Method and apparatus for a receiving, inspection, and supplier quality system
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- automated management of inspection of items using past supplier performance and product quality history to determine an inspection level and an inspection sample size by a computer system;
receiving an identifier for an item in a shipment of items to form item received data;
outputting inspection criteria for the item;
retrieving a quality history for the item from an inventory management database, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of a similar item received;
automatically adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using the quality history to form adjusted inspection criteria, wherein the adjusted inspection criteria includes the inspection level and the inspection sample size, wherein the inspection level includes at least one of skip inspection, normal inspection, and tightened inspection;
receiving an inspection result from inspection of the item, wherein the inspection of the item is performed with the adjusted inspection criteria;
determining, based on the inspection result, whether the item is a conforming item or a non-conforming item;
responsive to the item being a conforming item, ordering that the item be delivered; and
responsive to the item being a non-conforming item, taking an action selected from the group consisting of;
ordering that the item is to be delivered, ordering that the item is to be returned, ordering that the item is to be re-worked, and ordering that the item is to be scrapped.
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Abstract
The disclosure provides a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing inspection of items. In one embodiment, an identifier for an item is received in a shipment of items to form a received item. Inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items are adjusted using a quality history. The quality history is data regarding results of inspections of items. A result of the inspection is received. The quality history is updated with the result of the inspection.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
automated management of inspection of items using past supplier performance and product quality history to determine an inspection level and an inspection sample size by a computer system; receiving an identifier for an item in a shipment of items to form item received data; outputting inspection criteria for the item; retrieving a quality history for the item from an inventory management database, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of a similar item received; automatically adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using the quality history to form adjusted inspection criteria, wherein the adjusted inspection criteria includes the inspection level and the inspection sample size, wherein the inspection level includes at least one of skip inspection, normal inspection, and tightened inspection; receiving an inspection result from inspection of the item, wherein the inspection of the item is performed with the adjusted inspection criteria; determining, based on the inspection result, whether the item is a conforming item or a non-conforming item; responsive to the item being a conforming item, ordering that the item be delivered; and responsive to the item being a non-conforming item, taking an action selected from the group consisting of;
ordering that the item is to be delivered, ordering that the item is to be returned, ordering that the item is to be re-worked, and ordering that the item is to be scrapped.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 20, 21)
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7. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium including program code for automated management of inspection of items using past supplier performance and product quality history to determine an inspection level and an inspection sample size, said computer program product comprising; first program code for receiving an identifier for an item in a shipment of items to form received item data; second program code for retrieving a quality history for a received item, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of items received; third program code for outputting inspection criteria for the received item; fourth program code for automatically adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using the quality history to form adjusted inspection criteria, wherein the adjusted inspection criteria include the inspection level and the inspection sample size, wherein the inspection level includes at least one of skip inspection, normal inspection, and tightened inspection; fifth program code for receiving an inspection result for the item, wherein the inspection result is for an inspection using the adjusted inspection criteria; sixth program code for determining, based on the inspection result, whether the item is a conforming item or a non-conforming item; seventh program code for, responsive to the item being a conforming item, ordering that the item be delivered; and eighth program code for, responsive to the item being a non-conforming item, taking an action selected from the group consisting of;
ordering that the item is to be delivered, ordering that the item is to be returned, ordering that the item is to be re-worked, and ordering that the item is to be scrapped. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22)
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13. A system comprising:
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a computer having at least one processor unit; and an inventory management system for automated management of inspection of items using past supplier performance and product quality history to determine an inspection level and an inspection sample size, wherein the inventory management system is configured to cause the at least one processor unit to; receive an identifier for a received item in a shipment of items to form item received data; output inspection criteria for the received item; retrieve a quality history for the received item, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of a similar item received; and receive an inspection result formed upon inspection of the received item using adjusted inspection criteria, wherein the processor unit is configured to automatically adjust inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using the quality history to form the adjusted inspection criteria, wherein the adjusted inspection criteria includes the inspection level and the inspection sample size, and wherein the inspection level includes at least one of skip inspection, normal inspection, and tightened inspection; determine, based on the inspection result, whether the received item is a conforming item or a non-conforming item; order, responsive to the received item being a conforming item, that the received item be delivered; and take an action, responsive to the received item being a non-conforming item, the action selected from the group consisting of;
ordering that the received item is to be delivered, ordering that the received item is to be returned, ordering that the received item is to be re-worked, and ordering that the received item is to be scrapped. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23)
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Specification