Method and system for supply chain product and process development collaboration
First Claim
1. A system for management of at least one project, each of the at least one projects comprising a part, a supplier that is to supply the part, a customer that is to be supplied the part, at least one methodology applicable to the project, and at least one control associated with processing of the project, the system comprising:
- means for processing; and
means for storing and retrieving project data, the project data storing and retrieving means operably connected to the processing means, and the project data comprising, for each of the at least one projects, a project identifier to identify the project, a project part identifier to identify the part of the project, a project supplier identifier to identify the supplier of the project, a project customer identifier to identify the customer of the project, data representative of the at least one methodology of the project, and data representative of the at least one control of the project.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for supply chain product and process development collaboration. The supply chain is comprised of at least one product, where each project is defined as a part (or family of parts), a supplier to supply the part, and a customer to be supplied the part. In one embodiment, the system includes a data storage and retrieval devise to hold project data, which, for each project, includes a project identifier, a part identified, a supplier identifier, a customer identifier, data representative of a methodology applicable to the project, and data representative of at least one control associated with processing of the project. The system and method of the present invention ensures that current methodologies applicable to a project are applied, and allows for collaboration between the customer and supplier during all phases of product and process design, development, and manufacture.
195 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for management of at least one project, each of the at least one projects comprising a part, a supplier that is to supply the part, a customer that is to be supplied the part, at least one methodology applicable to the project, and at least one control associated with processing of the project, the system comprising:
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means for processing; and
means for storing and retrieving project data, the project data storing and retrieving means operably connected to the processing means, and the project data comprising, for each of the at least one projects, a project identifier to identify the project, a project part identifier to identify the part of the project, a project supplier identifier to identify the supplier of the project, a project customer identifier to identify the customer of the project, data representative of the at least one methodology of the project, and data representative of the at least one control of the project. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for management of a project, the project including a part, a supplier that is to supply the part, a customer that is to be supplied the part, a methodology associated with the project, and a control associated with the methodology which control is not satisfied until at least a portion of the methodology has been completed, the system comprising:
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means for storing and retrieving project data, the project data including a project identifier to identify the project, data representative of the methodology, data representative of the control, and an indicator indicative of completion of the control; and
a processor including means for monitoring and controlling the progression of the project, the processor operably connected to the project data storing and retrieving means such that the monitoring and controlling means is able to set the indicator as complete or incomplete, the monitoring and controlling means monitoring the progress of the project to ascertain whether that portion of the methodology required to be complete for the control is complete, and, if complete, sets the indicator as complete.
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11. A method of supply chain management, the supply chain comprising at least one project, each of the at least one projects including a part, a supplier that is to supply the part, and a customer that is to be supplied the part, the method of comprising the steps of:
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(a) creating and storing, in a computerized system, at least one requirement applicable to at least one of the at least one projects of the supply chain and, for each of the at least one requirements, at least one measurement criterion indicative that the requirement has been satisfied;
(b) creating and storing, in the computerized system, a project record representative of one of the at least one projects of the supply chain, the project record including a project identifier, a part identifier to identify the project part, a supplier identifier to identify the project supplier, customer, identifier to identifier the customer, and an indicator of which of the at least one requirements is applicable to the project;
(c) monitoring the computerized system for entry of data by the supplier identified by the supplier identifier of the project record;
(d) evaluating the entered data for relevance to the at least one requirements applicable to the project, and, if not relevant returning to step (c); and
(e) comparing the entered data to the at least one measurement criterion of the relevant at least one requirement, and, if the entered data does not satisfy the at least one measurement criterion, returning to step (c). - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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13. A supply chain management system, the supply chain including at least one project, a supplier to supply the part, and a customer to be supplied the part, the system comprising:
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a first database comprising data representative of at least one methodology applicable to the project;
a second database comprising a project record for each of the at least one projects, each project record comprising a project identifier, a part identifier, a supplier identifier, and a customer identifier to identify the project, the project part, the project supplier, and the project customer, respectively, and each project record further including an indicator indicating which of the at least one methodologies is (are) applicable to the project; and
means for controlling the progress of the at least one project, the controlling means operably connected to the first database and the second database, the controlling means using the indicated methodology(ies) of the project for such control.
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18. The system of 13, further comprising:
means for setting up at least one meeting between a team member of the project supplier and a team member of the project customer of at least one of the at least one projects.
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19. A supply chain management system, the supply chain comprising at least one project, each of the at least one projects comprising a part, a supplier to supply the part, and a customer to be supplied the part, the system comprising:
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a database comprising a project record for each of the at least one projects, the project record comprising a project identifier to identify the project, a supplier identifier to identify the project supplier, and a customer identifier to identify the project supplier;
processing means operably connected to the database;
means for acceptance of at least one user from one of the at least one project suppliers and at least one user from one of the at least one project customers, such accepting means operable by the processing means;
means for assignment of at least one project role to each of the at least one users of the suppliers and each of the at least one users of the customers;
a project management function operable by the processing means; and
a first security means operable by the processing means for assignment of at least one project level security for the project management function based on the assigned project role.
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24. A supply chain management system, comprising:
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processing means;
data storage and retrieval means operable connected to the processing means, the data storage and retrieval means including a project record representative of a project of the supply chain, the project comprising a project part, a project supplier of the part, and a project customer of the part, the project record including a project identifier identifying the project, a project part identifier identifying the part, a project supplier identifier identifying the project supplier, a project customer identifier identifying the project customers, and data representative of a methodology imposed on the project, and a sub-project record representative of a sub-project to the project, the sub-project comprising a sub-part which is a sub-part of the project part, sub-project supplier to supply the sub-part, and a sub-project customer to be supplied the sub-part, the sub-project customer the same as the project supplier, the sub-project record including a sub-project identifier identifying the sub-project, a sub-project supplier identifier identifying the sub-project supplier, a sub-project customer identifier identifying the sub-project customer, and data representative of methodology imposed on the sub-project; and
an evaluation subsystem operable by the processing means for evaluating the project in view of the project methodology, and for evaluating the sub-project in view of the sub-project methodology.
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Specification