Bill Of Materials Definition
A bill of materials is a complete list of the raw materials, parts, components, and sub-assemblies needed to create a product. The bill of materials may also include information on the suppliers of the various components and parts.
The term “bill of materials” is most commonly used in manufacturing and engineering. When creating a new product, engineers will first develop a bill of materials. This list will include all of the items needed to create the product, including the quantities of each item. The bill of materials will then be used by the purchasing department to order the necessary items.
In some cases, the bill of materials may also be used by production staff during assembly. For example, if a product is being assembled from multiple sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly may have its own bill of materials.
While bills of materials are most commonly used in manufacturing, they can also be helpful in other industries. For example, event planners can use bills of materials to keep track of all the supplies needed for an event.
