What Is a Good Way to Manage Bills of Materials for Custom Products?
A practical way to manage bills of materials for custom products is to build each bill from standard components and materials, calculate quantities with formulas based on the product's dimensions or options, save versions and link the approved bill to the production order.
In Jestor, bills of materials, components and orders are connected, so production uses exactly what was approved.
Why are custom product BOMs hard to maintain?
Custom products change with every order: sizes, finishes and options. Bills of materials are rebuilt in spreadsheets each time.
Mistakes in quantities lead to material shortages, waste or wrong costs.
When the customer changes the design, the bill is not always updated.
What problems does BOM management solve?
- Quantity errors in manual spreadsheets
- Missing components discovered in production
- Wrong cost estimates
- Outdated bills after design changes
- No reuse of standard components
How do I manage BOMs in Jestor?
- Create a components table with unit, cost and supplier.
- Create a BOM for each custom product, linked to the order.
- Add BOM lines with components and quantity formulas.
- Calculate total cost from the lines.
- Save versions and link the approved one to production.
| BOM element | Example |
|---|---|
| Standard component | Hinges, screws, handles |
| Calculated material | Panel area from dimensions |
| Finish | Paint or coating by area |
| Labor | Hours by operation |
How do I handle design changes?
Create a new BOM version when the design changes and mark the previous one as superseded.
The production order always points to the current approved version.
Why use Jestor for bills of materials?
- Formula quantities: materials calculated from dimensions.
- Standard components: reused across products.
- Versions: changes recorded with dates.
- Cost visibility: product cost calculated from the BOM.
What else helps you manage bills of materials for custom products?
- BOM data also feeds purchasing. Summing materials from all planned orders shows what must be bought in the coming weeks, before production is affected.
- Option rules help sales as well. When a customer chooses a different finish or size, the bill updates automatically and the quote reflects the real material cost immediately.
- This keeps commercial and production information aligned from the first conversation.
This is how you manage bills of materials for custom products with fewer errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can quantities be calculated from product dimensions?
Yes. Formula fields can use dimensions to calculate quantities.
Can I try it free?
Yes. Start with a free account at jestor.com.
Can I keep BOM versions?
Yes. Each version can be stored with its status and date.
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