Planning
BOM and Production Planning for Discrete Manufacturers
Keep one product structure from quotation through MRP and the work order.
BOM → MRP → work order
Answer
How should discrete manufacturers connect BOM and production planning?
Use a controlled bill of materials as the single structure for costing, MRP and shop execution. Explode demand against that BOM, net stock and open supply, then raise work orders and purchase demand. FOS Planning & MRP and Production share masters with BOM management so revisions do not fork into spreadsheet copies.
Multi-level BOMs and revisions
Engineer-to-order plants revise BOMs after order confirmation. The planning risk is issuing material to an obsolete level. Keep revision identity on the sales order and work order so stores issues the correct components.
Example: An SPM builder revises a sub-assembly after design review. MRP re-nets only the changed branch instead of retyping the entire machine BOM into Excel.
From plan to station
Routings tell the floor where work happens; BOMs tell it what to consume. Production reporting against operations updates WIP so promised dates reflect reality. See Production and Planning & MRP.
Related modules
Open the FOS capabilities that map to this guide.
Related industries
See these workflows on your plant.
Book a demo mapped to your modules and industry — no invented pricing or timelines.
Book a demoWe aim to respond within 1 business day
Why must BOM and MRP share one structure?
If sales, planning and production use different BOMs, shortages and issues diverge. One controlled structure keeps explosion, reservations and travellers aligned.
How does FOS handle BOM revisions?
BOM management and Planning & MRP use shared masters so order-specific revisions can drive demand without maintaining a parallel spreadsheet BOM.
Where do work orders come from?
MRP and planning propose supply; Production executes work orders with operation-level WIP. See /modules/planning-mrp and /modules/production.
Is BOM a separate FOS module?
BOM management is a core planning capability with a dedicated topic page at /bom-management-software, connected to Planning & MRP rather than a ninth top-level module card.
Which industries rely on deep BOMs?
Machine tools, capital goods and other engineer-to-order discrete plants — see /industries/machine-tools and /industries/capital-goods.
