Introduction to OpenBOM PLM

Best Practices Guide

Optimizing Your Product Design and Development with OpenBOM PLM

Incorporating OpenBOM PLM into your product design and development process isn’t just about adopting a new tool; it’s about enhancing your entire product lifecycle management process. Our platform is meticulously designed to deliver seamless integration, ensuring that the transition is smooth and disruption-free for your team.

As a CXO, Product Manager, or NPD/NPI Leader in a SME manufacturing enterprise, you recognize the value of efficiency and adaptability. OpenBOM PLM not only streamlines your operations but also provides the flexibility needed to stay agile in today’s dynamic market landscape.

Welcome to a new era of productivity and innovation with OpenBOM PLM.

Understanding OpenBOM

OpenBOM is not just another software; it’s your passport to the future of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). 

Fig 1 – OpenBOM Introduction

 

With OpenBOM, you get:

  • Comprehensive Solution: OpenBOM combines the functionalities of CAD, PDM, PLM, and MRP in one powerful platform.
  • SaaS Model: Access your data anytime, anywhere, with just an internet connection—no upfront infrastructure needed.
  • Multi-Tenant Architecture: OpenBOM allows multiple companies to use the software at the same time and easily share data, much like how you share and edit documents in Google Docs. This ensures everyone can collaborate smoothly and efficiently without any interruptions. 
  • Simple User Interface: Navigate and operate with ease, thanks to an intuitive interface that resembles your favorite spreadsheet.

Fig 2 – OpenBOM User Interface

Value of OpenBOM

  • Immediate Return on Value and Investment: 

Experience increased efficiency, productivity, and collaboration from day one, ensuring that every investment in OpenBOM yields tangible value.

  • Seamless Integration: 

Effortlessly integrates into your existing workflows without disruptions, allowing for a smooth transition and maximizing productivity.

  • Tailored Solutions: 

Customize OpenBOM to align perfectly with your unique business requirements, ensuring that the platform adapts to your needs rather than the other way around.

  • Trusted Security: 

OpenBOM’s SOC2 Type 2 certification ensures your data is in safe hands, providing peace of mind and confidence in the security of your information.

“Discover how Corvus Robotics, a YC-backed startup, revolutionizes inventory management with the autonomous Corvus One drone. Powered by OpenBOM, Corvus achieves 10x production efficiency, reducing errors and improving reliability. OpenBOM ensures seamless post-sales support and manages Corvus’ inventory effectively. Mary Ma, Manufacturing Manager, highlights OpenBOM’s role in production planning and inventory management. Corvus leverages OpenBOM for sub-assembly management and streamlined integration with the production floor. With OpenBOM, Corvus optimizes orders, minimizes downtime, and delivers products faster, benefiting both customers and operations. It’s a testament to Corvus Robotics’ innovation and commitment to efficient inventory management.”

Benefits of OpenBOM

Get ready to unlock the power of OpenBOM with these compelling features:

  • Access Anywhere: 

Work on your bills of materials from anywhere with our cloud-based platform. No more desk-bound limitations!

  • Collaborate Seamlessly: 

Teamwork made easy! Multiple users can collaborate on BOMs simultaneously, ensuring everyone stays in sync.

  • Connect with Ease: 

Integrate OpenBOM with your favorite CAD, PLM, and business systems effortlessly. Say goodbye to manual data transfers!

  • Scale Up Your Business: 

From startups to enterprises, OpenBOM grows with you. Manage BOMs of any size or complexity hassle-free.

  • User-Friendly Interface: 

Navigate OpenBOM with ease. Our intuitive design makes BOM management a breeze, even for beginners.

  • Budget-Friendly Solution: 

Get premium BOM management without breaking the bank. OpenBOM offers affordability without compromise.

  • Expert Support: 

Our dedicated support team is here to help you succeed!

Key Features of OpenBOM

Fig 3 – OpenBOM Key Features

OpenBOM is a powerful cloud-based platform designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing tools, providing a single source of truth for all your product information. No matter where your team is located, OpenBOM offers an engaging, intuitive collaboration experience with real-time and asynchronous options. Its patented data sharing and editing capabilities enable seamless teamwork within your team and with external partners.

OpenBOM’s flexible data management architecture uses customizable data objects to create any data structure you need. Its multi-tenant model ensures secure, role-based access to shared data.OpenBOM offers a plethora of features to simplify your product development processes as:

Fig 4 – OpenBOM Key Functions

Key features include:

  • Change Tracking and Revision Support: Automatically track changes, manage revisions, and handle change requests and approvals.
  • Item Management: Store, organize, and manage items with ease, including inventory levels and supplier information.
  • Document Management: Design Projects in OpenBOM offers a streamlined method for organizing your design project data, including CAD files, specifications, and connection details, in a unified location. It includes robust version control and collaborative file locking to effectively manage access permissions. 
  • Excel-like Simplicity: Familiar interface that simplifies product data management without the complexity of traditional PLM and ERP systems.
  • File Management: Integrate file storage, manage file revisions, and connect to cloud CAD systems and external cloud storage.
  • Production and Inventory Planning: Manage production batches, inventory, and procurement with robust planning tools.
  • Flexible Formulas and Calculations: Easily roll up costs and perform operations on data properties using OpenBOM’s formulas.
  • CAD Integrations: Quickly import bills of materials and CAD files from your favorite CAD software.
  • Relationship Graph Model: Store and navigate relationships to access and analyze product information efficiently.
  • Custom Integrations: Use developer tools to connect OpenBOM with other applications and create custom solutions.

OpenBOM simplifies product data management, enabling you to streamline your processes and collaborate more effectively.

  • Administration: 

Tailor OpenBOM to your team’s needs effortlessly, ensuring smooth operations and optimized workflows.

Fig 5 – OpenBOM Administration

  • BOM and Catalog Management: 

Simplify product development with easy creation and organization of BOMs and catalogs, fostering accuracy and efficiency.

Fig 6 – BOM Management

  • Folders

Folders are like digital file folders for your Bill of Materials, helping you keep everything neat and organized.

Navigate and Create Folders

  • Go to the Parts and BOM Menu: Navigate to the main menu and locate the “Parts and BOM” section.
  • Go to Folders Menu: Within the Parts and BOM section, find the “Folder” menu.

Fig 6.1 Navigate Folder

  • Click “Create New Folder” to Create: Click on the “Create New Folder” button.
  • New Folder Will Be Created: After clicking the “Create New Folder” button, a new folder will be instantly created and added to your folder list. You can then rename it to reflect its content or purpose.

Fig 6.2 Create Folder

  • Adding a Subfolder: If you want to create a subfolder within an existing folder:
  • Go to the Folder Created: Navigate to the folder where you want to add a subfolder.
  • Expand to See a New Menu “Add”: Once inside the folder, you’ll notice an option to expand the menu. Click on it to reveal additional options, including the “Add” option for creating a subfolder.

Fig 6.3 Create Sub Folder

Note: For a deeper understanding of how folders are used for BOM management, refer to the BOM and Catalog Management section.

  • CAD Data Management: 

Efficiently manage CAD data within OpenBOM, ensuring version control, access, and integration, facilitating seamless collaboration and design iterations.

Fig 7 – CAD Data Management

Fig 8 – CAD to OpenBOM Integration

  • Document Management: 

Keep project documents accessible and organized, empowering collaboration and timely decision-making.

Fig 9 – Design Project Management 

Similarly, documents can be added as files to the catalogs and BOMs, ensuring all related information is centrally stored and easily accessible.

Fig 9.1 – Document Management in Catalogs and BOMs

  • Vendor Management:

Strengthen supplier relationships and streamline procurement processes seamlessly within OpenBOM.

Fig 10 – Vendor Management

  • Production Planning: 

Enhance production efficiency by tracking progress and ensuring timely deliveries with OpenBOM’s intuitive tools.

Fig 11 – Production Order Management

  • Purchase Order: 

Simplify purchasing processes, from order creation to receipt reconciliation, seamlessly integrated within OpenBOM.

Fig 12 – Purchase Order Management

  • Change Management: 

Manage design changes transparently and efficiently, ensuring smooth workflows and project continuity.

Fig 13 – Change Management

  • Search: 

Find information instantly with powerful search capabilities, boosting productivity and enabling quick access to critical data.

Fig 14 – Search

  • Graph Model for Knowledge Graph and Data Analytics: 

OpenBOM’s advanced graph model acts as your manufacturing roadmap, guiding you through product data with ease. 

Fig 15 – Graph Model

Built to store and navigate relationships, our tool enables seamless integration, access, and analysis of product information across your company and beyond.

  • Open REST API and Integrations: 

With OpenBOM’s open REST API and developer tools, build custom integrations, and connect to other applications.

 It’s like having your own team of tech-savvy engineers right at your fingertips!

Experience the simplicity and effectiveness of OpenBOM – where collaboration meets efficiency, empowering your team to excel in product development.

OpenBOM End to End Process Flow

OpenBOM revolutionizes new product development (NPD) with its unique approach, supporting NPD processes through flexible data modeling, collaborative functionality, engineering integrations, and business logic.

Seamless Coordination Across Four Key Stages

OpenBOM ensures smooth information flow and team coordination from design to procurement, RFQ/PO, and inventory control. It covers:

  • Multi-disciplinary design (mechanical, electronic, software)
  • Engineering bill of materials (BOM) planning
  • Purchasing components (off-the-shelf and custom)
  • Receiving components, making sub-assemblies, and final assembly

Moving from Waterfall to Agile

Traditional waterfall processes are often disconnected, with each step poorly integrated. Engineers work in silos, and results are combined later, leading to inefficiencies.

OpenBOM shifts companies to an agile process, enabling faster iterations with minimal effort. It provides tools for integrated data management and seamless coordination, making the entire design to BOM to purchase to the assembly cycle faster and more efficiently.

The OpenBOM Advantage

OpenBOM’s key advantage is its ability to create a fully integrated and collaborative product data oriented environment. This integration is crucial for an agile process, enabling multiple design iterations and efficient management of items, BOMs, planning, RFQs, orders, and inventory. With OpenBOM, companies can achieve faster, more dynamic NPD cycles.

Discover seamless operations with our integrated MRP and PLM functions, ideal for small to medium manufacturers. From planning to production, optimize efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration. With OpenBOM, minimize costs, enhance productivity, and deliver high-quality products efficiently. When combined with Product Lifecycle Management, unlock even more significant business value. 

Fig 16 – Data Model

Managing parts, item masters, bills of materials, vendors, planning, and purchase orders has never been easier. OpenBOM seamlessly connects data silos across your organization, including CAD, bills of material, POs, ERP/PLM, and more, into a single, manageable process.

Our intuitive production planning procedure empowers SMEs to maintain catalog quantities and organize manufacturing plans effortlessly. With OpenBOM, you’ll bridge the gap between design and production control, streamlining operations and reducing manual errors.

Training and Support

Embarking on a new journey with OpenBOM? Fear not! Our comprehensive training resources are designed to ensure a smooth onboarding process for NPD/NPI teams, CXOs, and product managers alike. From interactive tutorials to personalized support, we’re here to make your transition to OpenBOM as seamless as possible. Have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out—our support team is always ready to lend a helping hand.

Tips and Tricks

  • Get Organized Effortlessly:

Structure your data seamlessly using OpenBOM’s intuitive features. Categorize and manage your bill of materials (BOM) effortlessly, keeping everything tidy and easy to access.

  • Team Collaboration Made Simple:

Collaborate seamlessly with your team in real-time using collaborative workspaces. Share, discuss, and update BOMs together, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.

  • Stay on Top of Changes with Version Control:

Never lose track of changes again! Use version control to monitor revisions and maintain a transparent audit trail of modifications throughout your product lifecycle.

  • Integrate with Ease:

Connect OpenBOM seamlessly with your favorite tools and platforms. Whether it’s CAD software, ERP systems, or cloud storage solutions, integration has never been smoother.

  • Tailor OpenBOM to Fit Your Needs:

Customize templates, attributes, and views to match your unique requirements perfectly. Make OpenBOM your own, enhancing usability and efficiency.

  • Find What You Need, When You Need It:

Search like a pro with OpenBOM’s advanced search functionality. Locate BOM data quickly and effortlessly, saving time and boosting productivity.

  • Generate Insightful Reports in a Snap:

Impress stakeholders with comprehensive reports generated effortlessly. Customize reports to include exactly what you need, facilitating decision-making and project management.

  • Navigate Complex Structures with Ease:

Tackle even the most complex assemblies effortlessly with multi-level BOM hierarchies. Visualize product relationships and dependencies like never before.

  • Manage Changes Smoothly:

Implement change management workflows to control modifications seamlessly. Ensure every change is tracked, approved, and documented with ease.

  • Access Training and Support Anytime, Anywhere:

Dive into our wealth of training materials and support resources whenever you need assistance. 

FAQs

  • What exactly is OpenBOM?

OpenBOM is a cloud-based platform designed to help businesses like yours manage their product information, collaborate better, and speed up development processes.

  • How is OpenBOM better than using spreadsheets or other software?

Think of OpenBOM as your upgrade from spreadsheets to a super-smart, centralized platform. With features like real-time updates and easy collaboration tools, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it!

  • Can OpenBOM handle complex assemblies and bills of materials?

Absolutely! OpenBOM is built to handle even the most intricate assemblies and BOMs with ease. Whether your products are simple or highly complex, OpenBOM’s robust features can manage them all.

  • Can OpenBOM assist with inventory management and procurement?

Yes, indeed! OpenBOM offers inventory tracking capabilities and integrates with procurement systems to streamline your supply chain processes. Say goodbye to stockouts and procurement headaches!

  • Does OpenBOM support multi-language and multi-currency capabilities?

Absolutely! OpenBOM is designed to cater to global businesses, supporting multiple languages and currencies. Whether your team spans continents or you work with international suppliers, OpenBOM has you covered.

  • How does OpenBOM facilitate collaboration between team members?

OpenBOM is a collaboration powerhouse! With real-time updates, comment threads, and role-based access control, your team can work together seamlessly regardless of location or time zone.

  • Can OpenBOM generate reports and analytics for performance tracking?

You bet! OpenBOM offers robust reporting and analytics tools to track project progress, analyze costs, and identify areas for optimization. With customizable dashboards and exportable reports, you’ll have all the insights you need at your fingertips.

  • Is OpenBOM scalable as our business grows?

Absolutely! OpenBOM grows with you. Whether you’re a small team or a large enterprise, OpenBOM’s scalable architecture ensures it can accommodate your needs as your business expands.

  • How does OpenBOM handle data migration from existing systems?

OpenBOM simplifies data migration with easy import/export options and dedicated support resources. Whether you’re transitioning from spreadsheets or another software system, we’ll help you migrate your data seamlessly.

Conclusion

Thank you for choosing OpenBOM as your partner in revolutionizing Product Lifecycle Management. We’re excited to embark on this journey with you and help you unlock the full potential of your manufacturing enterprise. We look forward to continuing our journey of improvement and innovation to better serve our customers and support their growth objectives. Experience the Power of OpenBOM Today!

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