OpenBOM for Siemens NX: From Assemblies to Planning BOMs in One Click

I’m super excited to share more information for users of Siemens NX. Siemens NX is great for complex products. But once the design is done, there’s often a familiar moment of friction – getting that design out of NX and into a format the rest of the team can use. Whether it’s a BOM for procurement, a drawing for the shop floor, or a cost roll-up for planning, the gap between CAD and operations can be a real time sink. Working in small engineering teams and collaborating with contractors and suppliers can be messy. That’s exactly the kind of problem we set out to solve with OpenBOM for Siemens NX.

This new integration, coming in our June update, brings together the power of NX with the flexibility and real-time collaboration of OpenBOM. It’s a way to make your product data flow naturally from design to the rest of the organization—without the copy-paste routine.

Let me show you what’s new.

Integrated Right Inside Siemens NX

We’ve built a native add-in that works directly with NX assemblies, parts, and drawings. Once installed, it just lives inside your NX environment—no jumping between tools, no awkward file conversions. You can create and update BOMs right from where you’re working.

One Click = Structured, Visual BOM

With a single click, OpenBOM pulls your product structure into a clean, multi-level BOM. You’ll get indented assemblies, rolled-up quantities, and even thumbnails of each part, so it’s easy for everyone to see what’s what.

Attach PDFs, STEP, DXF — All the Files Your Team Needs

Need to include a drawing PDF or a STEP file? OpenBOM automatically generates these derivatives and links them right into the BOM. So your team downstream—whether in manufacturing, purchasing, or support—can find everything they need in one place.

You Choose What Data Goes In

Not every NX property belongs in a BOM. That’s why we give you full control over what properties to include, and you can skip anything that’s empty or irrelevant. It’s all about making sure your BOM is tailored and useful.

Vendor Info, Costs, and Mass — Rolled Up Automatically

If you’re tracking cost, mass, or supplier info in NX, OpenBOM will bring that in and automatically roll it up to the top-level assembly. You’ll know your total cost, total weight, and who’s making what—without touching a spreadsheet.

From BOM to Planning in a Click

Once your BOM is ready, you can easily move it into a Planning BOM or even start a Purchase Order. It’s a smooth handoff from design to procurement, and it saves a lot of back-and-forth.

Need to Add Glue or Labels? No Problem.

Sometimes you need to add things that aren’t in your CAD model—adhesives, tape, packaging, you name it. OpenBOM lets you edit the BOM freely, so you can add rows and columns on the fly without breaking anything.

Complex Part Numbers? Custom Metadata? We’ve Got You Covered.

OpenBOM understands how NX handles metadata and part numbering, and we built the add-in to support even the most customized environments. You can map and manage all that data without losing fidelity.

Push Parts and Assemblies to Catalogs

If you’re managing a reusable part library (and who isn’t?), you can send parts or assemblies directly from NX into an OpenBOM Catalog. It helps keep everything organized across projects and makes reuse easier.

Design Projects – Managing CAD Versions 

You can manage CAD and other files in projects and revisions, and collaborative access control (lock/unlock – a modern version of check-in/out) 

Coming Soon: Try It in June

We’re putting the finishing touches on the OpenBOM for Siemens NX add-in now, and it will be included in our June update. If you use NX and are curious to try it, we’d love to talk. We’re offering a special adoption program and working directly with NX users to make sure the experience is smooth and valuable from day one. Want to learn more? Just reach out to our support team — we’re happy to help.

Best, Oleg