#542 – Component Management with Jan Rychter

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Welcome Jan Rychter of PartsBox!

• Jan started PartsBox (PB) because it’s critical to know where parts are when doing assembly on a small scale. It also helps users save money on parts over time.
• PB is free for hobbyists, and users are split between hobbyist and business. The businesses are mostly small to medium sized businesses
• Medical device startups are also common users because they need to track their documentation (traceability) closely from the beginning, including what parts are used on each design.
• PB can replace MRP / ERP systems used at larger companies. PB ties in the purchasing element, though on a smaller scale.
• Ordering parts affects the finished goods margin, mostly due to the the concept of “cost” of an individual component on an assembly. How do you account for things like attrition parameters?
• There is BOM pricing functionality, including handling things like:
  • Multiple currencies
  • Minimum order quantities (MOQs)
  • Managing multiple BOMs
  • Substitutes
• Customer Part Numbers (CPN) are called Meta-Parts on PB.
• Part Identity
• Jan is a proponent of GS1, which is a standardized unique identifier system used for foods.
• Since the electronics industry doesn’t standardize on this, manufacturers end up playing tricks
• You can follow along with an example workflow (we’ll use this for all examples in the show)
• The idea of “part location” includes pick and place machines.
• PB users have PnP machines taht fit in a garage, not a room
• Default part source selection
• The traceability is important for companies that need to do medical tracking for
• When getting started with PB, don’t inventory everything.
• Storage doesn’t need to be by category
• Former guest Dan Hienzsch has been tweeting about consolidating parts
• USB barcode scanner
• Ordering from PB to a distributor website
• A label printer will help you label various boxes and bags, but you’ll need to export to CSV and print in a batch because printers don’t work with the web platform.
• The “multistage build” feature, allows tracking project status as different steps are applied
• Custom labels only when needed
• Schroedinger-esque parts
• Why is it online?
  • Cross platform
  • Always available
  • Works better as a business
• Jan’s background is in software, but he builds electronics for fun.
• He loves interacting with engineers, who give him “very real feedback”
• Low stock report
• Meta parts in times of shortages
• Multiple shipments
• Medical tracking
• Lot control
• Not all parts are “fungible”
• Physical diff would allow you to know when one board had one lot of components vs another.
• There may be future integrations with InspectAR
• Part attrition
• Advanced build system
• Subassembly parts
• Project versioning is TBD. That would require change orders and a much larger set of features like a PLM has, Arena as an example.
• Working with CMs
• First need to create the part / Meta-part
• Linked Part is anything with an MPN that is searchable in Octopart. An example using TPS61161DRV
• Find out more and chack out the demo on PartsBox.com
• Follow on Twitter @PartsBoxIO