How to Automate BOM and Quoting in Furniture Manufacturing
The Challenge
Replacing scattered spreadsheets with a single system enables automatic production cost estimation and error-free BOM structure management in a fraction of a second.
Before implementation, technologists created bill-of-materials (BOM) structures and routings in spreadsheets, which made updates difficult and led to errors. Calculating manufacturing costs and margins required manually gathering data from various departments, while CNC machine programs and process documentation were scattered across multiple folders.
Key challenges:
- Technologists created bill-of-materials (BOM) structures and routings in spreadsheets, which made updates difficult and led to errors.
- Calculating manufacturing costs and margins required manually gathering data from various departments, while CNC machine programs and process documentation were scattered across multiple folders.
The Solution Process
The Technology module in the ProcessApp system was implemented, centralizing production preparation management.
Digital product cards were launched, combining routings, multi-level BOM trees, assigned CNC programs, and documentation in a single location.
The implementation team mapped the entire machine park, production departments, and employee database into the system.
Product catalogs, technological standards, operations, and associated machine files were then standardized and migrated into a single database.
Actions Taken
System Entry
Today, the chief technologist at a furniture manufacturer sees key indicators and summaries in a single, clear dashboard.
Resources in One Place
The implementation team permanently said goodbye to scattered folders. All production departments, the entire machine park, and a complete employee database were mapped here. When a technologist opens detailed resource views, they immediately see their status. From the profile of a selected person, a QR code can be generated instantly. This completely eliminates paper documentation on the shop floor. A solid foundation has been built, giving the company precise visibility into available production capacity when planning every order.
Organized Catalogs
Knowledge is no longer locked in employees' heads. The team standardized global catalogs of operations, product families, and technological standards. Opening ready-made routings, the chief technologist sees a consistent structure. Everything is in one database, which drastically eliminates the risk of errors on orders.
Digital Product Card
The real change happens with the digital finished-goods card. The chief technologist, selecting a beech stool, has one current source of product information. Instead of searching for programs in hidden folders, they browse tabs seamlessly. In the routing section, they see the sequence of operations assigned to production cells. The integrated BOM tree enables quick editing of materials within the system, without opening external spreadsheets. When raw materials are added or changed, the application updates all related links. The greatest relief for the quoting department is the summary tab, where cost, labor, and margin calculations are performed automatically based on previously defined structures. What before implementation required manually gathering data from three departments and took many long hours is now ready in a fraction of a second. The team saves time on recalculations, quotes are error-free, and the chief technologist gets home on time.
Results Achieved
What changed
Before the deployment
- Technologists created bill-of-materials (BOM) structures and routings in spreadsheets, which made updates difficult and led to errors.
- Calculating manufacturing costs and margins required manually gathering data from various departments, while CNC machine programs and process documentation were scattered across multiple folders.
After the deployment
- The company gained a single, always up-to-date source of truth about the manufacturing process for every product.
- Cost and profitability calculations are now performed automatically based on entered BOM structures and routings, eliminating manual recalculations and speeding up the work of technologists.
Screens from the deployment
