Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1406534
SEPTEMBER 2021 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 39 price against the number they've got in their ERP, and we mix and match. We say, "Use it from stock, but quote, based on the market price of X," which is 30% higher, let's say. It gives them that input. So, that is the reason we didn't name it BOM Pricer or BOM Calculator, but BOM Connector. Matties: What is the training curve? How quickly do people expect to be fully capable of running this tool inde- pendently? Decker-Weiss: Generally speaking, it's a three- to six-month total learning curve. We do two full-day training classes for the team and a one-day workshop a few weeks aerward to refresh. Matties: Now, when it comes to a function within an organization, what roles would peo- ple have? Or is there a new role that's emerg- ing? Decker-Weiss: It really depends on the size of the company. Oen, the first people who use our tool are inside sales. Oentimes there is a quoting department, but depending on the size, purchasing may also do quoting. ere usually are BOM engineers in charge of maintaining, revisioning, checking, and push- ing the finished BOM into the ERP or MES system. Now we have one other role, compo- nent engineering, which is using the system more frequently because end of life, obsoles- cence, involves RoHS, REACH, SCIP envi- ronmental standards and requirements. Oen, many of the parts in the BOM either cannot or should not be purchased. So, a component en- gineer grabs the BOM first, evaluates for ob- solescence, then gives the BOM over to sales/ quoter/purchaser. Johnson: at's a function that BOM Connec- tor is starting to do? Decker-Weiss: It is, but we don't want to get into the data maintenance. We don't have the size to start competing with a silicon expert, an IHS Markit, or even an Octopart yet. We have nice real-time connections into these tools. We have partnerships that we built up with them. We can offer a special BOM Con- nector, a subscription, and they never see the portal. ey don't have to take the BOM, up- load it into the portal, download the informa- tion, copy the information. ey just hit a but- ton, check silicon expert, it pulls the silicon expert data into the BOM, and now they can start looking and evaluating. Do I have obso- lescence? Do I have parts that are too close to end of life? Johnson: is information that you're talk- ing about certainly makes sense for the design team to have access to during design when they're making key decisions that will then percolate all the way to the manufacturer. Is BOM Connector information available in the CAD tool? Do you see that as a direction to go with the tool? Decker-Weiss: Whether we'll ever integrate it directly into the design tool or something is a little open, but certainly from within the de-