BOM Management with Optymo

Transcription

1 BOM Management with Optymo Introduction... 2 Principles and functions of a BOM... 2 Categories and subcategories... 2 Composition of the BOMs... 2 Revisions and configurations... 3 Information for a BOM... 3 BOM Explorer... 3 Controls of the BOM Explorer... 3 Main window of the BOM file... 4 Categories and Subcategories... 4 BOMs... 4 Details of BOMs... 5 Table of contents... 5 Lower icons banner... 5 Add BOMs... 5 Add a new Category of BOMs... 6 Main Category... 6 Subcategory... 6 Add a new BOM... 6 Add a new Revision to a BOM... 7 Add elements to your BOM... 7 BOM Model... 8 Document a BOM... 8 Tab General... 8 Tab Configurations... 8 Tab Display... 8 Tab Cost price... 9 Tab Calculations... 9 Tab Comments Tab User Fields Tab Notes Tab Dates BOM tables Features Production steps Exporting and printing the BOM List of parts by type List of parts by reference Link BOMs and Parts Linked part Link at the BOM level Link at the Revision level Link at the Configuration level Heritage of the linked parts Configuration Management General points Basic principles Priorities User Interface

2 Define a Configuration Steps in detail Other configuration data: Other data related to configurations: Copy a BOM with configurations Selection of a BOM Organize the BOMs base Note to the reader: In this document, the underlined texts refer to Optymo's windows' and buttons' labels. The texts in bold refer to the information contained in the screen shots. Introduction This document offers a detailed guide on BOM management within Optymo, and on the implementation of its features. Optymo was originally created to meet the particular needs of the electronics industry, and BOM management is one of the functionalities, which illustrate this special feature. In fact, this function enables you to manage the BOMs necessary to the production of your equipments. In this space, you can create, classify, and document... your BOMs and subsystems. BOMs are classified by categories and subcategories, and you can define several revisions for each BOM. Optymo also enables you to manage different configurations for a same BOM or for one version of a BOM. For a given BOM, you can define the content (individual parts or subsystems) and the attributes, calculate the costs, and add some user fields, for an optimized management and monitoring. Principles and functions of a BOM BOMs are essential to Optymo, as they are generally at the heart of its users' activities. BOMs are the result of the product designs, whether this design is internal or one of a client. The productions launched in Optymo, or by an independent tool, exploit the BOMs. So Optymo offers a sophisticated and hierarchical BOM management. A BOM can itself be composed of other BOMs. For example, a system composed of a chassis, boards, cables and switches... To ease its management, Optymo proposes several classification functions and different definition levels. Categories and subcategories The first level enables a two- level classification for BOMs, with categories and subcategories in each category. You can have as many categories as you like, and as many subcategories as needed in each category. For example, BOMs can be classified by client for a subcontractor, or by type of applications, products or systems for a design department. The classification by categories and subcategories enables a hierarchical organization of the products. The chapter Add BOMs indicates how you can create BOMs, insert them in the existing hierarchy or adapt the latter. Composition of the BOMs A BOM is composed of parts, some (nay all, for a system, for example) of these parts being BOMs themselves (they'll be called subsystems), which adds possibilities for prioritization. When a BOM is added as a part of a new BOM, all of its attributes (parts, parameters, costs, various information) are known by the new BOM. Optymo also offers a concept of linked part, which enables to tie a BOM with a part created in the stock. That way, in the stock, the linked product will be incremented each time a production cycle is completed from the corresponding BOM. In the chapter Link BOMs and Parts, you'll find more details on the different linking modes offered by Optymo. 2

3 Revisions and configurations When you create a BOM, you have to link it with a Revision. This will then enable you to create new revisions when this BOM will evolve, to manage new ECOs (Engineering Change Orders), for example, or to follow the evolution of a product. Revisions enable you to add an extra hierarchy level taking the BOMs evolutions into account. Optymo also enables the management of configurations. As revisions are adapted to the management of evolutions, it is more about managing several variations of a same BOM: this can relate to the composition of a board, the packaging, the types of cables or chassis, the possibilities are endless. The Configuration Management chapter explains in more details the applications and implementation. The combination of hierarchy, revisions and configurations offers great finesse to the users, in a sophisticated BOM management, which however remains easy to implement. Information for a BOM In addition to its composition, the interface of the BOMs window in Optymo gives access to a large amount of data for each BOM, classified in a series of tabs: In that way, you can know the dates of creation of the different levels of the BOM, add notes and comments to it, know its cost price this data can be linked to the BOM, to a revision or a configuration, reinforcing again the power of this management. For further information on each tab, refer to the chapter Document a BOM, to the online help (BOM File Window) or to the BOM Wizard. Review of the user interface The user interface of the BOM function consists of 2 sections: a BOM Explorer, that can be hidden, and the BOM window itself. BOM Explorer The BOM Explorer is a tree view of all the BOMs available in your Optymo system. Each BOM category can be individually developed, to display the BOMs and Subsystems available for each Category. Each BOM and Subsystem can be developed again to display the different releases of each BOM. Controls are suggested to let you develop or hide the tree view of the selected category or subcategory in a few clicks. The tree view of the BOM can be updated in a single click, to guarantee the user is working on the last available data. Controls of the BOM Explorer The BOM Explorer window has four buttons to control the display in the explorer window, as well as what is displayed in the BOM file window. 1. Use the buttons Extend and Reduce the tree view to control the level of detail displayed in the Explorer window. 3

4 2. Use the button View Synchronization to display the details in the BOM File window of the BOM selected in the tree view of the Explorer. 3. Use the button Update the tree view to update the tree view, after a modification (locally or by an other station) of the BOM structure (addition or deletion of a category, subcategory, BOM or revision). This button is grayed out (inactive), as long as no modification, which can impact the tree view, has been made in the BOM's main window. Main window of the BOM file The main window of the BOM file contains several dedicated areas, allowing a good organization and an appropriate presentation of the different pieces of information of each BOM of the system: A classification and selection area, to choose the work BOM in the Categories and BOMs A tabs area displaying the detailed information A table area presenting the content The icon at the upper right of the BOM window allows you to hide or display the tabs section, which can be useful to work on the parts or production runs content of this BOM. The icons on the right of the Subcategory field enable you to transfer focus from one area to another, or to modify the display of the Table area: Gives focus to the BOM area Gives focus to the Table area, and displays the production steps defined for the BOM in it Gives focus to the Table area, and displays in it the parts composing the BOM, classified by type of part Gives focus to the Table area, and displays in it the parts, by reference, with the production information (run, position ) Focus can also be passed, by clicking in the corresponding area. In the table area, move the scroll bars on the right and at the bottom, or simply with the mouse scroll, to go up and down in the table. Categories and Subcategories The Categories section has 2 levels, Main Category and Subcategory, which can be initialized according to your needs. In each category, you can define several subcategories, to ease the classification of the BOMs. BOMs The BOM area provides access to revisions and configurations for each BOM. For each Category and Subcategory, you can access all the BOMs they belong to. In addition, each revision of the BOM will have a separate entry, to be managed individually, by using the name of the main BOM, to facilitate search. 4

5 The icons, on the right side of the BOM field allow you to browse in the BOMs opened previously, regardless of their classification in the base's organization. Details of BOMs The intermediate area of the window displays a series of tabs providing the details of a BOM. Below, you can see the tab General, which indicates the reference, the linked part and the status of the BOM. Table of contents This area shows the parts (or BOMs) composing the current BOM, or the production steps, depending on which display is selected. To manage the tables, refer to the documentation on Optymo's user interface or to the application note dedicated to the Management of tables. Lower icons banner At the bottom of the BOM window, there is a banner of icons allowing you to browse, add, insert, delete, rename, and search elements in the base. Note that the actions of these buttons will apply on different elements, according to the area in which you are working or to the field that has been activated. Thus, the icon Add lets you add a category, a BOM, a revision, a configuration depending on the context in which Optymo is, defined by the selected field. The bottom banner of the Optymo screen indicates which element will be added, when you pass the mouse over the Add icon. Add BOMs Adding a new BOM to the BOM file is an easy process. These instructions have been separated in two parts: 1. If needed, add a new main Category and/or an associated Subcategory, before adding details to the BOM 2. Add a new release of an existing BOM in the database 5

6 Add a new Category of BOMs We recommend you to use Categories/Subcategories to classify your BOMs and thus ease their management or search. To add a new main Category or a Subcategory, follow the steps below. Main Category 1. Click on the box named Main Category or on the label Main Category in the section Categories of the BOM interface. 2. Click on one of the green Add icons, to add the new Category. This will open the window Add a new record. 3. The Category being modified will flash when the window Add a new record is active. 4. Enter the name of the new Main Category in the open dialog box. 5. Select the radio button corresponding to the way you want to add the new Main category: a. Add after the last record: Add the new category at the end of the list b. Insert before the current record: Add the new Category before the current record displayed in the box Main Category (if it's the case) c. Insert in alphabetical order: Add to the current list in alphabetical order 6. To add the new Category, click on the button OK. a. Click Cancel if you want to stop your creation 7. Once you have clicked on the button OK, the icon Update the tree view will be active. To see the new Main Category appear in the tree view, click on the icon Update. Subcategory To add a new Subcategory, click on the box named Subcategory or on the label Subcategory in the section Categories. Then proceed exactly as described above, for the addition of a new category. Add a new BOM To add a new BOM to the list of the existing BOMs: 1. Click on the box named BOM or on the label BOM in the section BOM of the interface. 2. Click on one of the green Add icons in the icons area to add a new BOM. This will open the window Add a new record. 3. The BOM being modified will flash when the window Add a new record is active. 4. Enter the name of the new BOM in the open dialog box. 5. Select the radio button corresponding to the way you want to add the new BOM : a. Add after the last record: Add the new BOM at the end of the list. b. Insert before the current record: Add the new BOM before the current record 6

7 displayed in the box BOM (if it's the case). c. Insert in alphabetical order: Add to the current list in alphabetical order. BOM Management Add a new Revision to a BOM To add a new Revision to a BOM, proceed in the same way than to add a new BOM, after having selected the field Revision. Note 1: During the creation of a new revision, it's common to start from an existing revision, the idea being to copy all the data (list of items, positions, user fields and notes) related to a revision of reference on the newly created revision. To do this, select the revision of reference, click on the button [Copy], select the new revision and click [Paste]. Note 2: When choosing the option Insert instead of Add, it's generally because you want to create a Revision, which derives from a previous revision, and not from the last revision. For example, creating a revision 2B derived from the REV2, whereas the last one is REV3. Add elements to your BOM Once your BOM is properly configured with the Categories, labels and Revisions, you can add elements to it. These elements to add to a BOM can be individual parts, other BOMs or a combination of both. You also have to define the production runs associated to the BOM. The elements can be added to the BOM either manually, with the BOM import wizard, or even by copy/paste directly in the table of the current BOM. The source to copy may be another BOM table, which is very useful when the new BOM is close to an existing BOM, or an Excel spreadsheet (for example from a CAD or an other tool able to generate an Excel spreadsheet). 1. To create the list of parts, which compose the BOM, display the table of parts by clicking on the icon part at the upper right of the window, in the area Categories. For a new BOM, the list will be empty, and you can now add new elements (individual parts or subsystems) in this table. 2. To create the list of production steps, display the steps table by clicking the icon production steps in the upper right of the window, in the area Categories. For a new BOM, there will always be at least one manufacture step created by Optymo. 3. If you're not familiar with these operations, use the Wizard application of Optymo. Further in this note, the chapter Features of the BOM tables gives more information about each type of table. Note 1: During a copy/paste, Optymo can complete the table content with the data in its base. For further information on the addition by copy/paste, refer to the application note on the management of the tables. Note 2: You can copy/paste items from an existing BOM by selecting them and then pasting them via the copy/paste function of Optymo. In this case, only the selected parts are copied with all the elements defined for these parts (references, manufacturers, quantity, user fields, parameters ). It is also possible to copy an entire BOM, including production steps associated with the BOM. This is particularly useful when creating a new BOM revision that we can adjust later. 7

8 1. Select the revision that will serve as a source 2. Click on the copy icon 3. Select the targeted revision 4. Click on the paste icon BOM Model Optymo enables you to define a BOM model, which will be used during the creation of a new BOM. In the BOMs tab of the window Preferences, you can define a standard BOM, and determine which elements (user fields and comments) have to be copied systematically. Check the box From this BOM, to be able to search the standard BOM with the search icon. Check the boxes user fields and/or comments, depending on the elements you want to integrate to the new BOMs. Document a BOM The intermediate tabs area of the BOM window enables you to document and thus to better manage your BOMs. Some tabs are generic to the BOM, while others apply specifically to one of its levels (BOM, revision or configuration). In this case, the tab displays a 1 st line, to select the appropriate level. Note that if no configuration is defined, the option Configuration will be grayed out and inactive. Note: When the level Revision or Configuration is selected, the input or displayed data will match the revision and the configuration selected in the section BOMs. Tab General This tab allows you to attribute a Reference to the BOM, to define or know the Linked Part if there is one (refer to the chapter Link BOMs and Parts for this function) and the Status of the BOM. The BOM state is determined on the basis of the actual use of the BOM. The State descendant list is inactive as long as the BOM is empty, then it can take the successive status of Creation, Prototype, Pre- production, Production, and finally Obsolete; the BOM is usable in a production cycle between the states Prototype and Production. The Engineering change order field may also be filled to provide free text information (eg the number of an ECO causing a change in revision). There is no connection with any other elements of the database. This information can also be used to look for a BOM. Note 1: The Reference may be different from the internal reference of the linked part. It is primarily used for documentation purposes and to facilitate BOMs search in the database. Tab Configurations Refer to the chapter Configuration Management for this function. Tab Display This tab enables to modify the parts' display in the lower table. 8

9 The field Description corresponds to the description input for this part in the tab Description of the window Parts Details. Refer to the application notes on Parts management for further information. The field Section(s) to use relates to the use of markers (enabling a flexible display). For more info on this topic, please refer to the Parts description application note. You can then only display the Favourite Reference, or the possible Other References, for the part or for the substitutes, choose a supplier or a client for the corresponding column Check/Uncheck the different options, according to the display you wish. Note that the display is modified only for the selected part(s) in the table. If the display options appear in red when several parts of the table are selected, it means these options are different for some of the selected parts. In the section on the Features of the tables, you'll find further information on the effects of the display parameters. This tab has no impact on the production steps, so it's grayed out when the table displays the production steps. Tab Cost price This tab enables you to calculate the cost price of the BOM, by selecting a number of parameters: minimum or maximum price, packaging as well as the margins, according to the sale price. These calculations enable you, right from the design phase, to have an idea of the cost of a board or a system, and thus to validate compliance with a fixed budget. The icon enables you to redo the calculations when the parameters or the BOM have been modified. Note: If the cost prices are displayed in red, it means Optymo couldn't complete the calculation. For example, there is no price for some parts. The items preventing a complete calculation are displayed in red in the table. Tab Calculations In this tab, you can perform calculations on the BOM: Number of parts Calculations on various values (voltages, wiring time, weight ) The line Formula offers several options for the calculation (place the mouse on the parameter to have an additional explanation in the bottom information banner of the Optymo window) that are detailed in the paragraphe below. Click on the icon to perform the calculation. The selection list allows for the calculation of the entire BOM, a selection of parts (selected rows in the table) or the current list (i.e. the last parts selection made in this table). Lines and parts If the User field box is unchecked, you are then able to calculate the number of lines (Quantity box unchecked) or the number of parts (Quantity box checked) of the BOM or of a selection of parts. The total number of lines or parts is indicated in the Sum field. If the BOM contains substitutes, these lines are of course not counted. 9

10 Calculations on the BOM By ticking the box User field, you can select a user field type set for the part(s) here Labour, and calculate the total value of the BOM. By ticking the box Quantity, the quantity per item is taken into account for the calculation. The box to the right of the user field selection allows the calculation for a quantity of BOMs. You must check the box and enter the number in the right field. If the box is unchecked, the number entered will have no influence. In the example above, we will calculate the total labour for the selected components, taking into account the number of units per item and for a quantity of 100 cards. The values displayed are: Sum: total calculated according to the defined criteria Average: average per part (taking into account the number of parts accounted Minimum and Maximum: the minimum and maximum values of the field for the list of parts If the selection criteria do not allow calculation, the fields take the value n/a. User fields have to be created and filled (at the parts level, not at the BOM level) in order to be used. Tab Comments This tab enables you to enter free- text comments on different aspects of the BOM. This can relate to elements like revisions, configurations, production, items, steps or references. Choose the element to which the comment applies in the field Type, with the descendant list or the browsing icons. Note that you can only enter a comment for an element if it matches the current selection. For example, you can't enter a comment for a specific production run if the table displays the BOM's parts. In this case, you will not be able to type any text in the comment area. The icons let you display (or not) an horizontal scroll bar in the comment area. Using a model enables you to integrate comments of another BOM or of a standard BOM defined in the BOMs tab of the window Preferences. For further information, refer to the paragraph BOM Model above. Tab User Fields This tab enables to link user fields to the BOM, and to give them values. The fields can also apply to a large variety of aspects of the BOM. The banner of icons on the right allows you to add, insert, delete or exploit a user field, as well as copy and paste the data. Choose the element to which the user field applies in the field Type, with the descendant list or the browsing icons. Note that you can only add a user field for an element if it matches the current selection. If it is not the case, the icons on the right are inactive. Using a model enables you to integrate user fields of another BOM or of a standard BOM defined in the BOMs tab of the window Preferences. For further information, refer to the paragraph BOM Model 10

11 above. This function is very useful when user fields have to be defined for each new BOM. It avoids having to create them manually and/or to forget to create them. For more information on this feature, please refer to the Application Note on User Fields. Tab Notes This tab lets you enter notes related to the BOM, in order to document it or to follow its evolutions. Each note is time and date stamped, and registers the author. If you press the Ctrl key when adding a note, it will become signed, which means that only the author (or Administrator) can edit or delete the note. Signature will appear in the column Type. In the example above, the Sales user is connected, so he/she can edit or delete the notes he/she has entered, as well as the unsigned notes entered by other users. The non- editable notes by user will be grayed out. Tab Dates This tab displays the authors, the dates and time of the creation and of the last modification of the BOM, its revisions and its configurations. BOM tables Features In the BOM view, the lower table can display 3 types of information: The production steps The content of the BOM (parts and/or subsystems ) by type of part, with the quantities, references, suppliers The parts by references You can select the display mode with the icons on the right hand side of the section Categories. The available columns are naturally different for each view, and can be organized just like in each table (refer to the application note on the Management of tables). The grayed out table cells are not modifiable. Production steps In this table, you add the production steps, assign the concerned manpower and equipment, and possibly the intervention period. The choice of the manpower and the equipment takes place in a pulldown list, among the items created in the System file, in the Manpower and Equipment tabs. The column Single step indicates that this step only takes place once, whatever the number of copies of the BOM which will be manufactured in a work order. If parts are associated to this step, they will be ordered in a quantity for just one BOM. 11

12 In the Duration column, Optymo can calculate automatically the value (it will appear on a grayed- out background and will not be editable). To do that, you must have specified times (defined in the user fields) corresponding to the operations on the parts, and have associated a type of duration to the operation. In this example, for the 1 st and 3 rd lines, the time will be entered manually, while the 2 nd and 4 th lines are associated to a time, and thus, the calculation will be performed by Optymo. This will impact the BOM's cost price calculation, as well as the BOM s value when manufactured with a work order, and then the stock value for the finished good linked with the BOM if relevant. Exporting and printing the BOM It's possible to export or print only a part of the BOM, and to filter the parts linked to some steps. For example, if some steps occur inside the company, and others at subcontractors', you'll need to export only the data corresponding to the step(s) of the subcontractor. To do that, you can use the Print column of the table, to select the production tables for which the information will be printed and/or exported. In this example, the data related to steps 1 and 5 will not be printed (nor exported). By default, this parameter is checked. For further information on the columns display and on the management of tables, refer to the dedicated application note. List of parts by type This table gives the list of the BOM's parts, and data like the necessary quantities, references, suppliers, and manufacturers... A BOM can be composed of parts, existing BOMs (then seen as subsystems of the current BOM), or of a combination of both. In the list of parts (by type or by reference), the subsystems are displayed in bold to distinguish them from individual parts. To open the definition of a sub- BOM, simply double click on its line. To come back to the main BOM, select it ion the tree view and synchronize the views. Additionally, some columns have specific roles: The content of the column Component depends on the configuration of the Display tab. The column Comment displays the information entered in the Comments tab for this part. This comment can also be added at the end of the Component's name, depending on the choice of the tab Display/option Comment. Conversely, a comment entered in the column Comment will then be visible in the tab Comments. The column Substitute (DS in screen shot below) lets you authorize (or not) the substitutes for 12

13 this part. This will impact the calculations of the BOM's cost prices, depending on the selection of parameters (Cost price tab), as well as their use (or not) in the work orders (window Work orders/contextual menu/substitutes) The column MR Nbr (Manufacturing Reference Number) has a specific role: it enables to compact in a single reference (in the display by reference) a part used for several copies. This increases the readability of the table by reference, when there is no need to have specific information for each part (e.g. for screws). Once the part is selected, the contextual menu allows to synchronize the references (NQ=MR Nbr) or to Compact the references (MR Nbr = 1). List of parts by reference This table gives the list of the BOM's parts, and the manufacture data: Step, Layer, Position, Orientation... The column Step enables you to indicate at which production step the part will be used. This parameter then lets you calculate some values in the Production step table. It is also used in the work orders. This can also impact the exports and printings of BOMs (refer to the paragraph on the production steps above). When the operation times are displayed in italics in a column (user fields made visible), it's because they are issued by a definition at a higher level (part for example). If they are displayed in blue, it means they have been locally modified. Note: For further information on the tables manipulation, refer to the application note dedicated to the management of tables in Optymo. Link BOMs and Parts Linked part The General tab in the BOM window lets you define the part linked to a BOM. The stock for the linked part is incremented when the associated BOM is used in production to manufacture products. For example, a BOM is used to create a product whose reference in the parts database is Motherboard. In the stock, the Motherboard stock will be increased each time a production cycle is completed from the BOM. As mentioned previously, the label in Reference field is used for documenting and searching. 13

14 BOMs can be linked to Parts at three levels: BOM, Revision or Configuration. Link at the BOM level A link at the BOM level is used when the final manufactured product is modified at the BOM level, but that the product's reference doesn't change. In principle, this occurs when the manufactured product includes modifications of the linked BOM, but that it doesn't need a change of the product's reference. For example, if changes of the BOM are necessary to replace the obsolete parts by equivalents, the BOM will be modified and a new Revision will be made, while the part will stay linked to the BOM and not to the revision. To link a Part at the BOM level: 1. Select BOM as the link level. 2. Find the Part you want to link to the BOM in Optymo's base (you'll have to create it if it doesn't exist), by clicking on the Icon to select the part. Note: If you wish to delete the existing link with a Part, click on the erase icon to delete the content in the Linked Part box. This does not delete the part itself in the database. Link at the Revision level A link at the Revision level is used when the final manufactured product is based on a Revision different from the BOM, and so has a different product reference each time. To link a Part at the Revision level, proceed the same way, having previously selected Revision as the link level. Link at the Configuration level A link at the Configuration level is used when the final manufactured product is based on a Configuration different from the BOM, and so has a different product reference each time. To link a Part at the Configuration level, proceed the same way, having previously selected Configuration as the link level. Heritage of the linked parts When a configuration is build, the linked part's stock is updated. If no linked part is defined at the Configuration level, use the Revision link. If this one is not defined, use the BOM link. If this one is not defined, the link will have to be manually specified directly in the Work Order (or else the Final Product will not be stored). Although there are many configurations (and/or revisions which coexist) of a BOM, the link with a part has to be made at the configuration (or revision) level, and there has to be as many parts as configurations. Otherwise, you expose yourself to production and management errors; since Optymo doesn't have the possibility to know precisely which configuration the linked part refers to. This is particularly critical when the BOM can be used as a subsystem of another BOM. In the case where configurations are created while a part is already linked at the BOM level, delete the link and recreate it at the configuration level. 14

15 Configuration Management General points Configurations enable you to generate several lists of items, from the same BOM at a given revision. The variations between the configurations are due to the use of options. Each configuration applies a certain number of options (some are retained and others not). The options are exerted on the parts, the subsystems or even on the production steps. So each BOM has its own list of options. Each configuration appeals to these options and refers to a given revision (it can be a specific revision or the last revision of the list). So the same options can be shared through all the revisions of a same BOM. Optymo offers a sophisticated management of BOMs' configurations, which enables you to manage several variations of a same BOM, from a unique name of the Primary BOM. This lets you classify several variations of a same product, under a unique name of product, and thus simplify the management of BOMs when these are very close to one another, avoid to have to recreate a new BOM when it is derived from an existing BOM. Basic principles The basic principle consists in defining the BOM with all the items (as well as the subsystems) and the required production steps, whichever configuration is used. Let's take the example of a data acquisition board (see Optymo's screenshot below), and consider there are two variations of this board, one with 10 VDC inputs and the with 20 VDC inputs. Most of the items are identical, except some capacitors, whose values vary according to the admissible voltage. In the screenshots below, you can see the items 4 and 5 are only used for the 10V model. The list of parts for the BOM includes the 2 series of capacitors, and afterwards, each optional item (i.e. an item that doesn't appear in all the configurations) will be associated to a given option. A same option can be associated to several items, while an item can only be associated to one option. By default, a new configuration of a BOM is linked to the last revision of the list, at the time of its definition. Thereafter, if a new revision is created, it will take into account all the configurations which are linked to the last revision. However, if this configuration is linked to a specific revision (either a prior revision, or the current revision to which it will have to stay linked), you'll need to precise it during its definition (see below for the implementation), and this configuration will always stay linked to this revision. Priorities The options can apply to the production steps, the parts and the references: 1. If an optional step is not retained in a given configuration, all the references associated to this step will be ignored (so will the options specified on these references). 2. If an optional part is not retained, all the matching references will be ignored. 3. To sum up, to assure an optional reference is retained, the concerned part must not be optional, or if it is, this option has to be retained too, and finally, the same performance applies to the concerned production step. 4. A same option can be used both on the list of parts and on a production step, for example, if this step requires a specific material, or, on the contrary, these optional parts need a specific step at the time of production. 15

16 BOM Management User Interface It's in this tab that the elements, which differentiate a new configuration, are defined. This tab has 2 distinct areas: 1. The area Current Configuration, where the configuration is linked to a revision, and which indicates the uses of this configuration. 2. The area List of options, where the options are created, and where options and configurations are associated. Define a Configuration A configurations is defined by following these steps: 1. Create a configuration 2. Define one or several options 3. Define which revision is linked to the configuration 4. Associate the options to the steps/parts/ references 5. Define, for each option, if it has to be retained or not Note: Steps 4 and 5 can be performed in reverse order (selecting options by configuration, then association of the options to the steps/parts) according to the user s choice. Steps in detail The procedure to follow to create and define the configurations is detailed below: First of all, make sure the status (blocked/unblocked, green or red padlock ) in the BOMs area 16

17 allow you to carry out the operations you want: a. Blocked BOM: adding or modifying options is not possible b. Blocked revision: no modification of the parts or steps table, so here, no allocation of an option to a part and/or a step is possible c. Blocked configuration: no modification of the coefficients is possible 1. Create a new configuration! Activate the Configuration list box (in the BOM area of the window), by clicking on the label or on the field itself. The icons at the bottom of the window then switch to the Configuration mode. Click on to add a new configuration. There must be at least one configuration defined before creating an option. 2. Associate Configuration- Revision! In the group Current Configuration, select the revision concerned by the current configuration. Select Last revision, for the configuration to refer automatically to the last revision. The last revision refers to the last revision of the list, not the last revision created (see the paragraph Basic principles above). 3. Create options! Display the tabs area (button on the right of the Main Category field, at the top of the BOM window), and select the tab Configurations. a. Add an option with the icon, on the right of the area List of options. b. In the field Description, enter the option's description (e.g.: Option 10V). c. In the field Label, enter the matching label (e.g.: 10V). This label will then be used as references in the parts and steps tables. d. Creating an option makes the Option column of the BOM's parts and steps tables editable. This column is henceforth on a white background. 4. Allocate options to parts/steps! In the parts table (lower window), enter the wanted option's label in the column Option for the concerned part. Proceed the same way for the steps table if needed. a. Only the parts and steps linked to a configuration present a label in the option column. b. This column stays empty for the parts/steps which are generic for the nomenclature. 5. Select options for the configuration! In the List of options area, in the Coefficient column, enter 1 to retain the corresponding option for the configuration being defined. Enter 0 or erase the cell's content, if you don't want the option to be retained. In our example, for the configuration 10V, the coefficient is 1 for the option 10V and 0 for the option 20V. The values are inverted for the configuration 20V. Note 1: there may of course be several options for a given configuration, and options may be validated 17

18 for several configurations. By browsing the list of configurations, you can see what options are associated with each configuration. Note 2: In most cases, the coefficient value for a retained option will be 1. However, this value can be different if you want to use it as a multiplier coefficient. This applies in the case of an option specified in the list of parts (condensed view like in our example), for a desynchronised part (values of the columns Qty DN, the designators number differ from the specified quantity), or having a quantity of one and no reference (column Manufacture empty for this part It would also be the case of an electric wire with a quantity of 2 (and a single reference) and an option LNG. In the configuration, if the LNG option has a coefficient of 10, the resulting BOM will have a final quantity of 20. Note 3: In the display area of the parts, all the parts related to the BOM are displayed, regardless of the configuration selected in the configuration list. The Option column shows which parts are linked to an option and thus to a specific configuration. Other configuration data: 1. In the group Current Configuration, the different fields correspond to the following information: a. Use = number of BOMs which use (as a subsystem) the current BOM in the current configuration. b. Work orders = number of work orders which use the current BOM in the current configuration. Note: A configuration cannot be deleted if one the two previous data is different from 0. c. Used options = number of options retained in the current configuration. 2. In the group List of options, the field Use corresponds to the number of times the option is specified, either in the production steps, the parts or the references. Note: An option cannot be deleted if it used at least once. Other data related to configurations: 1. In the tab General: when the radio button Configuration is selected, the fields Reference and Linked Part can be input for the current configuration. 2. In the tab Cost Price, in the area Take into account, the check box Current Configuration enables to indicate that the current configuration has to be taken into account for the calculations. If the box is not checked, the options aren't taken into account; the calculations are simply done for the current revision and for all the parts that are part of it. Conversely, if the box is checked, only the parts concerned by the current configuration are taken into account. The current revision must be the one designated by the configuration, otherwise an error message is displayed. Copy a BOM with configurations In some situations, it is interesting to copy a BOM with its structure and in particular its options and configurations. If several products share a significant number of elements, exist in the same types of configurations (as standard, industrial, military), requiring the definition of a large number of options, it 18

19 may be more effective to replicate the complete BOM and modify the list of parts instead of recreating options and configurations for each BOM. The copy of the complete structure of a BOM (parts, production steps, configurations options...) should be done from the BOM organization window (see the relevant chapter below). In that case, the BOM must be duplicated by copying the nomenclature with its sub elements ( ). Selection of a BOM The window Selection of a BOM appears with the search icon, from the BOM window, or during the selection of a BOM, to add it in a work order for example. The search can be done according to the status, the category or the level. In some cases, the list boxes Revision or Configuration can be disabled, depending on if configurations have been defined for the current BOM or not. In the case where no configuration has been defined, only the revision can be chosen. Conversely, if only the configuration can be chosen, the revision is then automatically selected. In the Search for section, you can also select a Reference or an Engineering change order, which are parameters defined for the BOM (see General Tab). Organize the BOMs base Over the time using Optymo, it may occur that the classification initially chosen is no longer adapted, or that the BOMs have been moved from a category to another. The contextual menu enables to call up the function Organize to this end. This opens a window with 2 parts (Source/Destination), letting you reorganize the base according to your new needs. The Source part shows four buttons to control the display: 1. The buttons Extend and Reduce the tree view in the Source part. 2. The button Show the current element in the other view points out the element selected in the Source part, in the Destination part. 3. The button Search opens the Selection window to search a BOM in the base and position the cursor in the Source part. Between the two parts, a series of icons provide the reorganization functions. You can move the elements up and down in a list (, ), sort several selected elements by alphabetical order ( ), copy or move elements in the tree view (,, ), the selected BOM in the Source part being moved/copied in the selected category/subcategory in the Destination part, rename the selected element in one of the parts ( ), add an element of the same level ( ) or an element of a lower level ( - for example, a revision if the cursor points on a BOM), and finally, delete an element ( ). To select simultaneously several elements in a part, keep the Ctrl key pressed. Your base will be effectively modified after closing the organization window by clicking the button OK. 19

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