In this guide 6 sections
Write a bill of materials per standard model first, then adjust it for each order. List board by thickness, laminate, edge band, hinges, channels and fabric against every piece, and print the cutting list from it. GullySystem’s Manufacturing Production Management Software holds the BOM, and its showroom product holds the order.
Why made-to-order work needs a BOM at all
In many factories the material list is written from experience. The drawing arrives on WhatsApp, and the supervisor knows roughly what a wardrobe takes. Roughly is the problem.
When board or edge band runs out mid-job, the panel saw waits for a dealer. A BOM written before cutting starts shows the shortage while there is still time to buy. It also gives the store a list to issue against.
Start from your standard models
Most made-to-order pieces are a standard model with changes. Write a BOM for each standard sofa, bed, wardrobe and workstation first. Each line names the material, its thickness or size, and the quantity.
Sub-assemblies help here. A wardrobe shutter or a sofa frame can carry its own list, which the parent piece draws in. A change to one shutter design then reaches every wardrobe that uses it.
- Pre-lam board and MDF by thickness and brand
- Laminate and PVC edge band by shade and width
- Hinges, channels, handles and fasteners by count
- Fabric, foam and polish where the piece needs them
Adjust the list for each customer order
A customer wants the wardrobe wider, in a different laminate. The order copies the standard BOM and changes only those lines. The drawing revision stays on the order, so the factory builds the right version.
Do this at the office, before the work order reaches the floor. The supervisor should receive a finished list. A sketch to interpret is not enough.
Print the cutting list and reserve the stock
From the adjusted BOM, the cutting list gives each panel’s size and edge banding. The panel saw works from that sheet. Offcuts worth keeping can be noted for the next job.
Board and hardware for live orders should be reserved, not just counted. Otherwise two orders plan on the same sheets. A reorder level per item then flags what to buy before a shortage stops the saw.
- Panel sizes with edge banding marked per side
- Material reserved against each live order
- Reorder level set per board and hardware item
Pieces that leave for polish or upholstery
Tops go out for PU polish and frames go out for upholstery on a job work challan. The BOM should show these steps too. The order then shows which pieces are inside and which are with a vendor.
Record what went out and what came back against each challan. The balance at each vendor stays visible until it returns or is written off.
A small workshop making a few pieces a month may manage with a notebook. The case for a system grows with orders, models and vendors.
Standard model BOM sheet
One sheet per standard model, listing each material line with size, thickness, quantity and unit. Add a column for the change a custom order most often needs. Review the sheet whenever a drawing changes.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Does the production software show what each order actually cost?
Not as a finished figure. Costing sits at the quotation stage. Material issued, job work and rejections are kept against each work order, so your accountant can work out the actual cost from them.
Is the furniture showroom software enough for a factory?
On its own, no. It covers stock, quotations, orders and deliveries at the showroom end. Bills of material, work orders and job work sit in the production software.
Can a BOM have more than one level?
Yes. A sub-assembly such as a shutter or a frame can carry its own list and stages. How deep the structure goes is settled during set-up.
Can the supervisor open the cutting list on a phone?
Yes. Work orders and cutting lists open on a phone, and a stage is marked done from there. The shed does need a working connection.