The bill of materials (BOM) is perhaps the most important part of any engineering project. Keeping track of your production materials, subassembly needs, and labor costs is a balance that must be struck perfectly to finish a job on-time and within the specified budget. If your business is still juggling multiple Excel spreadsheets to keep track of materials and manually calculating project costs, there's a better and faster solution--the M1 ERP software package from Bowen & Groves, specifically designed for growing manufacturers.

It is absolutely vital that your BOM be accurate for the purposes of proper budgeting, inventory assessment, and project record-keeping. When multiple employees make additions or changes to disparate spreadsheets, the margin for errors of replication multiplies. Consider, as well, the time lost when employees update different spreadsheets with the same information. Although most manufacturing companies realize software programs have the potential to ease these burdens, they aren't always aware how easy, fast, and cost-effective such software can be.

Bowen & Groves' M1 ERP software allows you to keep all necessary information in one place, with no need for a master file. You can control revisions, assign and track serial numbers, and create change requests easily. Our bill of materials module can also automatically calculate the costs of assembly for each particular project you enter. M1 offers incredible functionality and ease-of-use, designed with a layout similar to Microsoft Outlook.

With one software program, you can control virtually all aspects of production, from the initial quote to the final invoice. Share information easily across departments, offices, or even around the globe. Revision management is a snap--change requests can be filed or updated immediately, and all team members will have instant access to the most current information. Find-and-replace allows you to replace all incidents of one part with another part in the master file, allowing you quick and effective management of engineering changes. In addition, all revision levels can be formatted to your specifications (whether numeric, alpha-numeric, or a custom-designed formula). To learn more about how M1 ERP software can make managing your business easier, contact us at sales@bowen-groves.com or 866-617-6389.