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Part Requirements and MBOMs ​

  Table of Contents

Overview ​

A part requirement defines what a procedure step needs and how that material should be used. Aggregated across a build procedure, these requirements form the manufacturing bill of materials, or MBOM, for the procedure's output.

During work order execution, the operator selects or scans the inventory lines that fulfill each requirement.

Part Requirements ​

A part requirement identifies a part, consumable, tool, or other part required by a procedure step. It may also specify:

  • Acceptable local substitutes
  • Reference designators
  • A required quantity
  • The material action performed during execution, such as install, consume, or uninstall

Assigning a requirement to a step identifies where in the manufacturing process the material is installed, consumed, or uninstalled. It also tells kitting operators and material handlers when the material is needed.

Local Substitutes ​

Part requirements can specify acceptable substitute parts for a part requirement. These are specific to this step and will not be globally applied. Acceptable parts for a part requirement are the combination of the local substitutes specified for that requirement, and the global substitutes specified for the organization. If a local substitute, has additional global substitutes, those globals will also be acceptable for the part requirement. For example if a step requires Screw A, and accepts a local substitute of Screw B, then the global substitutes for Screw A and Screw B would also all be acceptable parts to fulfill the requirement. All acceptable parts, even through transitive relationships are clearly marked on the part requirement, so there are no surprises about what is acceptable.

Reference Designators ​

Reference designators are named placements for installations. For example wheel installations on a car could have reference designators for Front-Driver, Front-Passenger, Back-Driver, Back-Passenger.

Requirement Sources ​

When a procedure's output part has an engineering bill of materials, or EBOM, its items can be selected for use as part requirements. This allows for fast specification of part requirements from the EBOM.

A part requirement does not need to originate from the EBOM. Procedures may also require new items, consumables, spare parts, test equipment, etc. that may not be specified on the EBOM.

Requirements During Work Order Execution ​

Each work order task contains a copy of the part requirements from its procedure revision. These requirements are frozen and only editable through an approved redline. Operators physically complete and digitally record the fulfillment of each requirement. See Fulfilling Part Requirements for more on the execution workflow.

Actions—like install or uninstall—that require a subject/parent inventory use the nearest parent from the work order hierarchy. Factorial walks upward through any parent work orders and uses the first one with specified output inventory. That inventory line becomes the parent inventory for the action.

Say, for example, a work order produces a car. A nested work order produces an engine. Installations on tasks for the parent work order are naturally recorded as installations on the car inventory item, while installations on tasks within the nested work order are recorded as installations on the engine inventory item. This hierarchy mechanism allows for transient subassemblies, or made on assembly parts.

MBOMs ​

Factorial MBOMs are derivatives of part requirements. They are calculated by aggregating the parts, actions, and quantities required from part requirements for the entire procedure (including any embedded hierarchy underneath). MBOMs' statuses mirror the procedures they are associated with.

Relationship Between the EBOM and MBOM ​

The MBOM does not need to match the EBOM exactly. It may omit EBOM items that are not used by the documented manufacturing process. It may also add manufacturing-specific requirements that do not belong in the engineering structure.

Reviewing EBOM and MBOM Differences ​

Factorial flags procedures with discrepancies between the EBOM and MBOM. Users can review and resolve each difference so that remaining deviations are intentional rather than accidental.

When an EBOM change requires a manufacturing change, users can create a new procedure revision and update its part requirements. The EBOM change does not rewrite released procedure revisions or existing work orders.

This allows manufacturing to continue using approved instructions while the change is reviewed. After the new procedure revision is released, the normal revision rollout determines how it affects work already underway.

  • Procedures define part requirements at the step level.
  • Work-order execution records the inventory used for each requirement.
  • Kitting prepares and delivers the required inventory to execution locations.
  • Batching supports fulfilling compatible requirements across multiple tasks.