How to Add Parts in Preparation of Setting Up Your BOM in Luminous

Attaching a Bill of Materials (BOM) to a finished goods SKU is an essential step to enable assembly orders in Luminous. Follow these steps to complete the process.

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Step 1: Confirm Your BOM is Created

1. Navigate to Inventory Admin > Bills of Materials.
2. Review the existing BOMs or create a new one if necessary.
   • Example: A "Chocolate Cookie" BOM.
   • Add the required components and quantities for the finished product.

Step 2: Locate the Finished Goods SKU

1. Search for the SKU representing your finished product.
   
   • Example: If your finished product is a "10 ft rod," search for that SKU.

Step 3: Attach the BOM to the Finished Goods SKU

1. Click on the SKU to open its details.
2. Navigate to the Bill of Materials section.
3. Add the BOM:
   • Search for the appropriate BOM you created.
   • Select and attach the BOM to the SKU.

Step 4: Add Multiple BOMs (Optional)

• If there are multiple ways to produce the finished product, you can attach more than one BOM to the same SKU.
  • Example: One BOM may use "Flour A," while another uses "Flour B" as a substitute.
• This feature provides flexibility in case certain components are unavailable.

By attaching a BOM to your finished goods SKU, you prepare it for assembly orders, ensuring efficient and flexible production workflows in Luminous.

Getting Your Parts Ready First

A BOM can only list parts that already exist in Luminous, so it helps to set up your components before you build the BOM and attach it. Think of it as a short checklist:

1. Add each part as a SKU. Raw materials, packaging and sub-components all need their own SKU, just like finished goods.
2. Set the right unit of measure. If you buy a part by the kilo but use it by the gram, set that up so the BOM quantities and costs line up.
3. Build the BOM. In Inventory Admin, list each part and the quantity needed to make one finished unit.
4. Attach the BOM to the finished good. Open the finished goods SKU, go to Bill of Materials and add it.
5. Run an assembly order. Luminous uses the BOM to pull the parts from inventory and add the finished product.

Why attach more than one BOM?

Supply changes. If a supplier runs out of one ingredient or component, a second BOM with a substitute lets you keep producing without rebuilding your setup. It's also useful when the same product can be made two different ways, such as in-house versus with a pre-assembled sub-component.

Example: a chocolate cookie

To make the chocolate cookie BOM from the video, you'd first add each ingredient as its own part, such as flour, sugar, butter and cocoa, each with the unit you measure it in. Then the BOM lists how much of each goes into one cookie. If you sometimes swap in a different cocoa supplier, you'd add that cocoa as a separate part and create a second BOM that uses it.

Tips for organizing your parts

• Use a consistent naming pattern for part SKUs, so they're easy to find when building BOMs.
• Keep parts separate from sellable products, so raw materials don't get listed or sold by mistake.
• Double-check units of measure before your first assembly order. A wrong unit is the most common reason BOM quantities look off.

Common questions

Does every product need a BOM? No. Only products you assemble or manufacture in Luminous need one. Products you buy ready-made and resell don't.

What happens to my parts when I run an assembly order? Luminous deducts the parts listed in the BOM from inventory and adds the finished product. The finished goods get a new cost layer based on the landed cost of the parts used, plus any extra costs you add to the assembly order, such as labor.

Related videos: How to Import and Create SKUs in Luminous, How to Utilize Units of Measurement in Luminous, How to Set Up a Bill of Material (BOM) in Luminous, How to Complete an Assembly Order in Luminous and How Cost Layers Work When Completing an Assembly Order.