Free Bill of Materials (BOM) Excel Template
A practical multi-level BOM Excel template with cost rollup, where-used analysis, and indented hierarchy — built by manufacturers who understand why BOMs break in spreadsheets.
What you get
A working multi-level BOM Excel template plus a 30-day trial of Resource Manager for Excel (RMX) — the Excel-based MRP and scheduling tool that handles BOM depth and complexity spreadsheets alone cannot.
Free 30-day trial · No credit card required · Used by manufacturers since 1991
Why manufacturers still use Excel for this
The bill of materials is the DNA of a manufactured product. It defines what goes into it, how much of each component, and which sub-assemblies roll up into the final good. A single mistake in a BOM propagates through purchasing, inventory, scheduling, and costing — which is why experienced manufacturers treat BOM accuracy as non-negotiable. A "rough" BOM is not a BOM; it is a bet against reality.
For small manufacturers, the BOM almost always starts in Excel. It makes sense — BOMs are tabular, hierarchical data and Excel is built for exactly that. A single-level BOM with 20 components is trivial to manage in a workbook. The problems show up with multi-level BOMs: when Component A is itself made from Components B and C, which are themselves made from Raw Material D, E, F... and a change in D needs to propagate through every finished good that eventually uses it.
This page gives you a free multi-level BOM Excel template that handles indented BOMs correctly, rolls up costs through the hierarchy, and supports where-used analysis. It also explains the warning signs that mean your BOM has outgrown Excel — and what you should do when that happens.
What's inside the template
Multi-level indented BOM structure
Up to 10 levels deep with automatic indentation and parent-child relationships. Expand or collapse sub-assemblies for easy navigation.
Component master data
Part number, description, unit of measure, make-vs-buy flag, lead time, and default supplier for every item in the hierarchy.
Cost rollup formulas
Automatic material cost rollup from raw materials through sub-assemblies to finished good. Update a raw material cost and the whole BOM recalculates.
Where-used (reverse BOM) lookup
Given any component, find every parent assembly that uses it. Critical for engineering change management.
Quantity and yield adjustments
Support for fractional quantities, scrap factors, and yield adjustments so the BOM reflects real shop-floor consumption.
Revision and change tracking
Revision column + change date so you can see which version of the BOM was active when a historical batch was built.
How to use this template
A practical walkthrough — five steps from blank spreadsheet to a working schedule.
- 1
Open the template and study the sample BOM
The sample shows a multi-level assembly with raw materials, sub-assemblies, and a finished good. Understand the indent structure before replacing it.
- 2
Build your component master
On the Items tab, list every part that appears anywhere in your BOM. Part number, description, cost, unit of measure, make-vs-buy. This is the lookup table the BOM structure will reference.
- 3
Build the BOM hierarchy
On the BOM tab, enter the finished good at level 0, then sub-assemblies at level 1, components at level 2, and so on. The indent column drives visual hierarchy AND the cost rollup logic.
- 4
Review the cost rollup
The Finished Good row shows total material cost rolled up from every component below it. Change any raw material cost and the whole BOM recalculates instantly.
- 5
Use the where-used lookup
Filter or search the BOM tab by component part number to find every parent that uses it. Essential when considering a material substitution or supplier change.
When you outgrow this template
Excel is the right answer for early-stage scheduling — until it isn't. Here are the warning signs that you need a real production scheduling tool.
If three or more of these apply, you have outgrown Excel scheduling. The good news: you do not have to leave Excel behind. Resource Manager for Excel (RMX) is a real finite-capacity scheduling engine that runs as an Excel add-in — so your team keeps the interface they know while gaining the scheduling power of a dedicated APS tool.
Learn about RMXFrequently asked questions
Is this BOM template really free?+
Yes. The template ships with the free 30-day trial of Resource Manager for Excel (RMX) from User Solutions. No credit card required. Manufacturers have used the trial as a permanent free BOM tool for 35+ years.
How deep can the multi-level BOM go?+
The template supports up to 10 levels deep by default, which covers nearly every small and mid-size manufacturing product. For deeper BOMs (complex assemblies in electronics, aerospace, or medical devices), the template can be extended — but you should consider dedicated MRP software like RMDB, which has been proven with 10+ level deep BOMs in Li-ion battery production.
Does the template support assembly yield and scrap factors?+
Yes. Each component row has quantity and scrap factor columns, so a 5% expected scrap is reflected in the rollup cost. This prevents the classic "BOM says 100 but we actually consume 105" accounting error.
Can I use this BOM template with MRP or purchasing software?+
The template is self-contained — it does not auto-sync with external systems. You can export CSV for one-way handoff to MRP or purchasing. For bi-directional integration, you need a tool like RMX or RMDB that keeps the BOM live in a real database.
How does this differ from the BOMs in my ERP or MRP system?+
ERP/MRP BOMs are persistent, multi-user, and integrate with purchasing and inventory. This template is a standalone workbook — perfect for prototyping, small-run work, or shops that have not deployed an MRP system yet. Most manufacturers use Excel BOMs during engineering and migrate to ERP/MRP BOMs for production.
Does the template handle configurable items with options?+
Not natively — configurable BOMs (where a finished good varies based on customer options) are genuinely hard in spreadsheets and almost always justify moving to a real MRP system. If configuration is your primary BOM challenge, reach out for a demo of RMDB which handles this cleanly.
Get the free template — plus the tool that grew up around it
The template is the starting point. Resource Manager for Excel (RMX) is what manufacturers move to when their Excel scheduler starts breaking. 35+ years in production, free 30-day trial.