BOM: item numbers

Since you control the Part Number (Item Number, in your case) and the Description, you could achieve this by having separate parts or separate configurations of a part that produce the same Part Number and Description. The burden of using the proper part in the proper position would be on you since the parts will look the same, but you could use different colors to help differentiate between them. I would suggest using different configurations of the same part to simplify reorganizing your BOMs.

Its possible that you can do this within the BOM, but I'm not familiar with any such controls.

Are they not able to look at the balloons in the drawing views?

WT

They don't want to see the drawing at all, they want to read the BOM and decide which fastener belongs to which item. M.

Hmmm. Their request is not necessarily ignorant nor unreasonable to ask, but I don't know of an easy way to accomplish it.

WT

Anything you do for this will be an awkward workaround, but there are things that could work.

- Make an Item Number column different from the standard column, and hide the standard column. Drive this with a custom property. You could put any info you want in this column, including duplicate numbers.

- Make the fastener stacks into subassemblies. I've never seen this work well, but it might solve one problem for you (and cause two others).

- Make semi manual BOMS where the initial data is automated, and then you hack, chop and mangle to get it in whatever format you want. Edits become a real hassle, but your service guys might be quiet for a while.

I would come up with a few ideas and take them to a management level where they can make rational decisions, if that's available to you. Present them with what Service wants, and what it will cost in terms of additional work / productivity hit in units of time, and see if they think it's worth it. I think any rational manager in charge of getting product out will shoot this down in no time.

Stacked balloons (and a drawing reading class for the guys in Service) strike me as a more workable solution.

Good luck,

Matt

Sounds like something an MRP does.

Sorry, but what is an MRP?

Something Like Manufacturing Routing and Planning I don't know what the official break down of the acronym is. It is a database that has all that information entered into it. Anyway ours here is the bible on the BOM information of a part. There are no drawings directly tied to the BOM. If you type in a sub-assembly name it brings a list of each part and quantity used at that level, with no drawings. but if it isn't integrated with your cad system it can be a task in itself to keep it uptodate. You can also check where a part is used. Among many other things depending on your company needs. Ours does all the planning for the shop from forcasts and it handles alot of the financial tracking end of things. Overhead cost, variable cost, labor cost actual cost, etc.