How MOA changes the workflow
| Aspect | Normal sub-assembly | MOA sub-assembly |
|---|---|---|
| Run for the sub | Separate run, completes independently | No separate run; the sub is built within the parent’s run |
| Inventory pre-build | Sub exists as a standalone PartInventory row before install | Sub is created during the parent’s build |
| Operator handoff | One operator finishes the sub, another installs it | Same operator builds and installs in one flow |
| aBOM record | Parent’s aBOM references the sub’s existing aBOM | Sub’s aBOM is created and rolled up into the parent’s aBOM during the parent’s run |
| Scheduling | Sub appears on its own schedule | Sub doesn’t appear in scheduling; its work lives within the parent’s run |
Configuring MOA on a build requirement
From the mBOM card on the part page, with the version in Draft:- Find the build requirement’s row.
- Select the Made on Assembly checkbox in that row. The change saves automatically.
You can also flag a part as MOA when adding it to an aBOM: turn on the Add as MOA switch before selecting the part in Edit Mode. See Edit build requirements.
How operators install MOA build requirements
During the parent’s run:- The MOA build requirement renders inline with the parent’s other build requirements.
- Instead of scanning an existing sub, the operator gets a build flow that walks through the sub’s own procedure, or a sub-sequence inside the parent’s procedure.
- As the operator completes the MOA build steps, ION does the following:
- Creates a new
PartInventoryfor the sub, with a serial or lot depending on the sub part’s tracking type. - Creates the sub’s aBOM as a child of the parent’s aBOM.
- Records installations against the sub’s build requirements as the operator works.
- Creates a new
- When the MOA sequence is complete, the sub is installed into the parent in a single atomic act: the new sub-assembly is created and installed at the same time.
MOA and traceability
MOA preserves full traceability in both directions:- Top-down: the parent’s aBOM leads to the MOA sub’s aBOM, then to the leaf installations. This is the same recursive tree as a normal sub-assembly.
- Bottom-up: a leaf part inventory, such as a fastener, installed in an MOA sub still has a
parentPartInventorychain that walks up through the MOA sub to the top-level parent.
MOA and Autoplan
In Autoplan, MOA components surface asPlaceholder items in the plan. Placeholders represent the hierarchy of the BOM but can’t be converted into runs or purchases directly. The parent’s run produces them as a side effect of the parent build. Treat them as informational rows in plan output, not as actionable demand.
MOA and run batches
When the parent is part of a run batch, MOA build requirements:- Render once per batched run, one MOA build per parent unit.
- Don’t propagate as redlines across siblings the way step-level changes do. Each MOA build is its own piece of work even within a batch.
- Still inherit the batch’s procedure version and shared-step sign-off behavior for any non-MOA steps.
A parent run with several deep MOA sub-assemblies can become a large run for one operator. If the work splits naturally between operators, separate runs can be cleaner even if the sub doesn’t get stocked.