The primary data source system is the Bill of Materials (BOM) system. Examples of such data sources include PDM, ERP, or RDBMS systems used to track parts and their status. They contain information such as part number, part description, and most importantly, information about where each part fits in the context of an assembly.
This BOM data forms the foundation of Materials Compliance Management, but it almost always lacks materials, substance composition, and recyclability information necessary to analyze and meet environmental reporting requirements at the part level. Materials Compliance Management consolidates and integrates this BOM data with these supplemental data attributes, while facilitating analysis and flexible reporting of end-item assemblies.
This supplementary environmental data can come from a variety of internal or external sources. A number of companies have distributed Materials Compliance Connect spreadsheet to their suppliers to collect this data containing part-level material and substance composition data, including part weights and recyclability information. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) utilizes a customized version of the Materials Compliance Connect spreadsheet as an industry standard for the Automotive Industry Supply Chain.