CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
27 September 2012
Product News
Arena Solutions Enriches BOM Creation Software for Electrical Engineers
Electrical engineers now can develop and manage prototype bills of materials (BOMs) line by line, comparing cost and availability of each part across multiple distributors, with the new Distributor Selection feature of Arena Solutions’ PartsList application.
PartsList automatically pulls documentation for parts that design engineers are considering, and gives easy access to information including availability and pricing. The cloud application allows engineers to step through BOMs line by line and quickly conduct comprehensive component comparisons across multiple distributors’ sites.
By selecting a cost from the price break chart, users can instantly collect distributor information, including name, description, part number, unit cost and the datasheet. PartsList offers a flexible way to collaborate with design partners and potential vendors during prototyping, and assists in building prototypes more rapidly. “The result is the ability to work faster and more productively, reduce manual errors, and make the frequent changes typical in the prototype process,” says Steve Chalgren, vice president of product management and strategy at Arena.
The Distributor Selection feature replaces the data auto-fill feature inherent in previous versions of PartsList. The new feature provides a more controlled process that allows users to quickly collect distributor data without copy-and-paste errors, he explains. An engineer can see redlines and changes to the BOM as they are made, augment imported BOM data to optimize cost, verify datasheets, and complete distributor selection in preparation for prototype buying.
Key features
Distributor Selection’s key features include the following.
- Ability to step through BOMs line by line, part by part, and search for components across multiple distributors.
- Addition of redline designations so that users can compare data to previous values, and then accept or reject the data on a field-by-field basis.
- Visibility of price breaks and in-stock quantities across multiple distributors, allowing users to optimize prototype build for price and lead time. Price break data provides a guide to purchase quantity decisions.
- Ability to preview datasheets prior to selection.
- Simple link to the selected distributor’s/part number’s part detail page to facilitate ease of buying.
PartsList engineering users
Arena’s cloud-based PartsList application is the first tool specifically designed to help engineers innovate during the very early stages of product development—regardless of their company size, according to Chalgren. “PartsList enables the rapid prototyping and high efficiency that emerging companies need to out-innovate larger competitors,” he says.
At the same time, PartsList helps large companies work more effectively and efficiently with their more complex supply chains while maintaining the control, visibility and speed they require, adds Chalgren. “Arena is committed to helping businesses of all sizes take part in the benefits of manufacturing in the cloud and this new version of PartsList is an important element of that commitment.”
PartsList, with the new Distributor Selection feature, is available at http://www.arenasolutions.com/partslist.
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