• Reference Designator – Used primarily in electronic assemblies to list labels of each Instance.

The relationships accordion of the Part BOM contains three tabs:

• Instances – Refer to section 6.6 Instances for details.
• Substitutes – Refer to section 6.8 Substitutes for details.
• Effectivity – Refer to section 6.10 Effectivity Management for details.

A multi-level BOM is a structure of Parts and is often designed to be configurable. This approach enables you to have a single product structure for numerous product configurations.

Aras Innovator provides functionality to resolve a BOM structure using:

• Structure Resolution, which identifies Part versions depending on a Resolution Mode. Refer to section 6.9 Applying Structure Resolution Modes for details.
• Effectivity, which identifies valid Parts to be used under different conditions. Refer to section 6.10 Effectivity Management for details.

To view the BOM Structure for a Parent Part:

1. Open the Parent Part.
2. Go to the BOM Structure accordion tab of a Parent Part.

There are two ways to set up a BOM Relationship:

• Create all the necessary Children and then create a Parent and populate the BOM tab with its Children. This approach builds a new assembly using existing Parts and is outlined in 6.3.1 Creating a BOM from Existing Parts.
• Create a Parent and then create its Children using the BOM tab. This approach is convenient for populating nested BOMs or creating BOM structures quickly without getting into the details of each Child. However, it is still necessary to complete each Child later. This approach is outlined in 6.3.2 Creating a BOM from the BOM tab.

This approach is used for building a new assembly using existing Parts. With this approach, all necessary Children are created prior to creating the Parent Part and populating the BOM tab of the Parent Part with Children. This section assumes that a Parent Part and all necessary Children exist.

To set up a BOM:

1. Open the Parent Part.
2. On the Parent toolbar, click Edit.
3. Go to the BOM accordion tab.
4. Click Add Parts. The Search dialogappears.
5. Search for and select the necessary Children to be added to the BOM table.
6. Enter relationship information, such as Quantity and Reference Designator, as needed. Double-click the Quantity cells of each Child and enter the required quantity.
7. Click Save or Done. The BOM is created.

This approach is convenient for populating nested BOMs or creating BOM structures quickly without getting into the details of each Child. With this approach, all Children are created directly from within the BOM tab. Note that you still need to complete the details for each Child later. This section assumes that a Parent Part is created.

To set up a BOM:

1. Open the Parent Part.
2. On the Parent toolbar, click Edit.
3. Go to the BOM accordion tab.
4. Click New Part. A new row appears in the BOM table.



5. Click the Part Number cell and enter a unique part number for the Child.
Note
The Part Number must be unique. It is the only required Part property provided by the user.
6. Enter any additional data by clicking on the corresponding cell in the BOM table. Refer to section 5.1 Creating a Part for a description of the Part fields.
7. Click Save or Done. The BOM and the Children are created.

You can update an existing BOM to add, replace, or remove Children from the BOM.

To add new Children to an existing BOM, refer to section 6.3 Setting up a BOM.

To replace Children in a BOM:

1. Open the Parent Part.
2. On the Parent toolbar, click Edit.
3. Go to the BOM accordion tab.
4. Right-click the Child to be replaced and then click Replace. The Search dialogappears.
5. Search for and select a replacement Part. The Child in the BOM is replaced with the Part selected. The BOM relationship data, such as Quantity and Reference Designator, is retained.
6. Click Save or Done. The Children are replaced.

To remove Children from a BOM:

1. Open the Parent Part.
2. Click Edit on the Parent toolbar.
3. Go to the BOM accordion tab.
4. Click on the Child or Children to be deleted and then click Delete Part BOM.
5. Click Save or Done. The selected Children are removed from the BOM.

To edit Children (related Parts) from the Parent BOM:

1. Open the Parent Part.
2. Click Edit on the Parent toolbar.
3. Go to the BOM accordion tab.
4. Right-click a Child and click Edit. The Child becomes claimed, and its row becomes editable. Enter any edits by clicking on the corresponding cell in the BOM table.
5. Right-clicking on the Child and clicking Discard Changeswill discard any changes. The Child becomes unclaimed, its properties are rolled back, and its row becomes read-only.
Note
After you save the Child’s Parent, the Child remains claimed with all new data saved. It is possible to continue editing the Child in its row, but it is not possible to discard this data.
6. Right-click the Child Part and then click Done Editing. The Child becomes unclaimed, its row becomes read-only, and its new property values are saved.
7. Click Done on the toolbar of Child’s Parent to save your changes.
Note
To edit properties that are not present in the BOM table, right-click the Child Part and then click Open. The Child Part form appears allowing you to edit those properties.
8. Click Save or Done to save your changes.

A Parent Part can have multiple Instances of the same Child in its BOM. It may be necessary to identify information about each instance. For example, an assembly (Parent) can be fastened using several of the same bolt. It may be needed to specify the location of each instance.

The Part BOM form contains the Instances relationship tab. This relationship tab displays the properties of each Child Part Instance for its identification in a BOM:

• Reference Designator – This is a unique Instance label. The Reference Designator data is used primarily in electronic diagrams. For example, a circuit board consists of four Instances of the same resistor. Each Instance has its own Reference Designator to identify it unambiguously within the electrical schematic or on the printed circuit board.
• X – This is an X coordinate of Instance location in the assembly.
• Y – This is a Y coordinate of Instance location in the assembly.
• Z – This is a Z coordinate of Instance location in the assembly.
• Angle – This is an angle of Instance location in the assembly.
• Side – This is from where (Top or Bottom) the Instance location is measured.

To specify Instances of a Child Part in a BOM:

1. Claim the Parent Part.
2. Open the Part BOM relationship as described in 6.1 Part BOM Relationships.
3. Click Edit on the Part BOM toolbar.
4. Click New BOM Instance on the Instances relationship accordion toolbar. A new row appears in the Instances table.
5. Click on the corresponding cell in the row to enter the appropriate information.
6. If it is necessary to remove an Instance:
1. Click the Instance to select it.
2. Click Delete BOM Instance on the Instances relationship accordion toolbar.
3. On the Part BOM toolbar, click Save. The Instance disappears.
Note
The Instance disappears immediately if you do not save the Part BOM after it was added.

7. On the Part BOM view, in the Reference Designator text box, enter a comma-separated list of Reference Designators for all the Instances.



8. On the Part BOM toolbar, click Done.
9. Go to the Parent Part form. The list of Instances is displayed in the corresponding Child’s row.



10. Unclaim the Parent Part.

A Part may have an Alternate Part that can replace it globally. A Part is interchangeable with its Alternate regardless of where the Part is used in BOM structures.

The presence of an Alternate in a Part is for informational purposes only. To replace a Part with its Alternate in a BOM, you must follow the Child Part replacement procedure outlined in section 6.4.2. Replacing Children.

To add an existing Part to another Part as an Alternate:

1. Open the Part where the Alternate will be added.
2. Click Edit on the Part toolbar.
3. Go to the Alternates relationship tab.
4. Click Add Parts on the Alternates accordion toolbar. The Search dialogappears.
5. Search for and select a Part to add as an Alternate for the current Part.
6. Click Save or Done on the Part toolbar.

To create a new Part and add it to another Part as an Alternate:

1. Open the Part where the Alternate will be added.
2. Click Edit on the Part toolbar.
3. Go to the Alternates relationship tab.
4. Click New Part on the Alternates accordion toolbar. A blank row appears in the Alternates grid.



5. Click the Part Number cell to specify a unique part number for the new Part.
6. If it is necessary to provide additional data, click the corresponding cell and enter the data.
7. Click Save or Done on the Part toolbar.

To replace an Alternate in a Part:

1. Open the Part where the Alternate will be added.
2. Click Edit on the Part toolbar.
3. Go to the Alternates relationship tab.
4. Right-click the Alternate and then click Replace. The Search dialogappears.
5. Search for and select a replacement Alternate Part.
6. Click Save or Done on the Part toolbar.

To remove an Alternate from a Part:

1. Open the Part where the Alternate will be added.
2. Click Edit on the Part toolbar.
3. Go to the Alternates relationship tab.
4. Click the Alternate and then click Delete Part Alternate on the Alternates relationship tab toolbar.
5. Click Save or Done on the Part toolbar.

A Part may have a Substitute Part that can replace it only in specific BOM structures.

The presence of a Substitute in a BOM is for informational purposes only. To replace a Part with its Substitute in a BOM, you must follow the Child Part replacement procedure outlined in section 6.4.2 Replacing Children.

To add a Substitute Part for a Child Part in a BOM:

1. Claim the Parent Part.
2. Open the Part BOM relationship as described in 6.1 Part BOM Relationships.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Substitutes tab, click Add Parts on the accordion toolbar. The Search dialog appears.
5. Search for and select a Part to be added as a Substitute for the current Part.
6. Click Done on the Part BOM toolbar.
7. Unclaim the Parent.

To create a new Part and add it as a Substitute Part for a Child Part in a BOM:

1. Claim the Parent Part.
2. Open the Part BOM relationship as described in 6.1 Part BOM Relationships.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Substitutes tab, click New Part on the Substitutes accordion toolbar. A blank row appears in the Substitutes grid.



5. Click the Part Number cell to specify a unique part number for the new Part.
6. If it is necessary to provide additional data, click the corresponding cell and enter the data.
7. Click Save or Done on the Part toolbar.

To replace a Substitute in a Part:

1. Claim the Parent Part.
2. Open the Part BOM relationship as described in 6.1 Part BOM Relationships.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Substitutes tab, right-click the Substitute and then click Replace. The Search dialogappears.
5. Search for and select a replacement Substitute Part.
6. Click Done on the Part BOM toolbar.
7. Unclaim the Parent.

To remove a Substitute from a Part:

1. Claim the Parent Part.
2. Open the Part BOM relationship as described in 6.1 Part BOM Relationships.
3. Click Edit.
4. In the Substitutes tab, click the Substitute and then click Delete BOM Substitute on the Substitutes accordion toolbar.
5. Click Save or Done on the Part toolbar.
6. Unclaim the Parent.

The following Structure Resolution Modes are available to dynamically resolve a multi-level Part BOM structure using item versions as specified in the Resolution Mode:

• Default– The version of the related Part as stored on the Part BOM Relationship is used. This is the standard resolution.
• Latest– The latest version of the related Part is used in the resolution.
• Latest Released– The latest Released version of the related Part is used in the resolution.
• Latest Released or Latest– The latest Released version of the related Part is used in the resolution. If there are no Released versions of the related Part, then the latest version is used.

To apply a Structure Resolution Mode to a BOM structure:

1. Open the Part.

In the BOM Structure accordion tab, click Parameters



.

2. Select thedesired Structure Resolution Mode in the Value drop-down list of the StructureResolutionMode row of the Parameters dialog.



4. Click Apply. The BOM is resolved to a Part structure according to the selected Mode.

To explain how different Resolution Modes work, this section uses a set of Parts that have multiple versions as follows:

• Child A: A – Released; B – Preliminary
• Child A.1: A – Preliminary
• Child A.2: A, B, C – Released
• Child A.3: A, B – Released; C – Preliminary
• Child B: A, B – Released
• Child B.1: A – Released
• Child B.2: A, B, C – Released; D – Preliminary
• Child C: A – Preliminary
• Child C.1: A – Preliminary
• Child C.2: A, B – Released

From these Parts, a simple BOM structure example is created as described in the following table. A simple BOM example

The Default Resolution Mode uses the versions of related child Parts as stored on the BOM Relationships. This is the standard resolution in Aras Innovator. The following image shows the resolved structure when the Default resolution mode is selected:

When the Latest resolution mode is selected, the structure is resolved starting from the top using the latest versions of child items. When a child item is resolved to its latest version, then its child items are resolved using this resolution mode. This is done recursively. The Latest resolution mode does not consider the release state of the child Parts. The following image shows the resolved structure when Latest resolution mode is selected:

The latest revision D of Child B.2 is shown where this Part version is in the Preliminary state.

When the Latest Released resolution mode is selected, the structure is resolved starting from the top using the latest versions of child items that are in Released state. When the child item is resolved to its latest Released version, then its child items are resolved using this resolution mode. This is done recursively. If the related child item has no versions that are in Released state, then a blank row is displayed for that item. There is no further processing on that item. The following image shows the resolved structure when Latest Released resolution mode is selected:

The latest Released versions of child Parts are resolved. A blank row is displayed for Child C because it has no version that is in the Released state.

When the Latest Released or Latest resolution mode is selected, the structure is resolved starting from the top using the latest versions of child items that are in Released state. If there are no versions that are in Released state, then the latest version is used. When the child item is resolved to a version, then its child items are resolved using this resolution mode. This is done recursively. The following image shows the resolved structure when Latest Released or Latest resolution mode is selected:

The latest Released versions of child Parts are resolved. Child C does not have any version that is in the Released state. Therefore, its latest Preliminary version is resolved.

Effectivity Management is incorporated into Part BOM Structures. Using effectivity, conditions for which to include or exclude items in specific configurations can be expressed. The PE application provides commonly used effectivity variables out-of-the-box along with the ability to easily add additional effectivity variables. Effectivity scopes organize lists of relevant effectivity variables. For example, if one product uses Model and Unit effectivity and another uses Model, Lot, and Date effectivity, two different effectivity scopes can be created. The PE application provides an Aras Part BOM Scope with Model, Unit and Date variables. Additional effectivity scopes and variables can be created by an Administrator. The following table defines terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used for Effectivity in the PE application. Effectivity Terminology

To access the Effectivity Services, go to Contents → Administration → Effectivity Services.

Effectivity, which is set on Part BOM relationships, can be viewed from the BOM Structure tab. To view an Effectivity on a multi-level BOM:

1. Open the BOM Structure tab of the Part.
2. BOM Effectivities are displayed in the Effectivity column.



3. To view full details, right-click a BOM row → View Effectivity. The Manage Effectivity Expressions split pane appears on the right side of the BOM Structure tab with a list of effectivities set on the selected BOM.

Multiple Effectivities can be set on a single Part BOM Relationship. These Effectivities can use the same or a different Effectivity Scope depending on how your business uses multiple Effectivities. To set Effectivity on a BOM using the Part Item view:

In the Manage Effectivity Expressions split pane, click Create effectivity

. The Effectivity Expression dialog appears.

1. Set the Effectivity Scope field by either typing or using the ellipsis to search for an Effectivity Scope.
2. Enter your Effectivity Expression in the Effectivity Expression text field.
Note
Aras Innovator supports both simple and complex Effectivity Expressions using the free-form Boolean expression language. Effectivity Expressions can be created using Boolean operators, like equal, greater than and equal, less than and equal, not, and, and or. The Effectivity Expression editor provides guided editing user interface as an Effectivity Expression is entered.
3. Click Apply.

To update Effectivity on a BOM: In the Manage Effectivity Expressions split pane, right-click on an Effectivity → Edit Effectivity. Update the Effectivity Expression as required. Click Apply. The updated Effectivity Expression appears in the Manage Effectivity Expressions split pane. The updated Effectivity Expression is set on the BOM.

To remove an Effectivity from a BOM with the help of a Part Item view:

1. In the Manage Effectivity Expressions split pane, click on the Effectivity to be deleted.

Click Delete effectivity



.

2. In the confirmation dialog, click OKto delete the effectivity.

When no Effectivity Criteria is yet specified, the unfiltered BOM structure is displayed. The unfiltered BOM structure can contain extra Parts. In the example below, Parts for two different models are both included.

To resolve a BOM by Effectivity:

1. On the BOM Structure toolbar, click Set Effectivity Criteria. The Effectivity Criteria Filter dialog appears.
2. Click the ellipsis in the Scope field.
3. Search for and select a proper Effectivity Scope. The selected Effectivity Scope populates the Scope field and Effectivity Variables of this Scope appear as editable rows.



4. Provide the Effectivity Criteria you need to resolve the BOM structure in the Value cells of the Effectivity Variables.
Note
It is possible to resolve a structure either fully or partially. To fully-resolve a structure, a value must be entered for every effectivity variable on the Effectivity Criteria Filter dialog for the selected scope. To resolve a structure partially, one or more effectivity variable values can be left blank. When left blank, those effectivity variables are ignored while evaluating if the Part BOM relationship is effective.
5. Click Apply.
Note
If the effectivities set within the BOM structure use more than one effectivity scope, then during structure resolution, the effectivities are evaluated for the scope selected on the Effectivity Criteria Filter dialog.If there are multiple effectivities set on a single Part BOM relationship, they are evaluated using OR logic during structure resolution. This means that if at least one of the effectivities set on the relationship meet the effectivity criteria, the child item is evaluated as effective for the Parent and displayed in the resolved structure. IF your business requires evaluating such cases using AND logic, an administrator can change the configuration.
6. To return to the unfiltered structure, remove the Effectivity Criteria:
7. On the BOM Structure toolbar, click Set Effectivity Criteria.
8. Click Clear.
9. Click Apply.

You can add design goals to a Part item using the Goals tab in the relationship accordion. A design goal is either defined by cost or weight. The supplied values for each Child Part can then be used in a part structure to calculate the cost of a Parent Part. To add a design goal for a Part:

1. Open the Part.
2. Click Edit.
3. Go to the Goals tab.
4. Click New Part Goal on the Goals relationships toolbar. A new row appears in the Goals table.



5. Enter the appropriate values for each cell of the new row:
• Goal – (Required) Cost or Weight.
• Target – The design target value for the cost or weight.
• Estimate – The estimated value for the cost or weight.
• Calculated – The roll-up calculated value for the cost or weight based on the child component values in the BOM. This value is not editable.
• Actual – The actual value for the cost or weight. For cost, this may be the value that was negotiated with the vendor. For weight, this may be the value resulting from a measurement.
• Comments – Remarks about the design goal.
Note
Goals and their calculations do not have a unit of measure. Their values must be entered in the same units.

6. Click Save to save your changes.

Costs are entered as either Target, Estimate, Calculated, or Actual. Based on the values supplied in the design goal, a calculated cost/weight rollup will occur automatically for a BOM. To initiate a roll up, you must specify at least a Target on the parent. The calculated value is determined using the values supplied in the design goal based on the following hierarchy from lowest to highest accuracy: Target, Estimated, Calculated, Actual. In other words:

• If the Target and Estimated values are supplied, then the Estimated value is used.
• If the Target, Estimated and Calculated values are supplied, the Calculated value of the part is used.
• If Actual value is specified, it overrides any of the other values defined.

Specifying only Target values on the child parts will prevent a roll-up calculation. As long as the children cost goal values are Target, they do not alter the parent’s goal value. The Target goal for the Parent will remain as long as there is at least one child part that has only a Target value for its cost goal. However, as soon as all children have an Estimated or Actual goal value, the parent’s value changes to Calculated. The parent’s Goal value is automatically re-calculated whenever any Child has a Goal changed. In the following example, Parent Part contains two immediate children: Child A and Child B.

Child A has a Target cost goal of 10.00, and an Estimated goal of 15.00, but the Actual cost is 17.00. Actual cost is used for the rollup calculation. Child B has an Estimated cost goal of 14.00 so that is used for the rollup calculation. If a user supplies an Actual cost goal to Child B, then this value will be used for the rollup calculation. To initiate a roll up, you must specify at least a Target on the parent. A user then assigns a cost goal on Parent Part with an Estimated goal of 30.00. Now the calculated cost of Parent Part appears automatically and is 31.00.

To present complex multi-level BOMs in a well-organized layout, Aras Innovator provides four standard types of Reports:

• Multilevel BOM Report – Shows all Parts of a BOM with their position in the hierarchy and their quantity.
• BOM Quantity Rollup Report – Shows total quantities of all Parts of a BOM.
• BOM Costing Report – Calculates the cost of a Parent from Actual or Estimated Costs of its Children.
• Part Circular Reference Report – Detects Circular References in a BOM.

To access these standard Reports, either:

• Go to Contents →Parts→ Search Parts, right-click on a Part → Reports.

Open a Part, and on the Part toolbar, click Reports



, and then select the Report you need.

To print a Report, use the Print button

available in the top left corner of each Report tab. The print button uses standard browser print function. Depending on the browser and your specific configuration, various print choices, such as printing to a printer or saving to PDF, are available.

The Multilevel BOM Report shows a BOM hierarchy where you can see the properties for each Part: BOM level, Quantity, AML Status, Manufacturer, and Manufacturer Part.

The BOM Quantity Rollup Report displays a list of BOM Parts where for each Part displays the total quantity required for this BOM.

The BOM Costing Report shows the Cost Goal Rollup for a given BOM where each Part displays its level in the BOM and its properties at that level: Quantity, Cost value, and Cost Basis.

A circular reference occurs in a series of parts or assemblies where a Child Part adds its Parent Part to its own BOM, causing an “infinite” series of references. For example, a circular reference would occur if there is a Parent Part that has two Children A and B and a user were to edit Child A to add the Parent Part to its BOM. The BOM Relationship from Child A to the Parent Part creates a Circular Reference in this case. When the Circular Reference Report is run, it detects these cases in a BOM structure, indicating where the circular references occur.

If there are no Circular References in a BOM, the Circular Reference Report displays an appropriate message.

To compare complex multi-level BOMs side-by-side, Aras Innovator provides the Structure Browser. Refer to section 11.2 Comparing Items for information about comparing BOMs. All examples in that section are applicable to BOMs and Parts.

Aras Innovator offers the Where Used feature to determine where an Item is used by other Items. Refer to section 11.1 Finding Where an Item is Used for information about how to find out where a Part is used. All examples in that section are applicable to BOMs and Parts.

Columns in the BOM Structure accordion tab can be sorted in ascending or descending order by clicking on the column headers. Sorting is applied to each BOM level recursively. When a level of Parts is sorted, then children of each Part are sorted within this Part.

To sort across multiple columns, press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking on the column headers.