Running Product Development and Manufacturing Business Using OpenBOM

OpenBOM is a comprehensive collaborative product development platform that includes capabilities to manage data and processes in engineering and manufacturing organizations. It includes a variety of capabilities to manage CAD files, parts, bills of materials (BOMs), inventories, planning the purchase process, and managing vendors. It enables businesses to connect with suppliers, create and manage BOMs, and track inventory. OpenBOM is easy to use and can be accessed online or via integrations with CAD and other software. It is available by subscription which makes it easily available for small and medium-sized businesses. With OpenBOM, business owners can focus on running their business instead of managing product data.

If you run an engineering or manufacturing business, OpenBOM should be a “no-brainer decision” to bring a solution to help you to manage data, and processes and collaborate between people. In my article today, I will give you a brief overview of how OpenBOM can help your organization.

Process and Data

Every manufacturing company regardless of the type of work it does, runs a process that includes phases of design, manufacturing planning, production, sales, maintenance, support, and recycling. Depending on the type of the products and business (eg. manufacturing to stock, configure to order, engineering of custom products for an order), companies might have slightly different needs to support them.

OpenBOM process supports a wide range of activities starting from design (CAD) data management, moving to product lifecycle management including Item, BOM management, and lifecycle control, and moving downstream to production planning and purchasing. It provides an extended set of functions you can normally find in PDM, PLM, and ERP systems. OpenBOM connects and integrates them together, which makes it very different from other solutions.

To support such a wide range of processes, OpenBOM created a multi-tenant data management platform with flexible data management layer to accommodate the needs of different engineering teams, manufacturing companies, contractors, and suppliers. In the picture below you can see a high level of OpenBOM data model objects and services.

Design Data Management And Collaboration

The foundation of the manufacturing business is engineering and product development. The design activities are the beginning of all processes and the major source of information about the products. OpenBOM manages design data (CAD files) and provides seamless integrations with all CAD systems. Check OpenBOM Integrations for more information.

OpenBOM is integrated with desktop and cloud CAD systems. Powerful APIs allow integration with any CAD systems to support customer and partner development. OpenBOM Drive is a PDM service that helps manage CAD files and supports version control and design collaboration.

Item, Product Structure, Lifecycle and Change Management

The core part of OpenBOM functions is to support a comprehensive product lifecycle management including Item Management, Bill of Materials management, change history, revisions, and change management (ECO processes).

OpenBOM developed a unique flexible data model capable of modeling any product information and control changes. OpenBOM patented collaborative BOM management allows multiple people from development, supply chain, contractors, and suppliers to work together by instantly sharing information and managing changes.

Vendors, Supply Chain Sourcing, Production Planning, and POs

OpenBOM supports downstream processes to plan production and purchasing. It includes Item Master data management including, vendors, multiple sources (suppliers), cost management, inventory control, and batch production planning. OpenBOM allows the generation of orders, managing RFQ, and purchasing processes, including POs, and receive functions.

What do Customers Say?

At OpenBOM we created a new type of user experience for all customers that starts from online information about products, videos, training library, and blogs. You can register online and test OpenBOM’s full functionality for 14- days. Onboarding training and online support combined with ongoing product development and new functionality create a unique user experience. Learn more about it in OpenBOM customer stories and G2 reviews.

Conclusion

OpenBOM provides a comprehensive integrated data management solution that covers multiple processes for engineering, product lifecycle, and production planning. It has a flexible data model, integrated with major design, engineering, and enterprise systems and capabilities to support businesses in a variety of industries – automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, high-tech, medical devices, constructions, consumer products, and the process industry.

REGISTER FOR FREE and start a 14-day trial to check how OpenBOM can help you.

Best, Oleg