PLMV-VP-014 · Rev. A · Released 2026-10-16
OpenBOM
OpenBOM is a cloud-native SaaS platform for bill of materials and product data management from OpenBOM, connecting CAD, PDM and ERP systems for small and mid-sized manufacturers.
Overview
OpenBOM is a cloud platform for managing BOMs, parts catalogues and product data, founded in 2015 in the Boston area by Oleg Shilovitsky, Christopher Chaulk and Vic Sanchez. The product has been commercially available since 2016 and the company is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts. The trademark is held by Newman Cloud, Inc. OpenBOM describes itself as a digital network platform that links engineering teams with suppliers and contract manufacturers.
Functionally, OpenBOM covers engineering and manufacturing BOMs, item catalogues, revisions and change management, planning BOMs, vendor lists, purchase orders and inventory control, with real-time collaboration across internal and external users. Its main differentiator is breadth of integration: it lists add-ins for SOLIDWORKS, Onshape, Autodesk Fusion and Inventor, Creo, NX, Solid Edge, CATIA, Altium, KiCad and other CAD tools, PDM and PLM links to systems such as SOLIDWORKS PDM, Vault, Windchill, Teamcenter and Aras, and ERP connectors for SAP S/4HANA, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Odoo, Epicor and others.
In January 2026 OpenBOM introduced a new pricing model that combines role-based user licences with annual contracts counted by unique data records, with unlimited storage. The company has signalled upcoming AI capabilities, including a BOM review agent. Typical customers are hardware start-ups, machinery builders, electronics firms and contract manufacturers that need structured BOM data shared across CAD and ERP without a large PLM project.
Best fit
Small and mid-sized manufacturers and hardware teams that need structured, shareable BOM data across several CAD and ERP tools with minimal implementation effort.
Presence in Europe
OpenBOM has engineering teams in Europe and integrates with European ERP systems such as Visma Business NXT, while sales and support are run from its US headquarters.
Strengths
- A very broad catalogue of CAD, PDM and ERP integrations supports mixed tool environments.
- Fast self-service onboarding with a free trial lowers the barrier to adoption.
- Supplier, purchasing and inventory functions extend BOM data into procurement for smaller firms.
- The 2026 pricing model counts unique records and includes unlimited storage, which simplifies scaling.
Considerations
- Its scope centres on BOM and product data, with limited native quality, compliance and sustainability functions compared with full PLM suites.
- The product is SaaS only, which may not suit organisations that require on-premises deployment.
- AI capabilities are announced as upcoming, so buyers should verify their availability before relying on them.
Capability assessment
| Bill of materials | Strong |
|---|---|
| Change management | Available |
| CAD data management | Strong |
| Formulation and specifications | Limited |
| Regulatory compliance | Limited |
| Sustainability and LCA data | Limited |
| Supplier collaboration | Available |
| Requirements management | Limited |
| AI assistance | Limited |
Editorial assessment of documented out-of-the-box functionality, reviewed 16 October 2026. Strong, Available, Limited, or Partner (delivered through partners or add-ons). How levels are assigned.
Integrations and ecosystem
SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS PDMOnshapeAutodesk Fusion, Inventor and VaultPTC CreoAltium DesignerSAP S/4HANAOracle NetSuiteMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Sources
Related reading
From the knowledge base
Same focus: Discrete manufacturing
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