The "Guessing Game": Technicians waste up to 20% of their time figuring out which spare part fits a broken machine.
The BOM Solution: Linking specific spare parts to specific assets eliminates searching and prevents "Wrong Part" errors.
The Fabrico Method: How to build digital BOMs automatically using your maintenance history, rather than data entry.
Picture this: A critical conveyor motor fails at 2:00 AM.
The technician ("Tom") runs to the spare parts room.
He sees five different belts that look like they might fit. He grabs one, runs back to the machine, dismantles the guard, and tries to install it.
It doesn't fit.
He runs back. Grabs the second one. It fits, but it’s the wrong tension rating. It snaps two hours later.
This is not a skill problem. This is a Data Problem. Tom didn't have an Asset Bill of Materials (BOM).
An Asset BOM is simply a list of all the parts that belong to a specific machine.
It is the "Ingredients List" for your asset. Without it, your maintenance team is guessing.
Here is how to build an effective Asset BOM strategy using Fabrico to stop the guessing game.
In many legacy systems (or Excel), spare parts live in one list, and assets live in another. They aren't connected.
When you link them (creating a BOM), you gain three superpowers:
Zero Search Time: When Tom opens the Work Order for "Conveyor 4," he clicks "Parts" and sees only the 3 belts that fit Conveyor 4. He doesn't see the other 5,000 parts in the warehouse.
Accurate Ordering: When "Mike" (Manager) orders a replacement motor, he orders the exact model specified in the BOM, not "whatever looks close."
Kitting: You can pre-pack all the parts needed for a PM because the system knows exactly what is required.
The biggest objection to BOMs is: "We don't have time to map 10,000 parts to 500 machines."
You don't have to do it all at once. Use the "Build as You Go" method in Fabrico.
The Workflow:
Tom fixes a machine. He searches the inventory and finds the right bearing.
Before he closes the Work Order, Fabrico asks: "Do you want to add this Bearing to the BOM for this Machine?"
Tom taps "Yes."
The Result: You build your BOMs organically every time you do a repair. After 6 months, your most critical assets have accurate parts lists populated by the people who actually fix them.
You don't need a BOM for the office coffee maker. You need it for your Bottleneck Assets.
Use RCM (Reliability-Centered Maintenance) logic:
Critical Assets (Category A): Build a 100% complete BOM. Every belt, bearing, and sensor must be listed.
Non-Critical Assets (Category C): Build the BOM only when parts fail.
Fabrico’s Asset Tree allows you to visualize which machines have BOMs and which are empty, helping you prioritize your data entry efforts.
A list of part numbers is good. An Exploded View Diagram is better.
In Fabrico, you can upload the OEM manual or the "Exploded View" drawing to the asset record.
Tom opens the diagram on his tablet.
He points to the part he needs.
He sees the Part Number and Bin Location immediately.
This connects the Visual reality of the machine with the Digital reality of the inventory.
Using the wrong part (e.g., a standard bearing instead of a high-heat bearing) causes repeat failures.
With an Asset BOM, Fabrico acts as a safety net.
Scenario: Tom tries to issue "Bearing X" to "Oven Fan."
System Alert: "Warning: Bearing X is not in the BOM for Oven Fan. This asset requires High-Temp Bearing Y."
This simple alert prevents a catastrophic failure and a fire hazard.
Your technicians are highly paid problem solvers, not personal shoppers. Every minute they spend looking for a part number is money burned.
Asset BOMs are the roadmap they need to get to the fix faster.
Don't: Try to map everything on Day 1.
Do: Use Fabrico to link parts to assets every time a repair happens.
Connect your parts to your machines.
[Book a Demo with Fabrico] to see how our "Build as You Go" BOM features save hours of wrench time.
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