Definition
A bill of materials (BOM) is the structured list of every material input needed to produce a job, with quantities, units, supplier reference and unit cost. Generated from the accepted quote, it drives material reservation, purchase orders, and floor allocation. A well-structured BOM reduces "we forgot the hinges" production stalls.
Example
Worked exampleA kitchen BOM: 47.5 lin.m oak (with 18% wastage = 56 lin.m order), 12 sheets 18mm cabinet ply (8% wastage = 13 sheets), 14 sets Blum runners, 28 hinges, 1 hardware kit. Each line traces back to a quote line and forward to a stock allocation.
Why it matters
Without a BOM, material ordering depends on the production lead remembering everything. Forgotten items cause production stalls. A BOM generated automatically from the quote eliminates this class of error.