BOM templates you save time and effort creating manual BOMs from scratch.  If you’d like to reuse a BOM as a template for other BOMs, this feature is for you.  Here’s how you create a simple BOM template.  You’ll also learn how to reuse them to create a new BOM.

(1) Click the “Save as template” button within a BOM view.

(2) Enter a template name, e.g. “Manufacturing BOM”.  Select from one or more of the following template options and click “Save“:

• keep data. The template will keep the data in the current BOM.  Use this option if you want to reuse the data in the BOM when using the template to create a new BOM.
• customizable. Use this option to allow the BOM created from this template to be modified, i.e., properties can be added and removed.  Otherwise, BOM attributes remain immutable.
• inventory configuration. This option keeps assigned inventories and added properties thereof when a BOM is created with this template.  More information with an example using this option is available, here.

Note: Once saved, template options cannot be changed.a

Example 1: Creating a BOM using a customizable template.  A new BOM is created from a template that permits the BOM to be modified.

(1) Assign the template a name and check “customizable“. Click “Save” when done.

(2) When creating a new BOM, assign a name to the BOM and below that, select the template you created from the drop-down menu, e.g. Manufacturing BOM. Click “Create BOM” when done.

(3) Your new BOM will contain all the properties captured in the template from the original BOM the template was created from AND will be customizable such that you can add and remove properties as desired.

Example 2: Creating a BOM using a customizable template that “remembers” the data from the original BOM.  Once created, you can add additional items and properties to the BOM.  And of course, you can add and change the values of any BOM attribute as desired.

(1) Assign the template a name and check both “keep data” and “customizable“. Click “Save” when done.

(2) When creating a new BOM, assign a name to the BOM and below that, select the template you created from the drop-down menu, e.g. Engineering BOM. Click “Create BOM” when done.

(3) Your new BOM will contain all the properties captured in the template from the original BOM the template was created from, will be customizable such that you can add and remove properties as desired AND data from the original BOM will persist (also modifiable). NOTE: Templates do not persist Thumbnail images.