Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012
®
Bills of materials –
Conceptual model
Concept Paper
Bill of materials is a concept serving as the basis for the
Production, Shop floor control, and Master planning modules of
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
July 2011
CCAX2012DI0052
Table of Contents
Overview..................................................................................................... 3
Conceptual model ....................................................................................... 4
Conceptual entities and relations ............................................................................................ 5
BOM ................................................................................................................................. 5
BOM Line .......................................................................................................................... 5
Worker ............................................................................................................................. 5
BOM Version ..................................................................................................................... 5
Product instance ................................................................................................................ 5
Released Product ............................................................................................................... 6
Dimensions ....................................................................................................................... 6
Tracking dimensions .......................................................................................................... 6
Product dimensions ............................................................................................................ 6
Storage dimensions ........................................................................................................... 6
Glossary of terms ........................................................................................ 6
2
BILLS OF MATERIALS – CONCEPTUAL MODEL
Overview
The concept of bills of materials serves as the basis for the Production, Shop floor control, and
Master planning modules of Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012. It describes the pre-production (raw
material) list and the output product instance.
The Production module uses the BOM structures to identify the products to consume and create
during a production order process, and the dimension data of those products. It connects the products
defined in Product information management with the distribution modules (for example, Sales
and marketing) through the Master planning module, by connecting demand for an output product
with the requirements for the raw material.
The BOM structures are defined and maintained in the Inventory and warehouse management
module.
The BOM features have been a part of Microsoft Dynamics AX for some releases. The current
document describes the current concept for the architectural state of these features.
In Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012, many entities in the system have moved from a legal entity–
dependent level to a legal entity–independent or enterprise level. These changes are also described in
the document in the “Conceptual entities and relations” section.
3
BILLS OF MATERIALS – CONCEPTUAL MODEL
Conceptual model
The following figure gives a high-level concept overview of bills of materials and their most basic
relating concepts.
Worker
0..1
-Approves/Activates
-Approves / Activates
0..1
*
*
*
-Produces
BOM Version
BOM
1
*
-Applies in
-Active : Boolean
-Valid From : Date
-Valid To : Date
0..1
1
1..*
-Raw material
*
BOM Line
1
Product instance
*
-Composes
*
Released Product
*
Dimensions
0..1
0..1
1
Site
Defines Storage dimensions
Value
1
Warehouse
Warehouse location
Value
Pallet
4
BILLS OF MATERIALS – CONCEPTUAL MODEL
1
Tracking dimensions
1
Product dimensions
Conceptual entities and relations
BOM
The BOM entity represents the structure of a bill of materials. It is composed of a collection of BOM
lines and has directly defined the site information where the structure can be produced.
This entity is remains legal entity–dependent in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
It is implemented physically in the BOMTable table.
BOM Line
The BOM Line entity represents the relation between the structure and the product serving as raw
material.
A BOM line contains information about a product instance1 and quantities, and other productionrelated information.
If the product identified on a BOM line is itself produced by an independent bill of materials, then the
BOM line can be read and manipulated as a sub-BOM2, making the top structure a multi-level BOM3.
This relation remains legal entity–dependent in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
A BOM line is implemented physically in the BOM table.
Worker
The Worker entity represents the entity of a responsible person, employee, or contractor that has the
role of approval and activation of bills of materials.
This entity has changed from Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009, replacing the former employee concept.
This new concept is legal entity–independent, allowing a single worker to be affiliated with multiple
legal entities.
To comply with the legal entity–dependent status of bills of materials, only workers who are affiliated
with the legal entity where the structure is defined can perform the approval and activation actions.
A worker is implemented physically in the HcmWorker table.
BOM Version
The BOM Version entity represents the relation between a BOM structure and a product instance by
identifying the active and approved BOM, if any, for a time frame, quantity, and particular set of
dimensions for a product.
A BOM version can be approved and activated by a worker under the same affiliation constraints as a
BOM.
It is implemented physically in the BOMVersion table.
Product instance
A product instance represents a virtual relation between a product and a set of dimensions.
It is not implemented physically, because the information identifying both concepts is carried through
all the relating tables.
It represents a specialization of a product—for example, “a small red box in site 1,” where “small,”
“red,” and “site 1” are the dimensions of the product “box.”
1
2
3
See the “Glossary of terms” section.
See the “Glossary of terms” section.
See the “Glossary of terms” section.
5
BILLS OF MATERIALS – CONCEPTUAL MODEL
Released Product
The Released Product entity represents a product available in a specific legal entity.
It is implemented physically in the InventTable table.
Dimensions
The Dimensions entity is a collection of specialized values for a specific product.
It is implemented physically in the InventDim table.
Tracking dimensions
Tracking dimensions are the subset of dimensions that contain the tracking properties: batch number
and serial number.
Product dimensions
Product dimensions are the subset of dimensions that contain the product-related properties:
configuration, color, and size.
Storage dimensions
Storage dimensions are the subset of dimensions that contain the storage-related properties: site,
warehouse, pallet, and warehouse location.
Note that the site information is also a property of the BOM entity.
Glossary of terms
Term
Definition
BOM
Bill of materials.
Product instance
A combination of a product definition and a collection of dimensions.
Sub-BOM
An independent BOM structure that composes, in part, another BOM
structure.
Legal entity–dependent
Describes a concept, a structure, or data that only exists within the scope
of a legal entity.
Legal entity–independent, enterpriselevel
Describes a concept, a structure, or data that exists throughout all legal
entities.
6
BILLS OF MATERIALS – CONCEPTUAL MODEL
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your
people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like and with familiar
Microsoft software, automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship and supply chain processes in a
way that helps you drive business success.
U.S. and Canada Toll Free 1-888-477-7989
Worldwide +1-701-281-6500
www.microsoft.com/dynamics
This document is provided “as-is.” Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site
references, may change without notice. You bear the risk of using it.
Some examples depicted herein are provided for illustration only and are fictitious. No real association or connection is intended or
should be inferred.
This document does not provide you with any legal rights to any intellectual property in any Microsoft product. You may copy and
use this document for your internal, reference purposes. You may modify this document for your internal, reference purposes.
© 2012 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, Microsoft Dynamics, and the Microsoft Dynamics logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
7
BILLS OF MATERIALS – CONCEPTUAL MODEL