Method and apparatus for managing an operation

• US 20020188494A1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Coulombe, Ghislain, Budnik, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US10/063,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188494A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/005 Repairing methods or devices
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/80 Repairing, retrofitting or upgrading methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group

Abstract

A computerized method of defining or of modifying a work scope. One method includes: providing a list of tasks; selecting a desired task from the list; adding the desired task to the work scope; determining whether a related task exists; and adding the related task to the work scope if the related task exists. Another method includes: providing a work scope, the work scope comprising a plurality of tasks; choosing a selected task from the of tasks; locating an alternate task that is suitable as a substitute for the selected task; determining whether a conflict exists between the alternate task and a remainder of the tasks; and substituting the selected task in the work scope with the alternate task if no conflict exists. A computerized method of displaying a graphical representation of a relationship between data elements within a database, comprising the steps of: providing a database of data groups, each of the data groups containing at least one data element; selecting a desired one of the data elements; searching the database for instances of the desired data element; determining a relationship between the data groups which contain the desired data element; and displaying said relationship.

Claims

1. A computerized method of defining a work scope, comprising the steps of:

providing a list of tasks;

selecting a desired task from said list;

adding said desired task to said work scope;

determining whether a related task exists; and

adding said related task to said work scope if said related task exists.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said related task comprises a prerequisite task or a concurrent task, and said related task adding step comprises automatically adding said prerequisite task or said concurrent task to said work scope.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said related task comprises a prerequisite task, a concurrent task, a superceding task or a recommended task, and said related task adding step comprises the steps of:

automatically substituting said desired task with said superceding task on said work scope;

automatically adding said prerequisite task or said concurrent task to said work scope; and

adding said recommended task to said work scope if a user seeks performance of said recommended task.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining step includes accessing a database to locate said related task.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if said desired task or said related task has been previously performed.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said list of tasks comprises Service Bulletins.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the work scope is performed on a gas turbine engine.

8. A computerized method of modifying a work scope, comprising the steps of:

providing a work scope, said work scope comprising a plurality of tasks;

choosing a selected task from said plurality of tasks;

locating an alternate task that is suitable as a substitute for said selected task;

determining whether a conflict exists between said alternate task and a remainder of said plurality of tasks; and

substituting said selected task in said work scope with said alternate task if no conflict exists.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said selected task includes a work step performed on a part, and said choosing step comprises choosing a selected task that includes a part that has an unacceptable lead-time, is unavailable, or has an unacceptable cost.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the work scope is performed on a gas turbine engine.

11. A computerized method of displaying a graphical representation of a relationship between data elements within a database, comprising the steps of:

providing a database of data groups, each of said data groups containing at least one data element;

selecting a desired one of said data elements;

searching said database for instances of said desired data element;

determining a relationship between said data groups which contain said desired data element; and

displaying said relationship.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein each of said data groups contain a plurality of data elements, and further comprising the steps of:

selecting a related data element from said data groups which contains said desired data element, said related data element having a correlation with said desired data element;

searching said database for instances of said related data element;

determining a relationship between said data groups which contain said related data element; and

displaying said relationship.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said data elements comprise part numbers.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said relationship shows a hierarchy of part numbers.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said data groups comprise Service Bulletins.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said relationship is a hierarchy of part numbers added or cancelled by said Service Bulletins.