Delkin Blog

BOM control is a critical factor for industrial embedded application customers. It allows both OEMs and engineers to better manage parts changes and reduces the risk of in-the-field failures that could have drastic effects on transportation, aviation, healthcare, and other critical industries. One of the key reasons that industrial grade flash storage is used in these kinds of applications is the advantages that BOM control provides. Why does BOM control matter so much? Here are the answers to some of the questions industrial embedded storage users often have.

What is BOM control?

Those who are new to industrial grade storage have likely never worked with BOM control and often wonder what exactly it is. BOM stands for bill of materials, and it is a list of components that are used in a flash storage device. When the BOM is controlled, it means that none of the critical parts will be changed without warning. In most cases, this kind of control is exclusively found in industrial grade products.

Why does BOM control matter?

BOM control reduces the odds that applications will fail because of compatibility issues. When you know that changes are coming to the components of your flash storage device, you can plan for those changes accordingly. In some cases, the changes to the BOM may not be relevant at all to your application. However, if the changes could interfere in any way, you can update your application so a failure doesn’t occur unexpectedly and cause significant complications.

Why doesn’t every kind of flash storage have BOM control?

It’s very common for the BOMs of commercial grade flash storage to be updated without warning. The reason is that the leading concern with this kind of storage is maximizing functionality while minimizing price. For this reason, frequent BOM changes are helpful. However, industrial grade storage must be reliable above all else. Many OEMs pay more for industrial grade storage with BOM control specifically because they do not want to face unexpected tweaks to their storage components.

Delkin’s rugged, industrial storage comes with BOM control, so you can manage your application with confidence. Contact our product team for additional information and answers to your questions.