You can easily upload your BOM file into BOM Insight from the dashboard. Click on the +Add New BOM button to start the import process. The accepted file types include .csv, .tsv, .xls, .xlsx, Eagle .sch, KiCad.sch, and .SchDoc.
Your BOM list must contain at least two columns; either an IPN or MPN, and a quantity. There are three steps or steps involved in uploading a BOM, which are shown in three tabs:
BOM Settings
Choose BOM
In the Choose BOM section, click on Browse to import your file and use the Select Sheet dropdown to choose the appropriate worksheet (if there are multiple worksheets in the file). After importing, by default the file’s name will also appear as the new BOM Name. This can be edited manually within the name field. Use the Select Folder option to find a project folder to house your BOM as applicable.
Next, check the box for Is this a Multi-Level BOM? if you have a structured bill of material and parent part numbers are present in your import file. Checking the box for a multi-level BOM allows the Parent Part Number column to be mapped. This enables multi-level BOMs to be structured correctly. You can read this article on Multi-level (indented) BOMs for more information.
If your list contains alternates where the CPN is left empty, check the corresponding box: Does this BOM includes alternates with empty CPNs. Check this box only if your alternates do not have repeated CPNs, in order to indicate these parts as alternates. Alternate part numbers require the same quantity, so only the first quantity listed in a group (repeating) is recorded.
When IPN Auto Matching is checked, then it will automatically match any MPNs to IPNs within your Part Master. It will make the selection based on the parameters of Preferred, Sourcing, Lifecycle Status, and Date Added when there's multiple matches. You can read this article on IPN Auto Matching for more information.
The Description is an optional field that allows you to provide additional information about the BOM that may be helpful for yourself and your team.
The Risk Index dropdown allows you to select by which Risk Index to evaluate the supply chain risk of components. The available Risk Indices will have been set up previously by your admins from a mix of internal factors and market intelligence data as available inside the loaded BOM.
When mapping a single quantity, you can then enter a total up to 6 comma separated Multipliers, based on your admin settings. Your loaded BOM will then show them as “Quantity Breaks” and the Extended Price will be based on the defined multipliers. This can only be utilized when a single quantity column is mapped. Multipliers will be unavailable if more than one quantity has been mapped.
When checking to use the Last Pick Settings, then BOM Insight will autocorrect your part numbers based on how your company corrected them the last time. These corrections are from the account level. Once a part has been corrected, then this functionality will apply that choice as the autocorrection moving forward, unless the part is cleaned again. When the Last Pick autocorrection is unchecked, then the corrections won't be automatically applied. However, the correction will still be available to access and view within your BOM.
The option to Prioritize part master data over uploaded data when both exist is useful when your Part Master is used as the repository to manage all of your parts. This is determined by your admins and those with permissions. This option allows you to prioritize any data for parts that exist in your Part Master over any matching data in your uploaded files. Selecting this option will not overwrite the current data in your Part Master fields. If the option is not selected, then parts displayed in the loaded BOM will be solely from the uploaded file, regardless of the Part Master table.
There are three Manufacturer Settings options, which include:
- Prioritize Req. Manufacturer (default) - the system will first look across all active price sources to identify a Manufacturer matching the Requested Manufacturer. If no match is identified, then another Manufacturer will be selected.
- Requested Manufacturer Only (pre-existing functionality) - only parts where the Manufacturer matches the Requested Manufacturer will be priced. Otherwise, a Manufacturer will still be selected, but the line will be left unpriced. Even when checked, if pricing is by the IPN/CPN, then the Requested Manufacturer is ignored.
- Ignore Req. Manufacturer - the Requested Manufacturer is not considered for the purpose of pricing. When checked, if the Requested Manufacturer exists on a line, then it will be ignored for the purpose of selecting a supplier option.
If there are two MPNs with the same IPNs, then the Req. Manufacturers will not be utilized in the pricing selection. Regardless if the setting for "Lowest Price" (across all) is selected or "Requested Manufacturer Settings" is checked for IPN/CPN, Supplyframe will ignore the Req. Manufacturer if it exists on the BOM line. This rule is only for IPN/CPN pricing when based on CP, PO, or QH. It does not affect WP and SP, since these price sources are based on MPN matching.
When you have finished with your BOM Settings, then click on Next: Mapping.
Mapping
The second step in uploading your BOM is to verify that your columns have been correctly mapped. This includes columns such as: Part Number (MPN), Quantity, CPN, Designator, Category, and Requested Manufacturer for example.
Columns that have been mapped will be in green and only need to be verified for accuracy, while the blue columns have not yet been mapped. You will need to map and verify all pertaining columns, or those columns of information will be left out of your BOM.
You must select and map values at least for either the MPN column or IPN/CPN column, as well as a Quantity. When your data is unmapped or has been incorrectly mapped, click on the pencil icon next to the column header to change the mapping. From the Select Column dropdown click on the appropriate radio button to select the correct column header.
During the BOM upload process, the system allows the mapping of both "System Columns" and the "User Defined" columns from all of your admin created Part Categories templates. When you map the Category for your list's part numbers, then those part numbers will inherit its mapped category’s fields (user defined columns).
You will need to map all of the relevant categories' user defined columns in your BOM. Then these categories and all their appropriate user defined columns for your parts will flow through when your BOM is used as a source file to an RFQ. Within BOM Insight, your mapped user defined columns will only show in the Expanded View section of your BOM.
In addition to user defined columns from your Part Categories templates, you can upload and map the following system fields:
- IPN/CPN
- Manufacturer Part Number
- Category
- Quantity (up to 6 dependent on settings by admins)
- Requested Manufacturer
- Designator
- Plant
- Subcontractor
- Part Description
- Target Price
- Region
- Custom Region
- Custom Grouping
- UOM
- Parent Part Number (when setting check for "Multi-Level BOM")
When uploading a BOM, it will save the initial manually mapped headers at the system level. Header mappings are not case-sensitive. Therefore, when uploading another BOM in the future, BOM Insight will automatically map the columns based on your previous mappings when there's identical headers.
The data that appears in an RFQ from a BOM will be determined by your admin created Part Category templates. Depending on the mapped categories for parts within your BOM, along with their mapped user defined columns, is what will determine the columns carried over to your RFQ.
When you have finished verifying all the mappings, click on Next: Cost Prioritization.
Cost Prioritization
The last step is the Cost Prioritization, which is where you can set your price sources priorities and options. The price sources priorities allow you to determine how BOM Insight should cost the line items in your BOM.
Your Price Source options include: Contract Price, Quote Price, Purchase History, (Customer) Specific Price (API), and Web Price. Availability of results can vary depending on your admin settings, previously loaded data, or API connections.
Uncheck in the Active column any Price Sources that you want to be disregarded for pricing when populating your BOM. Results from those sources will still be available within a part’s details in your BOM, but that price result will not be utilized in applying selections. You will be able to manually override pricing selected if needed with these other results.
You can modify the priority hierarchy of Price Sources by dragging preferred sources up or down to different orders. This will set the price sources priorities when populating your BOM.
When utilizing Contract Price, Quote Price, and Purchase History, choose if the result should be Based On IPN/CPNs or MPNs, as well as if within a date range.
Then for both Specific Price (Customer/API) and Web Price, BOM Insight can pull data results based on Best price and stock, Best price at quantity, Best price available, or Match stock. The option of Best Price and Stock prioritizes identifying stock for results. When using Best price at quantity, this focuses on pricing items based on the best available price, while also taking into account the requested quantity falling within the distributor's correct quantity break limit. Then for the choice of Match Stock, a price result's MOQ is used to differentiate between all the lowest prices found to help determine the selection. When the stock is not met, then the next price source preference in your hierarchy is considered.
You can access optional preference selections for Contract Price, Quote Price or Web Price by clicking on the specific price source’s Edit Details pencil icon.
Contract Price: Choose if to Use All Contract Pricing Lists or specific contracts, as well as if to exclude results with Expired Dates. Click on Close when finished with your selections.
Quote Price: Choose if you want to to Use All RFQs or specific quotes; if you want to Exclude Expired Dates; and if results should only be those Awarded from RFQ parts. Click on Close when finished with your selections.
Web Price: Within Web Price, you can set your Supplier Preferences and choose whether to have BOM Insight pull data from All Suppliers, your Preferred Suppliers First or Preferred Suppliers Only.
If you choose to use either Preferred Suppliers option, there are many options listed for both Authorized Suppliers and Independent Suppliers. You will need to scroll down to see all of the options. Check the boxes of the suppliers that you want to use. You can also use the Select All or Deselect All to change your selections as a whole. Click on Close when finished with your selections.
Price Source Help Icons
There are also Price Source "Help" icons. Hovering over the “?” icon will display the logic that is used for calculating that particular source.
Checking the box Lowest Price Settings will then automatically choose the lowest price from all of your active price sources.
Once you've completed your desired Cost Prioritization options, click on Save to finish.
Note: The MPN field when uploading a BOM does not have a character limit. However, when utilizing that BOM later as a source file to create an RFQ, then the MPN field has a max of 100 characters.
The maximum amount of line items accepted via file upload is 30,000.