Webinar Recording: BOM Types, Which One Is Good For You?

Oleg Shilovitsky
Oleg Shilovitsky
23 January, 2020 | 2 min for reading
Webinar Recording: BOM Types, Which One Is Good For You?

Going back to basics in today’s webinar and talk about the fundamental things – BOM types. Often there are tons of confusion around BOM types – EBOM, MBOM, XBOM, SBOM… you name it. We don’t talk about them today. We will do it later.

Today, we talk about 4 fundamental types of Bill of Materials

1- Single level BOM.

This is the basic and the simplest BOM – list of parts. No structure. Think about the list of components you need to build a product. Usually, the most commonly used because of its natural simplicity. 

2- Multi-level BOM (indented BOM).

This BOM presents structure and parent-child relationships. This one is a complete structure of components – parts and assemblies. It can be two types – quantity-based and instance-based. Quantity based means no part can be present multiple times in the same level. So, an instance is not identified – only quantity. Instance BOM allows to every single part instance to be represented in the BOM

3- Part List.

A flat list with a list of all parts and corresponding quantities. It is a quantity summary.

4- Flattened BOM.

A quantity-based rollup built from a specific top-level BOM. Flattened BOM contains both assemblies and parts, but very much similar to the part list that contains only parts. 

Check the video from the webinar 

And this is a slide deck.

Conclusion.

The information about the product can be presented in various forms. BOM types cover fundamental options – single-level BOM, multi-level BOM, flattened BOM and part list. Knowing these BOM types you can feel very comfortable speaking about different product structures. 

In the next webinar, we will talk about configured BOMs, Resolved BOMs and Views.

Register for OpenBOM user subscription later today 

Best, Oleg @ openbom dot com.

Let’s get to know each other better. If you live in the Greater Boston area, I invite you for a coffee together (coffee is on me). If not nearby, let’s have a virtual coffee session — I will figure out how to send you a real coffee.

Want to learn more about PLM? Check out my Beyond PLM blog and PLM Book website

Read OpenBOM customer reviews on G2 Crowd to learn what customers are saying about OpenBOM. 

Related Posts

Also on OpenBOM

4 6
2 April, 2026

A SolidWorks model is essential. A BOM is essential. Drawings, PDFs, STEP files, and DXFs are essential too. Many teams...

2 April, 2026

In the previous article, I wrote that engineering teams usually do not lose control because CAD design is wrong. The...

2 April, 2026

In my experience, manufacturing companies that rush a new product introduction process usually pay for it later. They see production...

1 April, 2026

How file-based workflows, disconnected BOMs, and the limits of PDM combine to create a product data problem most engineering teams...

31 March, 2026

Last week I wrote about where product lifecycle knowledge gets lost, and I also published a longer piece on Beyond...

30 March, 2026

How to define part number strategy, revision control, and BOM types early in your OpenBOM rollout When companies start an...

27 March, 2026

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “what type of bill of materials do I actually need?”, you’re not alone. In my...

27 March, 2026

This guide explains the product release process in manufacturing – what it is, how it works, and how PLM software...

27 March, 2026

This guide explains how revision control works in multi-level Bills of Materials (BOMs): what it is, why it’s complex, and...

To the top