Bill of materials (BOM)
Also called product structure
A bill of materials (BOM) is the structured list of every part, sub-assembly and quantity that makes up a product. In PLM it's a live structure linked to parts, documents and changes, not a spreadsheet.
Most manufacturers have more than one BOM for the same product: engineering’s (how it’s designed), manufacturing’s (how it’s built), sometimes service’s (how it’s maintained). Trouble starts when those copies are kept by hand and drift apart.
In Windchill, the BOM is built from parts, so a change to a part shows up everywhere that part is used.
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Last reviewed November 2026 by Element Consulting
