What is Exploding the Bill of Materials?

Exploding the bill of materials means breaking down the bill of materials for a product into its constituent parts. A bill of materials is the record of the raw materials, sub-assemblies and supplies used to construct a product. It contains a description, unit count, and scrap estimate for each line item.

How to Use an Exploded Bill of Materials

An exploded bill of materials is used to determine which items needed for a production run are missing from stock, and so need to be ordered. Bill of materials information can also be used to spot any items in stock that are not required for the production of any goods - these items can then be targeted for elimination.