What are the challenges and solutions for BOM explosion and BOM flattening in a global supply chain?

One of the Crucial factors, Data Accuracy Ensuring accurate data within BOMs is crucial for successful explosion, but managing and updating this data across global locations can be difficult. BOM explosion is challenging due to the complexity of product structures, especially for products with multiple variants, configurations, and revisions. BOM Flattening Process - We must Integrate suppliers into BOM flattening processes, providing them access to relevant BOM data, and fostering collaboration would Definity add value.

Agree with most of above. All PLM/PDM software systems can show the BoM look you need, depending on who you are. Materials & Production will need to see multi-level breakdown (all levels all the way to RM & up the tree to the FG). Program or Project Manager will need to see make & purchased only to address issues accordingly. PUR component breakdown for buyers to source bigger S/A instead of inexpensive single labourous components of PUR part. The breakdown of requirements, components, specs etc. we can see on drawing, coming from internal or customer driven design-er). Company can agree on the way ahead with default PLM/PDM (some maybe still at MRPII) BoM view so not all need to see all levels of the BoM complexity.

One of the big challenges trying to breakdown a BOM is that the manufacturers do not give enough information as some of the small components are considered proprietary. They are also usually sold as a repair kit. Also, it is not practical to store all BOMs of a component. The general practice is to stock some repair kits and likely items that could break. Also, Instead of stocking the pieces why not just buy the whole component if it is worth the money??

BOM Flattening is useful for a specific purpose when Production engineer wants to have consolidated view of BOM without going through complex multi-level BOM. With individual BOM definitions stored in Single level, you can view multiple reports. In ERPs like SAP, reports like Summarized BOMs show all components (Irrespective of in which level they exist in Multi-level BOM) along with information such as quantities required etc. This is one form of BOM reports which will show what are all needed to make one product. There are other forms of Bills for different purposes For example, we refer to Indented Bill which shows the Multi-level bill with visibility of how and in what sequence the sub-assemblies and final product are made.

ERPs and Other Product engineering solutions store BOMs of all manufactured items in Single Level. With smart reporting tools which provide large number of selection parameters, you can view different reports for your Product. Your product can be populated as Indented BOM, Multi-level BOM or Summarized BOM (Which is the Flattened BOM) etc. In this way, the core definitions remain unchanged, but you can see information of your liking in various reports. SuperBOM approach as mentioned by Author, is applicable for Product which has large variants with minor change of features. According to progressive selection, the relevant BOM components are populated. This will ensure use of one definition and generate multiple variants based on a logic

Today, BOM Explosion and Flattening processes are quite simplified. Many sophisticated applications support centralized definition of BOM in normalized passion (No duplication of BOMs by defining every BOM of manufactured product in single level). Every thing else is handled through Reports and Programs with needed logic (like exploding BOM for Variants as well as for reporting). You can have one source of truth with multiple views and results through programs and reports.