Creating a product
Define a product and connect it to Bills of Materials and orders.Why products matter
Products in Laminar help you organise BOMs, Orders, and related information under a clear product structure. If projects represent initiatives, products represent things you make. A product may be:
- A manufactured item
- A hardware SKU
- A prototype device
- A sub-system or assembly you build repeatedly
- A customer-facing deliverable
Creating products allows your team to:
- Group BOMs by what they build
- Link orders to a product line
- Improve visibility on procurement and engineering work
- Track manufacturing cycles more effectively
Products act as long-lived anchors, giving structure to everything built around them.
Where product creation begins
The easiest and most consistent way to create a product is from the New panel.
- Click the New button in the top bar
- A panel appears showing all creation shortcuts
- Select Product
- You’re taken to the creation page at
/products/create
This works from anywhere in Laminar—no need to navigate manually through the sidebar.
Tip If you frequently build different product lines, create them early. It keeps organisation tidy when linking BOMs and orders later.
What you’ll see on the product creation page
Products in Laminar are intentionally simple, with only essential fields:
- Product Name
- Owner/Manager (Optional)
- Description (Optional)
Products are lightweight but powerful—just enough structure to organise your operations without slowing anyone down.
Basic details
Product Name
Required. This is the primary identifier for the product.
Use names that are:
- Clear
- Unique
- Meaningful
- Recognisable across teams
Good examples:
- “Smart Thermostat v3”
- “EV Charger – Home Series”
- “Industrial Sensor Module – Rev B”
- “Solar Power Unit 12kW”
Names don’t have to be customer-facing—internal names work fine.
Owner/Manager (Optional)
Assign a person responsible for the product line.
You may choose:
- Yourself
- A design engineer
- A project manager
- A production lead
Ownership helps clarify responsibility and ensures decisions aren’t ambiguous.
Description
Optional but helpful for context.
Examples of good descriptions:
- Purpose of the product
- Version history
- Customer it’s meant for
- Technical notes
- Scope of the build
- High-level overview
Descriptions make it easier for new team members to understand what the product is.
Saving the product
Once the form is filled:
- Click Save
- Laminar creates the product
- You’re taken to the Product Details page
From here, you can:
- Link BOMs
- Link Orders
- Edit the product
- Review all associations in one place
Your new product is now available throughout the system.
What happens after creating a product
A product becomes:
- Listed in the Products module
- Discoverable in global search
- Available when linking BOMs
- Available when linking orders
- Visible to colleagues based on roles
This ensures organisation and alignment across engineering and procurement.
Linking BOMs to a product
Once a product exists, you can associate BOMs with it.
How to do it
- Open the BOM
- Click Edit
- Select the Product from the dropdown
- Save
BOMs linked to a product help define that product’s engineering structure.
Why this is valuable
- Clarifies which BOM defines which product
- Helps sort engineering variants
- Supports build cycles and version revisions
This is especially useful if you make multiple products with overlapping parts.
Linking Orders to a product
Orders are often created to support product builds. Linking them provides clear visibility into:
- Procurement flow
- Material requirements
- Progress for each product line
To link an order
- Open the order
- Click Edit
- Select the Product
- Save
Orders linked to a product show up in the Product Details view.
Viewing linked BOMs and Orders
Once linked, BOMs and Orders appear in the product detail view.
You’ll find:
Linked BOMs
Lists of engineering structures tied to this product.
Useful for:
- Revision control
- Navigating technical data
- Planning builds
Linked Orders
Real-world purchasing associated with this product.
Useful for:
- Checking procurement progress
- Understanding material flow
- Preparing for manufacturing
The product detail page becomes a convenient hub for everything related to that product.
Editing a product
Products are easy to update:
- Open the product
- Click Edit
- Update any fields
- Save
Common reasons to edit:
- Renaming the product
- Assigning a new owner
- Updating the description
- Adding extra context
Edits apply instantly without affecting linked BOMs or Orders.
When to create a product
You should create a product when:
- Building something that will be referenced often
- Tracking procurement for a recurring item
- Managing multiple BOM revisions
- Working on multiple customer-specific builds
- Planning a new product line
- Organising internal prototyping efforts
Products bring structure to an organisation’s outputs.
Best practices
Use clear, unique names
Avoid generic product names that cause confusion later.
Create products early
Especially if engineering or procurement teams will rely on them.
Keep descriptions useful
Help future team members understand the purpose and scope.
Link BOMs and Orders regularly
Make linking part of your workflow—don’t leave items unassociated.
Review product metadata periodically
Especially if your organisation builds evolving hardware.
Common issues and solutions
“I can’t find my product when trying to link a BOM/Order.”
Possibilities:
- Wrong organisation selected
- You don’t have permission
- Typing too much—try fewer characters
- Product not created yet
“A BOM is linked to the wrong product.”
Edit the BOM and choose the correct product.
“I created a product but it looks empty.”
You haven’t linked BOMs or Orders yet. The detail view populates based on associations.
“I need to rename a product.”
Open it → Edit → Update name → Save. Renaming is safe and won’t break anything.