Effectivity

Effectivity is the indicator on a product-structure occurrence (a BOM line, a relationship, a document binding) that specifies the range over which that occurrence is valid. CIMdata defines it as an indicator that “specifies when a specific component part is used… range of either dates, serial numbers, or build lots.”

The three common dimensions

• Date effectivity — “use Component A from 2026-06-01 onward; before that, use Component A-prev.” Common in process-driven and continuous manufacturing.
• Serial / unit effectivity — “use Component A on serial numbers 1001 through 1500.” Standard in aerospace and machinery where individual units are tracked.
• Lot or build-lot effectivity — “use this revision on lots 24-A through 24-D.” Common in regulated medical-device and electronics manufacturing.

Many PLM systems also support configuration / option-rule effectivity, where a line is included only when a particular option is chosen — used to resolve a configurable BOM.

Why it is load-bearing

Effectivity is what lets a single product structure carry multiple historical and future variants without forking the data. Engineering changes (ECOs/ECNs) install new effectivity ranges; ERP and MES read them when they explode the BOM for a specific work order.

Relationships (see sidebar)

• Part of the PLM Data Model.
• Conforms to ISO 10007 (Configuration Management Guidelines).
• Supports BOM Management, Configuration Management, Change Management (ECO/ECN), and Manufacturing Execution.
• Implemented by all major PLM platforms — date and serial-effectivity ubiquitous; option-rule effectivity stronger in Teamcenter, Windchill, ENOVIA, and SAP PLM (LO-VC).