• Vault Professional

Success Plan: Bill of Materials Management - Maturity 1

The ability to manage the list of raw materials, sub-assemblies, components, parts and quantities required to manufacture a product. Do you need to manage design status completions in PDM tool?


Course overview

The ability to manage the list of raw materials, sub-assemblies, components, parts and quantities required to manufacture a product. Do you need to manage design status completions in PDM tool?

Course outline

40 min.

Coaching: Design and manage bills of materials with ease in AutoCAD Mechanical

Having an accurate bill of materials ensures your project stays within budget. In this module, you will learn about the features and tools within AutoCAD Mechanical that support assembly design and the management of bills of materials.

Having an accurate bill of materials ensures your project stays within budget. In this module, you will learn about the features and tools within AutoCAD Mechanical that support assembly design and the management of bills of materials.

Topics include: 
  • Understand what a bill of materials (BOM) is and why its important for assembly design 
  • Create and edit bills of materials 
  • Check in and check out files using Vault within AutoCAD Mechanical 


25 min.

Introduction and core concepts of BOM management in Upchain

Learn about items in Upchain including numbering, item types, statuses and revision numbers. You'll explore the bill of materials interface, learn about the BOM filters and how to create a custom BOM view so you can see the information most relevant to you.

Learn the fundamental concepts related to items and bills of materials in Upchain. You’ll explore the BOM interface and learn how to display the information most relevant to you in your BOM.

This content takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. By the end, you should be able to:

  • Describe an item and identify the data associated with an item
  • Identify item versions, revisions, and statuses
  • Navigate and customize the BOM interface
  • Create custom BOM views and filter information in the BOM


25 min.

Working with items in Upchain

Here we begin to work with the items in the bill of materials. First, we explore the information available within item details pane and edit item attributes. Next, we modify a BOM using the move, copy and paste item functions. Finally, we attach documents to an item and locate additional CAD and non-CAD documents associated with an item.

Learn to work with items in the BOM interface and modify a bill of materials.

This content takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. By the end, you should be able to:

  • Access the item details panel and update item attributes
  • Attach a document to an item and locate additional documentation for an item
  • Version a non-CAD document and submit it for publication
  • Move and duplicate an item within a BOM, as well as to a BOM of another project


40 min.

Item creation and collaboration tools in Upchain

Learn two ways to add items to your BOM: through the BOM interface directly, and through an Excel spreadsheet import. Once the items have been added to your BOM, we will look at how to view documents using the PDF Viewer and the 3D viewer and how to create markups using these tools. Finally, we learn how to use Investigation requests to communicate potential design changes.

Learn how to create items in your BOM, and view and manage documents attached to them. You’ll also learn how to formally communicate design ideas and potential changes with other stakeholders through the process of an Investigation Request.

This content takes approximately 40 minutes to complete. By the end, you should be able to:

  • Create items via the BOM interface and the Excel plugin
  • View a document with the PDF viewer
  • View a CAD model with the 3D viewer
  • Create a markup on a document
  • Create an investigation request


25 min.

Categorization, searching, and exporting in Upchain

Learn how categorization and category attributes can be used to organize and define subsets of items. Next, we use Advanced search to perform powerful searches across our projects – categorization becomes especially useful here. Finally, we learn how to export data from Upchain, including item and BOM reports as well as CAD, drawing and translation files in bulk.

Learn how to organize and define subsets of items, and use those to perform powerful searches across all of your projects. You’ll also learn how to export valuable information from the BOM interface.

This content takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. By the end, you should be able to:

  • Organize subsets of items using categorization and category attributes
  • Execute and save searches using the Advanced Search
  • Generate item and BOM reports
  • Export files such as native CAD models, translations, drawings, and non-CAD documents


30 min.

Electrical CAD in Upchain

Here we take you through importing electrical CAD to Upchain and managing electrical designs as items. We will start by preparing eCAD files and exploring plugins in Upchain, including the Altium Exporter plugin. Next, we will look at importing and managing eCAD items in Upchain for success.

Here we take you through importing electrical CAD to Upchain and managing electrical designs as items. We will start by preparing eCAD files and exploring plugins in Upchain, including the Altium Exporter plugin. Next, we will look at importing and managing eCAD items in Upchain for success.

This content takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. By the end, you should be able to:

  • Preparing eCAD files and exploring plugins in Upchain
  • Importing and managing eCAD items in Upchain