How to Build a BoM and Build it Well

Last week, we established that the benefits of having a bill of materials are definitely worth the time, money, and expertise required to build them. However, creating a BoM is only half of the process. The other half is making sure the BoM is accurate. This step is crucial because how will you repair a piece of critical equipment without the correct spare parts?

Bad spare parts data = Bad BoM

A significant aspect of building accurate BoMs is ensuring the spare parts data imported into the system is clean and organized. If this data is misnamed, missing specific elements, or just all around disorganized, chances are the quality of your final product will be compromised.

Bad spare parts data can be quite costly for your organization. Maintenance personnel would be unable to identify the correct parts quickly. On top of that, significant production delays could occur. Time is money for every organization, so anything that arises in inefficiencies or extra cost is better avoided.

Duplication could also be the reason your BoM is not of the best quality. Not being able to find the right data quickly and easily can result in multiple duplicates materials being created in your EAM system. Not only does this contribute to overall disorganization, but it makes parts even harder for maintenance personnel to find in the system and can increase operational costs. In the long run, your company will likely be burdened with backlogs and incomplete work orders.

Some companies may be storing their spare parts BOM data in a spreadsheet. This is not the most user-friendly option because, for starters, spreadsheets were not designed for complex asset data storage. Spreadsheets also have little to no tools to assist with cleaning your data, therefore making it more likely for inaccuracies to linger.  You are also at risk of losing all of the BOM information if your employee managing the spreadsheet leaves your organization.

Deep clean your data

Cleansing your spare parts data will be extremely helpful in making the use of your BoM more efficient and effective. Investing in a solution that can help you standardize naming conventions and parts descriptions, remove duplicates, reuse existing BoMs, and visualize parts will be worthwhile for your company.

The NRX AssetHub solution provides features such as a powerful search and visualization to help ensure accuracy with your spare parts data. If you are curious about our solution, feel free to book a demo, and our team would be happy to assist you!