It is hard to believe that 2022 is coming to the end. December is here and in just a few more weeks, we will be closing the year. It is time to start preparing and for me, it is time to start looking back on everything we made at OpenBOM in 2022.
OpenBOM is truly a live service available online and we continued to develop new features, functions, and user experience including ways to learn and start using OpenBOM for our customers.
In 2022, we continued to develop new ways to manage and share data, making it easier than ever for our users to connect and collaborate. Here’s a look at some of the most noteworthy features and functions that have taken place over the last 12 months.
Please note: We are not done yet with 2022. Two more releases will be going out in December 2022. I will give you some hints about what is coming before the Christmas party starts.
End-to-End Change Management Mechanisms
With the development of multiple features and functionalities related to change management, we introduced a full end-to-end change management process. It brings up support for history, revisions, Change Requests, and Change Orders. Although many of these features were around for a long time, the overall change management experience is now available for companies looking at how to support a full product life cycle process from the initial design to release and obsolescence. Check for the demos:
- Video: Introducing OpenBOM Collaborative Workflow
- OpenBOM Change Order Approval Demo
- Supply chain and change approval process for items (step-by-step demo)
The picture below gives you a full perspective on what you can do.
Drive and PDM Services
OpenBOM expanded functionality and services to help manage files and to provide a system to manage file versions, and changes, and support engineering and design collaboration. A virtual Drive provides a single source of information where engineers can place all their CAD files and get storage and control of design changes including a 3D viewer and integrations with CAD files.
You can read more about Drive features and how it is different from traditional PDM systems.
Check for more information about the Drive including documentation and Drive training course.
CAD Integrations
One of the most important capabilities of OpenBOM is immersive and tight integration with CAD systems. Seamless capturing of CAD and related engineering data is very important for successful OpenBOM implementations. We are always expanding and improving CAD integrations. This year we released new and improved significantly OpenBOM CAD integrations.
- NEW: PTC Creo Integration
- NEW: Autodesk Revit Integration
- Autodesk Fusion 360 – improved speed and image capturing, login usability
- SOLIDWORKS – improvements including embedded browser, improved settings, etc.
- PTC Onshape – support for revisions and derivative files (STEP, STL, PDF for Drawings)
We are integrating Drive features into all OpenBOM integrations. So far we Drive integrated with SOLIDWORKS and PTC Creo. More to come later in 2023.
Ordering and Purchasing Improvements
To support seamless process flow from initial design to ordering and procurement is one of the distinguishing features of OpenBOM differentiating it from traditional PDM/PLM features focusing on engineering functionality only.
OpenBOM provides a set of features and functionality that usually can be found in MRP/ERP features. By doing so, OpenBOM allows SMB/SME manufacturing to focus on the ability to handle not only engineering processes but also to connect typical inventory and order / PO / RFQ processes. Supply Chain shortage and components availability was a challenge for many companies In 2022. To support these companies we made several improvements in order and purchasing functions.
The solution we are bringing to our customers was inspired by many customer requests and allows a customer to perform a partial receive of a PO and automatical generation of a separate PO to handle the rest of the process. In such a way, you can continuously receive components against an existing PO without the need of creating a new one. OpenBOM PO receive function will do it for you and update your Quantity On Hand accordingly.
Such a supply chain strategy will allow you to automate the process of PO receiving and not worry about ordering from multiple places. In a crisis time like today, companies are not concerned about lead time and running multiple orders. A new “partial PO” process can bring a way to manage it in a more reliable form.
Multi-sourcing is a second important feature OpenBOM introduced in 2022 to allow to have a way to purchase components from multiple suppliers and manage preferred vendor options.
Performance, Cool Features, and UX Improvement
Improve OpenBOM usability, and performance is always at the top of the list. We are continuously working with our customers and listening to their requirements and feedback. In 2022 we made substantial improvements to OpenBOM infrastructure and improvements to the editing grid foundation making it faster and more reliable.
A few cool features caught my special attention and love.
- Flattened BOM support for BOM revisions
- Multi-row item move
API and Development Kits
OpenBOM is an open system and we provide APIs to allow our customers and integration partners to develop enhancement and access data managed by OpenBOM programmatically.
- Additional functionality in public REST API.
- CAD API Integration toolkit
Training and Documentation
We’ve been continuously improving OpenBOM Training Library with fixes and new courses. As such, here is the list of what we did in 2022.
Hey, 2022… We are not done yet
As much as I love what we did in 2022, we prepared a few really cool features that will be coming later in the last two releases in December 2022. I will give you quick hints about what is coming. Stay tuned…
- OpenBOM Octopart Bulk Update and Sync Function
- BOM Compare functionality
Conclusion
I am super excited about the growing capabilities and maturity of OpenBOM services. We made a bunch of great releases, and new features and acquired tons of new customers.
Check more about how OpenBOM helps manufacturing companies and real OpenBOM customer stories online.
Also, check hundreds of OpenBOM Reviews on G2
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Best, Oleg
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