How parts reach a BOM

Inventory and the BOM are two views of the same parts. This page explains where they meet.

Adding a part to a BOM

When someone adds a part to a bill of materials, the search they are typing into is this inventory. The results show the manufacturer part number, the CPN and the description straight from the part record.

That has a practical consequence: a part described badly in inventory is hard to find when building a BOM. The short description is doing work in two places.

Availability flows back

The BOM's Summarized view shows availability for each part, calculated as stock on hand less what is already allocated. That figure is read from inventory.

When demand is above availability the row is marked Short, with the size of the gap. So a shortage surfaces in two places at once: as a low figure here, and as a red label against the product that needs it.

Every BOM line points at a revision

A BOM line does not point at a part in general. It points at one specific revision of it, chosen when the line was added.

This is the same rule as stock. Both are held against a revision, which is why the part details dialog makes you pick one before showing you anything.

Committing a BOM creates inventory records

The relationship runs the other way too. When a BOM is committed, the assemblies and products it numbers get inventory records of their own, so a released assembly becomes something you can hold stock of, place in a location and count.

That is how a subassembly you make in house ends up alongside the parts you buy.

Which where-used to use

Both sections have one, answering the question from opposite ends:

The inventory one lists the items calling for this part. The BOM one gives the full path down the tree and totals demand across every position.