Identifying the right BOM setup in engineer-to-order companies: a focus identification model

Engineer-to-Order (ETO) companies often grow around ad-hoc know-how, and when they scale, usually they must standardize and choose a BOM setup, yet literature offers options but little guidance on how to decide. We propose a Focus Identification Model, a lightweight, tool-agnostic method that profiles context drivers, asks weighted decision questions, and links answers to a go-to setup with explicit governance. Calibrated on two industry cases, it yields a driver heatmap, decision matrix, and governance card to establish a common language and identify fit-for-purpose BOMs with less friction.