Christa Prokos
Fusion’s Bill of Materials experience gives all stakeholders a single, live BOM with built-in data management and integrated PLM for seamless collaboration.
Imagine a future where every individual involved in the lifecycle of a product—across design, engineering, procurement, and manufacturing—can collaborate effortlessly with up-to-date bill of materials (BOM) data. No more guesswork. No more waiting for disparate teams to update isolated spreadsheets. Instead, with Fusion’s bill of materials experience, you have one live BOM, accessible and editable by all stakeholders in real time.
Seamless collaboration from the start with BOM
The journey begins with a simple premise: accurate BOM data is essential for efficient product development. Traditionally, designers using CAD, engineers focusing on FEA, procurement handling supply chains, and manufacturing managing CAM have operated in silos, each relying on their own versions of BOM data. This fragmentation creates gaps, delays, and ultimately slows down time to market.
Fusion addresses this bottleneck with built-in data management and integrated product lifecycle management (PLM). This ensures that every team is connected to the same live record of the product, minimizing errors and keeping everyone on the same page. Fusion’s collaborative BOM and property editing capabilities enable simultaneous, real-time collaboration, empowering teams to move faster and with greater confidence.
Built-in data management and integrated PLM
Fusion follows core principles that eliminate traditional collaboration barriers:
- Built-in data management: Data management is not an afterthought, it’s integral and seamlessly connected in workflows.
- Integrated PLM: From process management to release, the system captures very change and reflects it instantly in the live BOM.
As a result, when changes arise—as they inevitably do during development, whether it’s new material sourcing, shifts in component quantities, or pricing updates—teams can edit BOM data as needed. The latest information is immediately available to all, removing the confusion of disconnected edits and the risk of working from outdated data.
Concurrent editing and real-time updates
Fusion elevates collaboration with features that allow multiple users to update a BOM simultaneously. For example, one person can edit a property such as material or supplier part number, while another adjusts cost or vendor information. The interface visually confirms these updates, making it clear when cells have been modified and approved.
This level of concurrency is spans across roles, whether its engineering, procurement, production, or any other stakeholders. The result is true teamwork, where distributed teams work together on the same data, seeing each other’s updates in real time.
Open API and enterprise integration
Modern product development rarely exists in a vacuum. Fusion’s open API allows organizations to connect their BOM and PLM data with other critical business systems such as ERP, CRM, and MRP. This ensures seamless access to the latest data across all enterprise business systems, supporting better decision making, faster responses, and greater agility.
Metadata at your fingertips
As designers define the product structure, the metadata required by purchasing and manufacturing is readily accessible. Columns such as quantity, revision, lifecycle, supplier, MPN (Manufacturer Part Number), and cost can all be customized and edited inline. Adding new metadata fields is simple, and changes are instant —empowering purchasing and production with the information they need as soon as it’s available.
Release management and approval workflows
Once parts are ready for release, Fusion’s integrated PLM ensures that downstream teams have precise, up-to-date information. Teams can manage change and release workflows efficiently with automated processes, including change requests, change orders, change tasks, approvals, and problem reports. All while automatically tracking the information for traceability and documentation.
The value of real-time BOM collaboration
Fusion’s built-in data management and integrated PLM mean there’s no longer a struggle to keep multiple BOM copies in sync across siloed systems. Instead, everyone works from a single source of truth. Teams remain aligned and agile, adapting quickly to changes in supply chains, product requirements, or market needs—all while collaborating in real time.
Fusion’s approach stands out in three critical areas:
- Product development: Streamlined processes and real-time collaboration from concept to completion.
- Change management: Every change is captured, reviewed, and made with transparency and speed.
- Release management: Automated workflows support smooth transitions from design to production.
The ultimate goal is clear: eliminate collaboration barriers, empower distributed teams, and get products to market faster.
You’re constantly adapting how you source materials and refine your product in response to shifting requirements and market dynamics. Fusion’s real-time, collaborative BOM and property editing keeps your teams connected and ensures they always work from the most current data. Say goodbye to guesswork and disconnected processes—Fusion keeps your organization aligned and agile so you can focus on the work that matters most for success.