Creating Production BOMs and Version Management
Production BOMs can be created automatically by the Product Configurator or manually in Business Central. This page describes both approaches and explains how version management works for Production BOMs.
Automatic Creation via the Configurator
When a product is configured — for example from a sales line or the Production Routes page — the configurator evaluates the BOM Calculation Template and automatically generates a Production BOM with the calculated components and quantities. This is the standard workflow for configured products.
The generated Production BOM is linked to a Production BOM Companion record that stores additional configuration data:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| BOM Calculation Template Code | The template that was used for the calculation |
| BOM Calculation Template Version | The specific template version used |
| Parameter Set ID | The property values (dimensions) used during configuration |
| Configuration Type | Whether the configuration is for a variant or an item |
| Manually Changed | Indicates whether the BOM was manually modified after generation |
Manual Creation
To create a Production BOM manually:
- Choose the
icon, enter Production BOM, and then choose the related link. - Choose + New to create a new Production BOM.
- Fill in the header fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| No. | A unique identifier for the Production BOM |
| Description | A description of the product this BOM represents |
| Unit of Measure Code | The unit of measure for the finished product |
| Status | Controls whether the BOM can be used in production |
- Add component lines with the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | The type of component (Item, Production BOM) |
| No. | The item number or sub-BOM number |
| Description | Description of the component |
| Quantity per | The quantity required per unit of the finished product |
| Unit of Measure Code | The unit of measure for this component |
The Product Configurator extends the standard BOM lines with additional fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Group | A line group classification for organizing BOM lines |
| Indentation | The indentation level for hierarchical display |
| Margin | A margin value associated with the component |
Production BOM Status
The Status field controls the lifecycle of a Production BOM:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| New | The BOM is being created and cannot be used in production yet |
| Certified | The BOM is approved and can be used in production orders |
| Under Development | The BOM is being modified and temporarily unavailable for production |
| Closed | The BOM is no longer in use |
Warning
If a Production BOM is already used by active item variants in production, its status cannot be changed from Certified. The system prevents this to protect production integrity.
Version Management
Versions allow you to modify a Production BOM without losing the original configuration. This is useful when materials change, quantities are adjusted, or seasonal variations are required.
Creating a New Version
- Open the Production BOM card.
- Navigate to the Versions section.
- Create a new version and copy the existing BOM data.
- Adjust the components in the new version as needed.
- Set the Starting Date to define when this version becomes active.
- Set the Status to Certified to activate the version.
The Production BOM number remains the same across all versions. Business Central automatically uses the version that is valid for the production date based on the Starting Date and Ending Date fields.
The Production BOM Version Companion stores the same configuration metadata as the main Production BOM Companion, allowing you to trace which template and property values were used for each version.
Tip
When the configurator recalculates a BOM, it can create a new version automatically, preserving the previous version for reference.