Part Categories can be leveraged to automatically populate data into your BOMs or Demand lists from the Part Master when configured by your admins.
Part Categories provide the functionality to classify your parts when uploading into Part Master by specifying its Part Category. Utilizing the Part Categories allows admins to customize the fields needed to store information for each part in Part Master. In addition, the connection of your data from Part Master through its Part Categories allows you to import data from Part Master into other modules.
However, if a Part Category doesn't exist when uploading data into Part Master, then it won't add the Part Category to a part. Your parts would still be added to Part Master, but the data would not be available to be referenced or imported to your modules.
Your admins can set up Population rules based on a column belonging to a Part Category. Then as you upload a list, when any population rules have been set up, the data will automatically populate that column from the corresponding field in Part Master.
Part Categories functionalities are available to all as configured by your admins. However, management of your Part Categories is only accessible to admins and those with permissions.
Here are the different ways that Part Categories interact within the modules:
Part Categories in BOM Insight
When uploading a list, BOM Insight allows the mapping of both the default "System Columns" and your custom "User Defined Columns" based on your Part Categories templates as configured by admins. Your admin-created category templates will determine the custom columns available to be mapped with the default columns.
When mapped, click on View in the action bar and then on Expand View to see the custom columns details.
Part Master Utilization through Part Categories in BOM Insight
Your data within Part Master is accessible to your BOMs when configured by your admins through Part Categories templates. Then you can choose when uploading your list to Prioritize Part Master data over uploaded data when both exist. Checking this box allows you to choose whether the data from your Part Master should be prioritized over what currently exists in your upload file.
Selecting this option will not overwrite the current data in Part Master fields. When you do not select this option, then the data displayed in your BOM will only be from your upload file, regardless if the data exists in Part Master (or is different).
Add Part Categories Manually within a BOM
You can add categories manually as needed to your line items directly within your BOM for parts not currently in your Part Master or missing its category in Part Master. This can be done through the option of Add Part Category for individual line items or in bulk through the Group Edit. This way the custom columns associated with a part category's template will be available in an RFQ for the part when this BOM is used as its source file in Quoting. However, within the BOM itself, you will not be able to add any of its custom columns information related to the category template when manually adding the category.
You can add a category to parts by using the Group Edit. In your BOM, select the line items for which you want to add categories. Then click on Group Edit and select Add Part Category.
Within the Add Part Category modal, from the Select Part Category dropdown menu choose the appropriate category. Then click on Add Part Category to save.
Part Categories in Demand Management
Within Demand Management, as an admin, you can create Demand Templates for a particular Part Category. Then when your users are uploading their lists, the demand can both populate and/or validate their part lists to the data in Part Master via that template's Part Category specifications.
Part Categories in Quoting
When creating RFQs, IPN-level part details available in Part Master can be shared with suppliers in the RFQ creation process through the Part Category settings. Part details that are sharable in the RFQ will be displayed in their own columns. If your list includes parts from multiple Part Categories, then the columns from all Part Category Templates will be included.
In addition, formulas in an RFQ are calculated fields based on other fields within the RFQ. To enter these fields into the RFQ, you will need to define those fields through: the Demand Templates in Demand Management and the Part Category Templates for lists in BOM Insight.
Visibility and usage of these functionalities will be based on your permissions and the rules setting as defined for each column in each of your Part Categories.