Time phase work pool management for returned inventory asset routing

• US 10,083,416 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Del Rosario, Francis E., Eddy, Kael B., Erie, Clinton W., Knipfer, Ivory W., Zemke, Matthew H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US12/130,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,770 Days
• Field of Search: 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Embodiments of the present routing returned inventory assets and provide a method, system and computer program product for routing items in a manufacturing environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for routing items in a manufacturing environment can be provided. The method can include defining attributes of work pools in the manufacturing environment, defining a set of reuse strategies for use in the manufacturing environment, receiving a returned inventory asset in the manufacturing environment and obtaining at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset, comparing the obtained at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset to the set of reuse strategies to select the reuse strategy to apply to the returned inventory asset and applying the selected reuse strategy to the returned inventory asset to assign the returned inventory asset to one of the work pools in the manufacturing environment. The method can further include the transportation of the returned inventory asset to a temporary location other than the assigned work pool, and can include updating a returned inventory asset tracking record to indicate the assigned work pool.

Claims

1. A method, using a computer hardware system, for routing returned inventory assets in a manufacturing environment, the method comprising:

defining, using the computer hardware system, attributes of work pools in the manufacturing environment;

defining, a table in memory of the computer hardware system, and inserting records into the table specifying a set of reuse strategies for use in the manufacturing environment, the records comprising one or more data fields characterizing a return request of a product and one or more corresponding data fields characterizing a manner of reuse of the returned product including an order in which the returned product is to be routed through one or more of the work pools;

receiving, using the computer hardware system, a returned inventory asset in the manufacturing environment and obtaining at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset;

comparing, using the computer hardware system, the obtained at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset to the one or more data fields characterizing the return request of the product in the table to select a reuse strategy of the corresponding manner of reuse of the returned product to apply to the returned inventory asset;

applying, using the computer hardware system, the selected reuse strategy to the returned inventory asset to assign the returned inventory asset to one of the work pools in the manufacturing environment;

creating, using the computer hardware system, a work pool profile for at least one of the work pools; and

,

defining, using the computer hardware system, a work pool name, a work pool description, a work pool inventory location and a work pool maximum size for the work pool profile;

updating a returned inventory asset tracking record to indicate the assigned work pool;

setting a work pool identifier flag to indicate an assignment to the work pool and also a self-adjust flag to determine when the work pool is able to call a self-adjusting work pool management process to control management of the work pool; and

,

assigning the returned inventory asset to a work pool having a logical location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transporting the returned inventory asset to a temporary location other than the assigned work pool.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transporting the returned inventory asset to the assigned work pool.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the returned inventory asset tracking record for a work pool identifier, and prohibiting a second assignment of the returned inventory asset to the work pool having the work pool identifier that matches the work pool identifier flag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the obtained at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset to the set of reuse strategies to select a reuse strategy to apply to the returned inventory asset comprises selecting a reuse strategy based upon a priority value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining an automatic notify identifier from the returned inventory asset;

verifying and if the obtained automatic notify identifier is turned on; and

, automatically transmitting an auto notification to a contact terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request to expire a returned inventory asset activity;

setting a recycle time of the returned inventory asset to an expired state; and

,

transitioning the returned inventory asset to the next returned inventory asset activity designated by a reuse strategy record.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising

generating a timestamp for a returned inventory asset based upon the assignment of the returned inventory asset to the work pool;

and,

moving the returned inventory asset out of the work pool based upon a recycle time.

8. A system for routing returned inventory assets in a manufacturing environment, the system comprising:

a data storage device configured to store manufactured items and work pools for storing the returned inventory assets;

an returned inventory asset routing engine, executing as a processor of a computer hardware system, the returned inventory asset routing engine communicatively coupled to a manufacturing system and the data storage device; and

returned inventory asset routing logic comprising program code, when executed on the processor of the computer hardware system, causes the returned inventory asset routing engine to define attributes of work pools in the manufacturing environment, to define a table in memory and inserting records into the table specifying a set of reuse strategies for use in the manufacturing environment, the records comprising one or more data fields characterizing a return request of a product and one or more corresponding data fields characterizing a manner of reuse of the returned product including an order in which the returned product is to be routed through one or more of the work pools, to receive one of the returned inventory assets in the manufacturing environment and obtain characteristics of the returned inventory asset, to compare the obtained characteristics of the returned inventory asset to the one or more data fields characterizing the return request of the product in the table and select a reuse strategy of the corresponding manner of reuse of the returned product to apply to the returned inventory asset, to apply the selected reuse strategy to the returned inventory asset to assign the returned inventory asset to storage in one of the work pools, and to create a work pool profile for at least one of the work pools and to define a work pool name, a work pool description, a work pool inventory location and a work pool maximum size for the work pool profile, to update a returned inventory asset tracking record to indicate the assigned work pool, to set a work pool identifier flag to indicate an assignment to the work pool and also a self-adjust flag to determine when the work pool is able to call a self-adjusting work pool management process to control management of the work pool, and to assign the returned inventory asset to a work pool having a logical location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system for routing returned inventory assets in a manufacturing environment is further configured to transport the returned inventory asset to a temporary location other than the assigned work pool.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the system for routing returned inventory assets in a manufacturing environment is further configured to generate a timestamp for a returned inventory asset based upon the assignment of the returned inventory asset to the work pool and to move the returned inventory asset out of the work pool based upon a recycle time value update a returned inventory asset tracking record to indicate the assigned work pool.

11. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium comprising a memory device having stored therein computer usable program code for routing returned inventory assets in a manufacturing environment, the computer usable program code, which when executed on a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform:

defining attributes of work pools in the manufacturing environment;

defining a table in memory of the computer hardware system and inserting records into the table specifying a set of reuse strategies for use in the manufacturing environment, the records comprising one or more data fields characterizing a return request of a product and one or more corresponding data fields characterizing a manner of reuse of the returned product including an order in which the returned product is to be routed through one or more of the work pools;

receiving a returned inventory asset in the manufacturing environment and obtaining at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset;

comparing the obtained at least one attribute of the returned inventory asset to the one or more data fields characterizing the return request of the product in the table to select a reuse strategy of the corresponding manner of reuse of the returned product to apply to the returned inventory asset;

applying the selected reuse strategy to the returned inventory asset to assign the returned inventory asset to one of the work pools in the manufacturing environment

creating a work pool profile for at least one of the work pools; and

,

defining a work pool name, a work pool description, a work pool inventory location and a work pool maximum size for the work pool profile;

updating a returned inventory asset tracking record to indicate the assigned work pool;

setting a work pool identifier flag to indicate an assignment to the work pool and also a self-adjust flag to determine when the work pool is able to call a self-adjusting work pool management process to control management of the work pool; and

,

assigning the returned inventory asset to a work pool having a logical location.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform transporting the returned inventory asset to a temporary location other than the assigned work pool.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform obtaining an automatic notify identifier from the returned inventory asset;

verifying and if the obtained automatic notify identifier is turned on; and

, automatically transmitting an auto notification to a contact terminal.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform sending a request to expire a returned inventory asset activity;

setting a recycle time of the returned inventory asset to an expired state; and

,

transitioning the returned inventory asset to the next returned inventory asset activity designated by a reuse strategy record.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform

generating a timestamp for a returned inventory asset based upon the assignment of the returned inventory asset to the work pool;

and,

moving the returned inventory asset out of the work pool based upon a recycle time value.