Introduction

A very simple way to set up the digital twin of your product in Makersite is to Import a BOM. Importing your BOM (Bill of Materials) will automatically provide you with the model for your product including compliance, cost and sustainability data.

During the implementation project of Makersite, we will establish part and material matching to the product models within Makersite, and ensure that the BOM format of your enterprise produces flawless imports into Makersite, with mapping completed automatically.

However, it is good to understand how BOM files need to be prepared for the import into the system.

About BOM Importer

The BOM importer allows for the quick uploading of Bill of Materials (BOM) or product data in a range of different formats. For more information on how to import a BOM please see the Import a BOM article on the Makersite FAQ pages.

After uploading a Bill of Materials, the inputs are mapped against Makersite materials, product groups, processes, substances or resources to enrich the supply chain and create the digital twin.

There are two ways to map datasets: Alternative or Composition, for more detail on the two mapping methods, please see the Alternative vs. Composition Dataset Mapping article on the Makersite FAQ pages.

Mapping to datasets on Makersite is prioritized by Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID), Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number, and composition - in this order.

Required Fields

The following fields are mandatory to create a model from a BOM import within Makersite. They represent columns in your .csv (Excel) file.

*Columns*	Description	Input Format	Output/Result
Level	Structure of BOM or assembly (0, 1, 2 etc)	Number	Adds assembly structure and builds visuals
Name	Name of product, chemical, material, process, lifecycle stage, etc.	Mixed	Assigns name and used to match datasets
Amount	How much of the named dataset	Number	Adds quantity

Note: The Unit column is not a mandatory field for importing a BOM, however, if no unit is present in the imported file, Makersite will assume kg unless otherwise specified.

Unit

Units for the amount (kg, m2, litres, metric ton*km, etc)

Mixed

Assigns units to amount

(kg is default). Do not enter weight separately if your unit represents weight already.

Example of a minimalistic BOM:

*Level*	Name	Amount	Unit
0	Motorbike	250	kg
1	Engine	50	kg
2	Cylinder block	30	kg
3	Cast iron	30	kg

Additional Fields

If you would like a dataset to include a column for new data, simply add this column with the required heading and Makersite will include this field when the dataset is created. The table below includes the most common additional fields, which are recognized by Makersite.

*Columns*	Description	Input Format	Output/Result
GUID	Globally unique identifier or a unique identifier for the dataset	Mixed	Assigns ID and used to match datasets
Part number	Part number for the dataset (from the Makersite customer perspective)	Mixed	Assigns PN and used to match datasets
MPN	Manufacturer part number (from the supplier perspective)	Mixed	Assigns MPN and used to match datasets
Synonym	Abbreviation, alternative name or specification (polypropylene = PP)	Mixed	Adds synonym for matching alternatives
Category	Product category such as UNSPSC for electronic components	8-digit number	Assigns MPN and adds category characteristics
CAS	CAS registry number for chemical substances, up to 10 digits long	xxxxxxx-yy-z	Assigns CAS# and used to match datasets
Min / Max concentration	Specify minimum or maximum percentage of CAS# in composition	Number between 0 and 1	Assigns min / max values
Supplier	Specify the supplier for the dataset	Mixed	Adds supplier details
material prop_material	Material the item is made of Special case for IMDS import	Mixed	Assigns material information
geo	Geographical location	Mixed	Assigns the geography information
weight	Item weight	Number	Assigns weight under chemical/physical properties. If present, it's always the source of truth for weights and never recalculated based on inputs.
unit of weight	Unit for weight if weight is added separately	kg, g, etc.	Assigns the weight unit on the item
role	Coming soon
supplier	Item supplier	Mixed	Assigns supplier in the product name
min proportion	Relevant for chemical substances (works only with CAS), used to define BOM item compliance with regulations known to Makersite.	Number	This data is used for compliance reports
max proportion	Relevant for chemical substances (works only with CAS), used to define BOM item compliance with regulations known to Makersite.	Number	This data is used for compliance reports
description	Item description	Mixed	Assigned to item in Makersite
min_price	Lower threshold for item price	Number	Assigned to item Price Distribution
max_price	Higher threshold for item price	Number	Assigned to item Price Distribution
prop_fte_op	Full-time equivalents for a process	Number	Assigned to process under Costing Options.
prop_skill_op	Skill level quantification relevant to costing	Number	Assigned to process under Costing Options.
machinery description	Machine used in a process. Relevant to costing	Mixed	Assigned to process under Costing Options.
batch setup time (unit)	Amount of time required to start the process	Number	Assigned to process under Costing Options.
manufacturing	Coming soon
other custom columns	Any custom data not covered by the standard schema	Mixed	Assigned to item in Makersite under BOM Import

Example 1 - BOM with product assembly

*Level*	Name	GUID	Synonym	Amount	Unit
0	Motorbike	001	Raptor45	250	kg
1	Engine	101		50	kg
2	Cylinder block	102		30	kg
3	Steel		1.4301	30	kg
2	Cylinder head	103		20	kg
3	Steel		1.4301	20	kg
1	Frame	201		40	kg
2	Front forks	202		20	kg
3	Aluminium		6082-T6	10	kg
etc..	etc..	etc..	etc..	etc..	etc..

Example 2 - BOM with substance composition

*Level*	Name	CAS	Min concentration	Max concentration
0	Material spec
1	Steel 1.4301
2	Chromium	7440-47-3	0.18	0.19
2	Nickel (99.5%)	7440-02-0	0.8	0.9
2	Manganese	7439-96-5	0.2	0.2
2	Silicon	7440-21-3	0.0075	0.0075
2	Iron	7439-89-6	0.7125	0.6925

Note: If using Min Concentration & Max Concentration, the CAS Number column MUST contain data (ideally a valid CAS Number), otherwise the import will fail.

BOM file requirements

In general, Makersite's import utilities are flexible and robust. It tries automatically to understand the structure of your BOM file to reduce the manual effort to a minimum.
However, there are many variations and approaches to the layout and structure of BOM files. Before we import a BOM file into Makersite, we need to standardize the file.

All BOM levels must be filled in for each part in the BOM, as this defines the hierarchy in the model in Makersite. 0 is the top level (final product). The next level down is 1, and so on.
Ensure each material has a name.
Enter an amount and the unit for each material or part. We support most common unit systems. In case the unit does not exist in our unit system, you will receive a notification during the import, and you can adapt the unit.

Important: if the unit already represents mass (kg, g, etc.), do not enter weight in the BOM separately - this will corrupt your data and your reports will be wrong.
You can add as many custom columns with additional information to the BOM as necessary. They will all be imported and stored in the system, no information is lost during the import.
The importer cannot read across multiple columns. Information belonging to one headline should always be in the same column and not be distributed across several columns. Avoid merging cells or columns.
If you have entered CAS numbers into the BOM, Makersite will double-check that these numbers are correct, automatically collect all relevant properties from online sources, match them to the relevant regulatory data, and add substances into the system.

For further information on how to import a BOM into Makersite, please see the Import a BOM article on the Makersite FAQ pages.