Item and Bill Definition
Oracle Bills of Material provides four item types, identified by the BOM Item Type item attribute, that you can use to plan and build products with options.
Define the BOM Item Type for each of your items using the Define Item window in Oracle Inventory. You can combine each of the four item types to define complex bill of material structures using the Define Bill of Material window in Oracle Bills of Material.
Planning Items
Use planning items to represent groups of related items. In a configure-to-order environment, you might use planning items to represent groups for your models, and state your high-level production plans in terms of these groups rather than individual models. You can also use planning items for forecast explosion.
Models
Use models to represent products that include options chosen by customers during order entry. For example, you might use a model to represent a computer with many different CPU, monitor, and operating system options.
Assemble to Order Models vs. Pick-to-Order Models
Models can be assembled-to-order or picked-to-order. Use assemble-to-order models to represent products whose options and mandatory components are assembled, using a final assembly order, when customers order configurations. Use pick-to-order models to represent products whose options and included items are picked and shipped directly from stock, using a sales order pick slip, when customers order configurations.
Option Classes
Use option classes to group together related options. In a configure-to-order environment, you might use an option class to group together the different processor options that are available when customers order a computer.
Standard Items: Options and Mandatory Components
Standard items are the only types of items that are actually built. In a configure-to-order environment, use standard items to represent your key subassemblies. Standard items that have the bill of material attribute Optional set to Yes are called options. Standard items that have the Optional attribute set to No are called mandatory components.
Assemble-to-Order Standard Items vs. Pick-to-Order Standard Items
Standard items are similar to models in that they can be assembled-to-order or picked-to-order. Use assemble-to-order items, also known as predefined configurations, to represent standard items that are assembled using a final assembly order. Use pick-to-order items to represent a collection of items that are picked and shipped from stock using a picking slip.
Product Family Items
Use product family items to represent groups of items related by similarities in design, manufacturing, and resource usage. You can use the relationship between product family items and its members in forecast explosion, consumption, master scheduling, and capacity and materials planning.
See Also
Overview of Bills of Material
Defining Items
