A Better Way to Share Your BOM Using SOLIDWORKS

First, SOLIDWORKS introduced us to a Bill of Materials (BOM) table on the drawing that was updated to match the components in the assembly. Then we moved to SOLIDWORKS PDM where we could look at a BOM without even opening the assembly and save it out if needed. Now we have moved to SOLIDWORKS Manage, where we can create BOMs from assemblies, add items to the BOM that are not CAD related, and easily run comparisons.

How could life get better for companies that gather information in their BOMs? SOLIDWORKS Manage 2022 brings two new features for BOMs to the table to help us make our work lives even more efficient. Now you can share an editable BOM with someone who does not have Manage, and you can use a BOM from Manage in your SOLIDWORKS drawing.

Sharing an Editable BOM with Someone Else

Let’s say that you work with an outside design firm, or you have a partner company. How can you give them access to see and maybe change some information on the BOMs? What if they do not have access to your network, or don’t have the same software licenses you do?

You can now choose to share BOM from SOLIDWORKS Manage with someone who does not have Manage via email or a link using the new “Share” options. You have the ability to select what they see through filters, and you also control what fields they can modify.

There are also security options to have the BOM expire or require a password to access. Now, you don’t have to send notes back and forth, the outside users can access the data for themselves. This saves time and eliminates unnecessary versioning issues.

>> Related Article: How to Use the BOM in SOLIDWORKS Manage

Connecting Your BOM with Your Open Drawings

So now you have your BOM corrected from the outside supplier, what now? How do you make sure that the BOM on the drawing that everyone is looking at IS the actual BOM that was created in SOLIDWORKS Manage?

SOLIDWORKS Manage 2022 allows you to have a drawing open in SOLIDWORKS CAD and add a BOM from SOLIDWORKS Manage from the task pane on the right. This means all the information that you add in Manage shows up on the Bill of Materials table inside the SOLIDWORKS drawing.

This enhancement also allows you to pick the variation of the BOM you want on the drawing, which can help you easily make a drawing for an assembly in the US, as well as one that has the necessary modifications for being used in Europe.

With both enhancements for SOLIDWORKS Manage 2022, everyone will be pulling information from the same location, meaning there are fewer errors that get pushed through to the manufacturing floor, saving your company time and money. So, if your company needs to modify BOMs with contractors, and you find yourself constantly adding lines to a BOM on a drawing, SOLIDWORKS Manage is a great solution for these common process headaches.

Learn more details about the BOM tools available in SOLIDWORKS Manage in our on-demand webinar, “How to Use the BOM in SOLIDWORKS Manage.”