| COMMENTARY |
By Vincent Mazur48 DE| Technology for Optimal Engineering Design August 2019 /// DigitalEngineering247.com
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Why BOM Management Matters
Late product introductions, delayed marketing programs
and wasted time are only some of the negative consequences of
a problem that is largely preventable with more proactive bill of
materials (BOM) management practices.
Electronic components are foundational to electronic de-
signs. However, designers that choose them also inherit charac-
teristics largely beyond their control, including availability, cost,
lifecycle, performance-to-datasheet, authenticity, quality and re-
liability, which represent touchpoints of risk. Combine this with
component markets fluctuating in real time, and the increasing
impact of counterfeits, and it’s easy to see how undetected BOM
surprises can tangle projects in a web of late-cycle delays, cost
escalations and even redesigns.
Although nothing is completely risk-free, here are four prac-
tices designers can implement for additional insulation from
component-related risks:- Put BOM Management on Par with Schematic
and PCB Design Domains. The best, highest performance
printed circuit board (PCB) design will be practically useless if
suitably priced parts are unavailable to manufacture in volume.
The BOM has traditionally been relegated to a late-cycle
post-process, with characteristics that are typically viewed
as someone else’s responsibility, such as procurement or
component engineering. Recognizing the BOM’s importance
as well as the significance of schematic and PCB design is
an essential first step to mitigating the risks associated with
electronic components selection and sourcing. - Improve The Designer’s Situational Awareness.
The term “situational awareness” is rooted in military and
life-critical environments—where margins for error are tight
and consequences of failure are extremely high. Getting the
right information to designers early, in the right place and with
negligible impact to their design activity, is paramount. The
design environment is the place to inform the designer on
electronic part dynamics such as counterfeit risk, availability or
cost, where the information is most relevant and actionable. - Check Your BOM Status Early, Often and
Throughout The Design Cycle. Electronic components are
similar to airline tickets. The availability and price you see today
may be different tomorrow. It is imperative for designers and
down-cycle collaborators to monitor the status of their BOMs
early and often. Although the use of Electrical Rules Checks
(ERC) and Design Rule Checks (DRC) for schematic and PCB
designs has long been a staple of electronic design automation
tools, automated BOM checks are a relatively recent capability.
Adding real-time BOM checks to the conventional ERC/
DRC used throughout the design process and at manufacturing
release time is a prudent step to identify and mitigate
component related issues before they can affect manufacturing.- Establish Contingency Early for Risky Parts.
There is more competition for the available global supply
of parts, particularly widely used components. Although
design organizations are familiar with the various “design
for” initiatives including design for test and design for
manufacturability, organizations may want to consider including
the idea of designing for availability of components, or
designing for component substitution as an initiative.
Consider contingency plans for critical design components.
This will enable the substitution of the preferred manufacturer
part number with the next highest ranked manufacturer part
number choice.Establishing part choices early, or making them
part of a centralized component library, can pay big dividends by
building in dynamic response to changing component supplies.
Proactively Addressing Risks
Although some component-related risks are unavoidable, many
can be overcome by augmenting design methodologies to move
the visibility of component supply dynamics into the designer’s
workspace. Today’s cloud component data and associated design
environments, which enable real-time collaboration, provide a
unique opportunity for organizations to reinvent the way they
design and manufacture products.
Early risk identification through situational awareness is
essential for overcoming the consequences associated with com-
ponent supply problems. Improving design environments with
these objectives can give a considerable competitive advantage
to those who adopt these practices. DEVincent Mazur is a Product & Persona Marketing Engineer at Altium
(Altium.com). Prior to that, he co-founded a scientific electronic instru-
ment business where he architected and designed handheld, battery-
operated products using Altium Designer.T
HE WORST TIME to find out that a two-cent part or
any of its substitutes isn’t available is after the product
has been sent for manufacturing. The business impact
can be substantial in most cases, if not disastrous.DE_0819_Commentary_Mazur.indd 48 7/11/19 11:27 AM