Go-Anywhere Power: How Xponent Power Uses OpenBOM to Build Sustainable Energy Solutions

Introduction: A Vision Beyond Generators

Imagine being outdoors with your family, listening to the quiet rustle of trees and the songs of birds, only to have that moment shattered by the roar of a generator. For many people who camp, travel in RVs, or live off-grid, this has been the unfortunate reality.

When Rohini Raghunathan founded Xponent Power in 2018–2019, her mission was to solve this problem once and for all. She envisioned a clean, quiet alternative that would eliminate both the noise and the harmful emissions of traditional generators. This bold idea required not only technical innovation but also a disciplined way to manage the complexity of designing and delivering such a product.

At the center of this discipline is OpenBOM, which has become the core foundation for organizing product information and processes at Xponent Power. From eliminating inefficient methods like Excel and email, to ensuring the right information flows reliably from engineering to production and procurement, OpenBOM has been pivotal in transforming Xponent Power’s vision into a tangible, sustainable reality.

About Xponent Power: Clean, Quiet Energy for Modern Living

Xponent Power is driven by a simple but powerful vision: to replace outdated and disruptive generator technology with modern, sustainable alternatives. Their innovations bring together mechanical systems, electrical design, and sustainability principles, offering solutions that allow people to enjoy outdoor experiences without the environmental or sensory burden of conventional power sources.

The company’s founding principle reflects Rohini Raghunathan’s leadership—innovation paired with discipline. Developing new energy solutions requires more than breakthrough engineering; it demands the ability to manage a complex product lifecycle, where dozens or hundreds of components must come together seamlessly.

Like many early-stage companies, Xponent Power initially relied on emails and spreadsheets to manage product data. But as the product matured and complexity grew, these methods quickly became bottlenecks.

Video: Xponent Power’s Story in Their Own Words

Sometimes the best way to understand a company’s journey is to hear it directly from them. In this short video, Xponent Power shares how OpenBOM has been central to their product development process—helping them replace inefficient tools with a disciplined, collaborative, and error-free approach to managing product data.

🎥 Watch the video: Xponent Power Customer Story

The video highlights:

• Rohini Raghunathan’s vision to eliminate noisy, polluting generators.
• The pain points of traditional workflows using email and Excel.
• How OpenBOM became the single source of truth for managing mechanical systems and revisions.
• The cultural impact—instilling discipline and collaboration across the team.
  

The Challenge: Chaos of Email and Excel

Startups are known for moving fast, but moving fast with the wrong tools can be costly. For Xponent Power, early reliance on email chains and Excel spreadsheets created significant risks:

• Version Confusion – Which spreadsheet had the correct revision? Which attachment was the latest CAD model?
• Error-Prone Processes – Sending outdated files to suppliers or manufacturers risked rework and wasted time.
• Lack of Traceability – Changes weren’t properly captured, making it difficult to track how and why designs evolved.
• Collaboration Gaps – Team members wasted valuable time reconciling differences instead of focusing on innovation.

This fragmented way of working not only slowed down engineering but also threatened the company’s ability to scale. A small error in revision control could cause major problems in procurement and production. To fulfill their mission, Xponent Power needed a single source of truth that everyone—from design to production—could rely on.

The Solution: OpenBOM as the Core Foundation

To bring order to the chaos, Xponent Power implemented OpenBOM, a cloud-native platform designed to manage product information across the entire lifecycle. What started as a tool for organizing Bills of Materials quickly became the backbone of their engineering and manufacturing processes.

Here’s how OpenBOM transformed their workflows:

1. Single Source of Truth
   OpenBOM replaced scattered spreadsheets and email threads with a centralized, cloud-based database. Every component, assembly, and system lives in one structured environment. This ensures the entire team works from the same reliable data, reducing errors and confusion.
   
2. Structured Revision Control
   Instead of manual file naming or informal versioning, OpenBOM provided disciplined revision management. Every change (“delta”) is clearly captured and merged with existing product structures. This systematic approach guarantees that the right information is always released from engineering to procurement and production.
   
3. Error-Free Releases
   Perhaps most importantly, OpenBOM eliminated one of the most painful risks: releasing the wrong files. With OpenBOM, Xponent Power has achieved zero errors in file issuance—a milestone that saves time, reduces cost, and builds trust with suppliers and partners.
   
4. User-Friendly Collaboration
   Adoption is often the hardest part of new systems, but OpenBOM’s intuitive design made it easy for Xponent Power’s team to embrace. Engineers, managers, and procurement staff can all access the same data, enabling transparent communication and smooth handoffs between departments.

By adopting OpenBOM, Xponent Power not only solved their immediate data management problems but also laid the groundwork for scaling production with confidence.

The Results: From Discipline to Innovation

The impact of OpenBOM on Xponent Power has been both practical and cultural.

• Accuracy and Confidence
  With disciplined revision control, the team no longer worries about sending the wrong file or working from outdated data. OpenBOM guarantees that the right version is always at hand.
  
• Collaboration Across Teams
  Mechanical, electrical, and operations teams can collaborate without friction. Procurement can trust that the BOM they receive reflects the latest approved design, reducing errors and delays.
  
• Time Savings
  Engineers spend less time reconciling spreadsheets or searching for files, and more time focusing on design and innovation.
  
• Zero Errors in Release
  To date, Xponent Power has achieved a flawless track record of releasing the correct information—a rarity in fast-moving startups.
  

Most importantly, OpenBOM has instilled discipline in the organization. As Rohini’s vision continues to guide the company, OpenBOM ensures that innovation is built on a solid foundation of accuracy and process.

Looking Ahead: Scaling with Confidence

Xponent Power’s story is still being written, but one thing is clear: with OpenBOM as its digital backbone, the company is well-positioned for growth. As they scale operations, expand into new markets, and bring additional sustainable products to life, they can do so without sacrificing the accuracy and discipline that are now embedded in their processes.

OpenBOM’s flexible architecture also opens doors for the future—supporting integrations with ERP, enabling multi-view BOMs through the xBOM service, and providing the scalability needed for global supply chains.

For startups like Xponent Power, these capabilities are critical. They allow a small but ambitious company to operate with the same level of rigor as established enterprises—without the overhead of traditional PLM systems.

Why OpenBOM Works for Startups

Xponent Power’s journey illustrates why OpenBOM resonates so strongly with startups:

• It delivers enterprise-grade discipline without enterprise complexity.
• It scales as companies grow, supporting both immediate needs and long-term ambitions.
• It provides accessibility through initiatives like OpenBOM for Startups, which helps young companies implement strong product data management practices early.

Other companies exploring OpenBOM can also learn from Xponent Power’s success by reviewing Customer Stories and insights from the OpenBOM Blog.

Conclusion: Innovation Backed by Discipline

Xponent Power began with a vision to eliminate noisy, polluting generators and replace them with clean, quiet energy solutions. Thanks to the leadership of Rohini Raghunathan and the adoption of OpenBOM, that vision is becoming reality.

By moving beyond outdated methods like email and Excel, and embracing OpenBOM as their core foundation for organizing product information and processes, Xponent Power has built a culture of discipline and accuracy that matches their innovation.

The result is a company ready to scale, delivering sustainable energy products that protect both nature’s quiet and the planet’s future.

👉 Ready to transform your engineering and production workflows?

REGISTER FOR FREE and learn more about OpenBOM solutions for startups and innovators at openbom.com.