BOM levels
A single-level BOM consists of the immediately subordinate components that are necessary to build the product. It does not contain the "components of the components."
When a BOM contains another BOM as its component, it is known as a multilevel BOM, where the sub-BOM is referred to as level one and its components as level two. BOMs can consist of as many levels as necessary, depending on the type of product being produced.
Product information management > Bills of materials and formulas > Bill of materials > (Select product) > Maintain > Designer
Example of a multilevel BOM
Adult bicycles consist of two wheels, a seat, handlebars, and a frame. All these components are reflected in the bicycle BOM. However, the frame also consists of several discrete items (three or four tubes welded together). Therefore, the frame has a BOM of its own. The frame's BOM is known as a sub-BOM, that is, a bill of material within the bill of material for the end product, the bicycle.
Assume that a BOM is created to assemble bicycles. The following items are set up as the product type. The products types are used in the BOM and do not require assembly.
- Wheels
- Seat
- Handlebars
The bicycle frame is assembled in production. This part of the process is set up as a sub-BOM that includes the following items:
- Tubes
- Welding wire
- Brackets or brace
Complex BOM items frequently have several sub-BOMs. The number of levels, or sub-BOMs, depends on how the item is managed.
Generally, an item needs its own level in the BOM if, at a stage, the item must be:
- Tracked
- Stored
- Sold