Version Control

Recipe Versioning: Managing Material Changes and Cost Updates Over Time

Your supplier changes pricing. You discover a new material that costs 20% less. A customer requests a product variant. If you overwrite your original BOM, you lose historical data that's critical for pricing decisions and production records. This guide teaches you to version BOMs like software engineers version code—preserving history while tracking change.

Why You Need Versioning

You create a BOM for your signature product. A year later, your supplier raises prices 15%. You update the BOM. Then a customer asks: "Why did my invoice go up 15%?" You can't tell them. You've lost the historical cost data.

Or worse: A cheap material you switched to turned out to be lower quality. You want to revert to the original. But you overwrote it. Now you're reverse-engineering from memory.

The Version Naming System

Use a simple semantic versioning system for BOMs:

Product Name - BOM vX.Y

Where X = major revisions (significant changes), Y = minor updates (cost adjustments)

v1.0 = First stable BOM

Your original recipe. Tested, locked in production.

v1.1, v1.2 = Minor cost adjustments

Supplier price changes. You update cost-per-unit, but materials stay the same. Same product, different cost.

v2.0 = Material or design change

You switch suppliers. You discover a cheaper alternative. You redesign the product. Major change = new version.

What to Track in Versioning

Data Point	Why It Matters	Example
Version number	Identifies which recipe was used for production	v1.2 = Second cost update
Date created	When did you lock this recipe in?	2024-03-15
Change reason	Why did you version?	Supplier price increase
Total cost	Calculate profit impact	v1.0=$15; v1.1=$17
Production notes	Quality or efficiency insights	"New supplier has better yield"

How to Implement Versioning

Method 1: Google Sheets (Free)

Create a folder: "Product_Name_BOMs". File names: "Product_Name_BOM_v1.0", "Product_Name_BOM_v1.1", etc. Never delete old versions. Archive as new major versions appear.

Method 2: Spreadsheet with Version Tabs

One file, multiple tabs. Tab 1: "v1.0_Original", Tab 2: "v1.1_CostUpdate", Tab 3: "v2.0_NewDesign". Compare across tabs to see what changed.

Method 3: BOM Management Software

Tools like TrueCraft or Airtable track versions automatically. Click "create new version", system creates v2.0, keeps v1.0 in archive.

Real Example: Tracking Pottery Bowl Evolution

v1.0 (June 2023) - Original Recipe

• Clay: 2.5 lbs @ $0.80 = $2.00
• Glaze: 0.25 cup @ $0.50 = $0.13
• Kiln: $0.75
• Packaging: $0.60
• Total: $3.48

v1.1 (December 2023) - Supplier Price Increase

• Clay: 2.5 lbs @ $1.10 = $2.75 (+$0.75) ← Supplier raised prices
• Glaze: 0.25 cup @ $0.50 = $0.13 (same)
• Kiln: $0.75
• Packaging: $0.60
• Total: $4.23

v2.0 (March 2024) - New Supplier, Redesign

• Clay: 2.5 lbs @ $0.85 (new supplier) = $2.13
• Glaze: 0.25 cup @ $0.60 (better quality) = $0.15
• Kiln: $0.70 (more efficient firing)
• Packaging: $0.65 (upgraded box)
• Total: $3.63

Why versioning mattered:

• v1.0 → v1.1: Could tell customers "material costs went up" with exact numbers
• v1.1 → v2.0: Could prove new supplier saves $0.60/unit despite quality improvement
• Historical data: Pricing decisions tied to specific BOMs and dates

Key Takeaways

Version Everything

Never overwrite a BOM. Always create new versions. Your historical data is gold for pricing and process improvement.

Use Semantic Versioning

v1.0 = original, v1.1 = minor updates, v2.0 = major changes. Simple, scalable, widely understood.

Track the Why

Date created + change reason + total cost. This context turns historical data into actionable insights.

Archive Old Versions

Keep a "Current" folder for active BOMs and an "Archive" folder for old versions. Easy to find, never deleted.

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