Contents
Bill of Materials and Assemblies
A Bill of Materials (BOM) defines the components needed to build an assembly. Use the BOM pages to set up component lists, then execute assemblies either as quick one-off builds or through a work order for full production tracking.
Quick Start
- Use Orders -> Other -> Bill of Materials to define or edit the component list for a Make item.
- Use Orders -> Other -> Quick Assemblies for ad-hoc assembly, replacement, or exchange work.
- Use a work order only when the assembly needs cost tracking, labour capture, approvals, or other production controls.
- Check the current mode before you act: Create is Assemble mode, while Modify Assembly applies only to Replacement and Exchange.
Quick Reference
| Feature | Menu Path |
|---|---|
| Edit a BOM | Orders → Other → Bill of Materials |
| Build an assembly | Orders → Other → Quick Assemblies |
| View all assemblies and stock | Inventory → Inventory → Assemblies |
The Assemblies list (Inventory → Inventory → Assemblies) shows stock levels for all assembly items and links directly to each item’s BOM via the BOM column.
Bill of Materials
A BOM lists the components, quantities, labour, and yield factors required to produce one unit of an assembly. BOMs can only be created for items with the Make flag enabled.
Security: Security ID 49. Without this permission the BOM page loads in read-only mode - the grid is visible but Save, Copy, and Reset are not available.
Managing BOM Lines
- Go to Orders → Other → Bill of Materials
- Select the assembly from the dropdown (only Make items appear)
- Fill in component rows - required fields are Item ID and Units; optional fields include Lbr. Hrs, Lbr. Cost, Serial No, Remark, Drawing No, Revision No, Crit., and Yield
- Click Save
The Edit button in the control bar opens the assembly item record for direct editing.
To duplicate a BOM for a new assembly, click Copy, enter the new BOM identifier at the prompt, and submit.
Warning - Reset deletes all lines permanently. Clicking Reset prompts “Delete All Line Item(s)?” - confirming removes every component row from the BOM. This cannot be undone.
BOM Reports
Select a report from the dropdown then click Report:
| Report | Prompts |
|---|---|
| Assembly Components | Unit count |
| Assembly Cost | Unit count |
| BOM Components Tracking | None |
Quick Assemblies
Quick Assemblies executes assembly transactions without a work order. Use it for ad-hoc builds, component replacements, or component exchanges.
Security: Security ID 40
Mode Overview
Selecting a mode changes the page title, assembly selector, available buttons, and grid columns.
| Mode | Page Title | Assembly Selector | Action Button | Load All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble | Assemble Stock | Text lookup + Units spinner | Create | Yes |
| Replacement | Modify Assembly | Dropdown of existing warehouse assemblies | Modify Assembly | No |
| Exchange | Modify Assembly | Dropdown of existing warehouse assemblies | Modify Assembly | No |
Warning - switching modes clears the working grid. Any unsaved component rows are lost when you change mode.
Assemble Mode
Builds new assemblies by consuming components from stock. Load All selects the oldest available stock first (FIFO by date received and location).
- Go to Orders → Other → Quick Assemblies
- Select a Warehouse
- Select Job ID if shown (appears only when Admin Option 219 is enabled and no job is already active)
- Leave mode set to Assemble (default)
- Use the ”…” lookup to select the assembly item; enter Units to build
- Click Load All - populates the grid with BOM components using FIFO stock selection
- Review or adjust component rows
- Click Create - issues components and receives the finished assembly into stock
Yield: Component quantities are calculated as (Assembly Units × BOM Units × Yield%) / 100.
After assembly: If the finished assembly has no serial number assigned, the system redirects to the serial assignment screen. A work order may also be generated automatically if configured.
Stock Allocation
Load All automatically selects stock using a priority sort that favors serial, job, and location matches, with date received and location as tie-breakers - effectively FIFO for typical stock.
When stock is insufficient to fill all BOM lines, the system warns per component:
- Partial stock: Warning shows requested quantity vs. what is not available
- No stock: Warning shows the requested amount with zero available
These warnings do not block the transaction. Review them before clicking Create to confirm your stock situation.
Component Entry Fields
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Item ID | Component item. Must exist in the BOM for Assemble mode |
| Units | Quantity required. Must be greater than 0. Validated against available stock |
| Location | Physical bin. Auto-selected by FIFO when Load All is used. AutoFill copies from the previous row |
| Serial | Required for serialized components. Identifies specific units used in the assembly |
Validation Rules
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Discontinued components | Cannot be used in any assembly mode |
| Stock availability | Verified against available quantity at the specified location |
| BOM requirement | Assemble mode requires a valid BOM with at least one component |
| Assembly selection | Replacement and Exchange modes require selecting an existing assembly from the warehouse |
| Mode changes | Switching modes clears the working grid. Unsaved rows are lost |
Replacement Mode
Replaces the components in an existing assembled unit. Old components are archived or issued out; new components are issued in.
- Set Mode to Replacement
- Select the existing assembly from the warehouse dropdown
- Enter the replacement components in the grid
- Click Modify Assembly
Exchange Mode
Swaps components in an existing assembled unit and returns the old ones to stock.
- Set Mode to Exchange
- Select the existing assembly from the warehouse dropdown
- Enter the new components in the grid
- Click Modify Assembly - old components return to stock; new components are issued
Job ID (Admin Option 219)
The Job ID field appears at the top of Quick Assemblies only when Admin Option 219 is enabled. If a job is already active in the assembly staging area for your user session, the existing job is shown as locked. Otherwise a job selection dropdown appears.
Work Order Assembly
For production planning with cost tracking, job costing, labour recording, and approval workflows, use Work Order assembly instead of Quick Assemblies. A work order must be of WO Type = Assembly for the assembly workflow to activate.
See Work Orders for the full workflow including loading components, the Assemble button, status gates, and partial assembly options.
How BOM connects to work orders:
- Clicking Load Assembly on a work order line loads all BOM levels scaled to the target unit count
- Changing the unit count after loading rescales all component quantities automatically
- BOM costs feed into the work order cost estimate; actual issued costs are tracked separately
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