It looks like we will be using KiCad for the immediate future for our company’s projects. The issue I am having with KiCad is the BOM, but I believe that revolves around a library with the vender part numbers and required footprints.
So, do I best do this? My first attempt is to create the schematic, then add Part Number, Vender, and other information for each symbol. For components of the same type you can duplicate that part.
I need to generate this information for our purchasing department, but this seems like a laborious task, including formatting the BOM. I already have InteractiveHTML plug in, which should help the tech hand assemble the board.
I use the database libraries feature for this, which makes things easier (from my point of view). But even if not using a database library, you should make custom libraries so that you can add your required fields in the library, rather than for each schematic over and over again.
this seems like a laborious task, including formatting the BOM
It depends on what kind of formatting you need, but if all you need to control is which columns are present and in what order, this is pretty straightforward in V8.
That is not the way to do it.
You start by creating company specific libraries. You can copy symbols from KiCad’s default libraries or other sources into these libraries (I see no need to create all parts from scratch). After that you can modify the symbols in your own libraries and add ordering info and other fields. This can be done with just the library system in KiCad, but in a broader sense, using the database library system may be a better choice. It is possible to integrate data from external databases into KiCad, but this does require a fair amount of setup to get it going. The schematic editor manual has a chapter about database libraries:
I defined how my BOM work when KiCad was V4 so there were no database possibilities. I use only my libraries and each symbol has footprint attached. So when I place symbol at schematic I specify exact real element.
In library R I have 1k with 0603 attached. In library R1 I have 1k with 0402 attached.
I get from KiCad csv file with BOM. Then copy-paste it into my spreadsheet page 2. And I have there formulas that based on symbol value and footprint (like 1k+0603) selects and copies from spreadsheet page 1 all needed information into page 2. Then I copy my BOM into another spreadsheet copying only texts (without formulas) and I have BOM.