| 1.Open Product Finder (Click into Magnifying Glass) |
Go to the Specification tab of your BOM.
Confirm Product Finder is enabled — you'll see a magnifying glass icon next to each line item.
Click the magnifying glass next to the product you want to cross.
Note: Parspec automatically attaches the source datasheet and populates technical attributes from the model number — prioritizing the model number's requirements over general datasheet specs for more accurate results. |
| 2.Refine Your Search Criteria |
Review the auto-populated technical attributes — all are strict matches by default.
Click the X to remove any attribute, or double-click a dropdown to add or adjust values.
Click into Acceptable Manufacturers and select your preferred manufacturer group:
Company Manufacturers — your curated approved list.
All other Parspec-supported manufacturers — the full catalog.
Tip: Build custom manufacturer lists in Settings → Manufacturers to speed up your searches — see How to Create Manufacturer Lists for help. |
| 3. Review and Compare Results |
Click Search — results appear in a product grid you can scroll and hover over to preview datasheets.
Click Compare on any result to view the source datasheet side-by-side with the suggested alternate.
Use the three result tabs to filter by:
Suggested Results — best overall attribute matches, including Past Selection indicators showing how often your team has used that alternate.
Lowest Cost — available when quoting is enabled and cost data is entered.
Image Similarity — matches based on the visual appearance of the source datasheet image.
Adjust any attribute while browsing — results refresh automatically without needing to re-run the search.
| 4. Select an Alternate and Add to BOM |
Click Select on your chosen product — the two datasheets appear side by side for a final review.
Enter the model number for the alternate on the right-hand side.
Optionally add External Quote Notes or Internal Comments to log your reasoning.
Choose how to add the alternate to your BOM:
A. Alternate — adds the product directly below the basis of design.
B. New Option — sends the alternate to the Options table at the bottom of the BOM.
C. Overwrite — replaces the basis of design entirely with the alternate.
Click Add to BOM.
Tip: If the original basis of design becomes hidden after adding an alternate, click into the line and select Unhide to make it visible again in the BOM. |
| 5. Export BOM and Continue |
To share the alternate list with someone outside Parspec, click Export to download as an Excel/CSV file.
To cross another product, click the magnifying glass on the next line item and repeat the workflow.
Product Finder at a Glance
Feature | What it does |
Attribute lock | Restricts results to exact matches for that spec. |
Past Selection indicator | Shows how often your team has used that alternate. |
Lowest Cost tab | Filters results by price (requires Quoting enabled). |
Image Similarity tab | Matches results to the visual appearance of the source product. |
New Option | Sends the alternate to the Options table instead of the main BOM. |
Overwrite | Replaces the basis of design with the selected alternate. |
Need help? Visit the Parspec Training Academy or use the in-app support chat.