Stop BOM Bloat: How to Handle Configure-to-Order in Business Central Without Losing Your Mind

Emma: Okay, let’s unpack this. Have you ever wondered why some companies seem to effortlessly deliver customized products while others just seem to drown in this sea of spreadsheets and item codes?

Ryan: Yeah, it’s a real challenge.

Emma: It’s this fundamental tension, isn’t it? Manufacturing efficiency versus you know, customer demand for unique stuff.

Ryan: Absolutely. Standardization versus customization.

Emma: So this deep dive is all about tackling that exact challenge, specifically within Business Central’s configure to order processes and how to conquer what we’re calling BOMb bloat.

Ryan: BOMb bloat. I like that term. It’s very descriptive.

Emma: Right. So our mission today is really to extract the most important nuggets on how you can move from those static bills of material, those BOMs, to something dynamic, something truly responsive for product configuration.

Ryan: And what’s fascinating here, I think, is how often businesses just hit a wall. You know, their standard bill of materials.

Emma: Their standard BOM, which works great for standard stuff.

Ryan: Exactly. It’s brilliant for repetitive manufacturing, but it just, well, runs out of scheme the moment a customer wants to mix colors or swap out a motor or maybe ask for an extra drawer on a cabinet.

Emma: Ah, okay. So the simplicity that makes it work. Well, normally it bites back.

Ryan: It bites back hard when customization comes into play, and that often leads to this chaotic scramble, you know, that just slows everything down.

Emma: That limitation sounds like a serious bottleneck. Can you walk us through the. Maybe the specific consequences when that standard BOMb hits a custom request? What happens? What are those? Immediate headaches?

Ryan: Yeah, it kicks off a whole series of, well, cascading problems. The first one, and it’s probably the most visible, is what we mentioned. BOMb bloat. Okay, just imagine this literal explosion of almost identical item codes just filling up your system. Every tiny variation needs its own entry.

Emma: So like a purple frame versus a blue frame.

Ryan: Yep. Or a maple top versus an oak top. Each one has to exist as its own separate item or maybe part of a really lengthy variant list.

Emma: Wow.

Ryan: And this isn’t just, you know, a messy ledger. It’s an actual exploding item ledger just full of near duplicates that might only differ by paint color or length or something small.

Emma: I can almost picture the screen just scrolling endlessly. So, okay, that’s headache number one. What else does this, this BOMb bloat cause?

Ryan: Headache number two is the ballooning engineering time. It just swells up because for every single variant Every little tweak, every custom request, someone in engineering has to manually copy and paste an existing BOMb.

Emma: Oh, tedious.

Ryan: And its routing. And then modify it. I’ve seen engineers honestly, where their main job basically becomes a human copy and paste machine.

Emma: That sounds soul crushing.

Ryan: It is, and it’s completely unproductive. And then there’s the third headache. Yeah, a massive loss of planning visibility.

Emma: How so?

Ryan: Well, sales, they’re under pressure, right? They need to get quotes out fast, so they often resort to shortcuts, like maybe just typing free text lines on orders instead of using a proper item.

Emma: Okay, I can see that happening, but that means planning.

Ryan: You know, the people trying to figure out what materials to buy and when to schedule production, they can’t see the full picture of what’s actually needed, not until it’s maybe too late.

Emma: Right, so the demand signal gets completely garbled.

Ryan: Exactly. And beyond just those three headaches, the native model, the standard BOM structure, it simply can’t describe reality when you start introducing complex rules.

Emma: Like what kind of rules?

Ryan: Well, things that depend on options. Like if the bench is 8ft long, then you need to add two extra support legs. The native model just, it can’t enforce those kinds of rules automatically.

Emma: Okay, so it sounds like a pretty chaotic and yeah, soul crushing mess for the people stuck in the middle of it. Given these really deep seated problems, what’s the fundamental shift needed? How do we get from that manual reactive process to something integrated and well, dynamic?

Ryan: Yeah, the fix, and this is key, it isn’t necessarily some big expensive external CPQ portal that sits outside your main system. Often the best solution is a dedicated configuration layer that actually lives right inside Business central itself.

Emma: Ah, so you don’t have to leave the system.

Ryan: Exactly. You don’t leave your familiar environment. So picture this, a user is on a sales order line, right? They just click a button maybe labeled configurator and it launches something we call BOM Designer.

Emma: BOM Designer.

Ryan: Yep. And they’re still on their familiar BC page. All their existing permissions, their dimensions, their posting groups, all that context is preserved. That’s a huge benefit for data integrity. And just for making it easy for people to use.

Emma: That’s a really critical distinction, isn’t it? Staying within the system you already know and use. So okay, once you’re in this BOM Designer, what does it actually do? How does it help solve those headaches we talked about?

Ryan: Right, so what’s really quite fascinating here is how the BOM Designer works. It essentially breaks the product down into logical Groups of options. Right. Like for a bike, it might be frame, handlebars, finish, accessories. You get the idea. And as the user makes choices in these categories, the page updates things like cost and weight instantly. It can even sometimes show a rendered picture of the configured product as you build it.

Emma: Oh, cool. Visual feedback.

Ryan: Yeah. And behind the scenes, there’s this powerful rule engine. It’s enforcing logic.

Emma: Okay, enforcing logic. Like the bench leg example.

Ryan: Exactly. Or it might suggest, say a matching light if you choose aluminum handlebars, maybe because they fit together. Or it could automatically insert those extra support brackets if you choose an oversized tabletop.

Emma: So it handles those dependencies automatically.

Ryan: Precisely. Then when the user’s happy, they press ok. The configurator then generates a clean, accurate assembly BOM, or maybe production BOM plus the associated routing. It assigns a smart item number or, or maybe it reuses a generic configured item code for quoting and drops the whole result right back onto the sales line.

Emma: And it’s priced correctly, instantly priced.

Ryan: And crucially, that automatically generated bill of material, the BOM and the routing, they are now perfectly structured and ready for your MRP system material requirements planning to take over.

Emma: Ah, so it flows right into planning seamlessly.

Ryan: So you order the right raw materials, you schedule the right production steps, all, all for this unique custom build. And crucially, without those manual data entry errors creeping in.

Emma: So this underlying tech, is this something specific?

Ryan: Yeah. The example we’re sort of drawing from here uses technology called Product Configurator by InsightWorks, sometimes known as CPQ for dynamics, CPQ for anyone less familiar. That stands for Configure price quote.

Emma: Right.

Ryan: It’s basically a system class designed to let businesses rapidly and accurately configure complex products, price them correctly, and then generate that quote all through an automated rule driven process.

Emma: That specific flow makes the abstract much more tangible. To really hammer home the impact, let’s use an example. Imagine say a custom furniture team, a client calls up, wants a maple workbench. Let’s make it specific. Eight feet long, powder coated black frame, three drawers and a cable grommet hole. Okay, how does that request, which as we established used to be a major headache, how does it flow now with this kind of system?

Ryan: Right, Great example. So instead of that manual scramble talked about.

Emma: Yeah, the spreadsheets and phone calls.

Ryan: Exactly. Just opens a new sales order, clicks the configurator button and it launches this guided conversation, this BOM designer interface.

Emma: Okay, Guided conversation, Yep.

Ryan: So the user selects, say size 8ft and maybe a rule instantly recalculates the Required edge banding footage based on that length automatically. Automatically. Then they pick the top material, maple. And maybe the available finish options instantly filter showing only those compatible with hardwoods. No mistakes possible there. Then the user enters 3 for the number of drawers. And maybe another rule kicks in. It automatically adds the required heavy duty drawer slides to the BOM. And maybe it even extends the estimated assembly time in the routing by say, 10%.

Emma: Wow. Okay, so it’s guided, it’s smart, and it sounds pretty mistake proof.

Ryan: That’s the goal.

Emma: This raises an important question, though. What’s the tangible benefit here? Because, you know, a business owner listening might be thinking, okay, two minutes for a complex custom order. Sounds astonishing.

Ryan: It is fast.

Emma: But what’s the catch? Is there like a huge upfront investment in defining all those rules? Is there a steep learning curve that eats into that speed benefit?

Ryan: That’s a really fair question. And yeah, it definitely speaks to the implementation process, which we should touch on. But first, let’s just focus on the immediate operational gains. The critical takeaway, the headline really, is that no one calls engineering and no one is editing Excel spreadsheets.

Emma: That’s huge.

Ryan: It is that newly generated BOM. It flows directly to planning. Purchasing instantly sees the need for those extra heavy duty slides. The shop floor can print accurate barcoded pick tickets based on real information.

Emma: So the whole downstream process is clean, totally clean.

Ryan: And the turnaround time for quoting and releasing that complex custom order may be two minutes.

Emma: Incredible.

Ryan: And you know, this isn’t just about saving some engineering time, although that’s significant. It’s really about shifting the whole company mindset from, oh, God, can we even build this custom thing? To yes, absolutely. And how quickly do you need it?

Emma: Right? It unlocks agility.

Ryan: Exactly. The true insight, I think, is that agility, which used to be seen as this massive headache for custom jobs, can actually become your core operational advantage. It can enable whole new revenue streams that you maybe couldn’t even consider before.

Emma: And this applies beyond furniture, right?

Ryan: Oh, absolutely. This same seamless flow, this same logic can handle configuring a bicycle, a complex valve assembly, a configured pump system. Really, anything that follows that kind of option and rule thinking, okay, now let’s.

Emma: Pivot to the practical side. For you, the listener, if you’re sitting there thinking, okay, this sounds like something we need, and you’re considering adopting a solution like this, what are the critical steps? How do you ensure a successful rollout?

Ryan: Right, Good question. For successful rollout, my advice is always start small. Don’t try to boil the Ocean pick. Maybe just one product family to begin with, ideally one that’s high volume, but also has high variability. Where you feel the pain the most right now.

Emma: Focus the effort.

Ryan: Exactly. And crucially, before you even touch the software, catalog all of its options and rules. Do it on paper or in a spreadsheet. Whatever works, get it clear first.

Emma: Plan before configuring.

Ryan: Yes, this upfront planning saves an immense amount of time and rework later. Then, when you do configure, make sure to reuse your existing existing Business Central data templates.

Emma: Why is that important?

Ryan: So that every new configured item variation that gets created automatically inherits all the crucial background details like posting groups, replenishment methods, costing settings. It keeps everything consistent.

Emma: Makes sense. Keep the backbone tidy.

Ryan: Precisely. And critically, you have to train your sales team. They need to learn to quote using the new configurable item instead of falling back on creating those ad hoc stock codes or using free text lines.

Emma: That sounds like a cultural shift as much as a technical one.

Ryan: It absolutely is. But it’s vital for the system to work. And finally, always review your costing approach. Because the configurator calculates and rolls up standard costs on the fly as options are selected.

Emma: Right?

Ryan: Your margin analysis stays accurate. Even for a product configuration that has literally never been built before. You know your costs upfront.

Emma: That’s powerful for quoting accurately.

Ryan: Immensely powerful. So the core message really comes down to this. Static BOMs are fine. They fit, repeat, manufact. But configurable products need dynamic structures, different.

Emma: Tools for different jobs.

Ryan: Exactly. Embedding a configurator directly within Business Central lets your operations quote faster. It eliminates all that spreadsheet gymnastics.

Emma: Yeah, gets rid of the manual chaos.

Ryan: And crucially, it gives your planning team perfect visibility, all without having to leave the ERP system that’s already in place.

Emma: That was a really, really insightful deep dive into tackling product customization. It feels like that shift from the manual, er, prone way to this automated rule driven configuration, it fundamentally changes how a business can operate, doesn’t it? Turning what was a bottleneck into potentially a real competitive advantage.

Ryan: Absolutely. And if we zoom out just a little bit, this kind of system, it empowers more than just immediate efficiency gains. It enables a whole new level of responsiveness to what your customers are asking for. And you know, it raises an important question for anyone listening. If your current processes, your reliance on static BOMs and manual workarounds are holding you back from truly saying yes to every customer request, what hidden opportunities might you be missing out on by not embracing dynamic configuration.

Emma: That’s definitely something to mull over as you think about your own operations, your own efficiencies, and ultimately your customer needs. We really hope this deep dive has given you some powerful aha moments.