Method and system configure to manage a maintenance process

• US 20030036939A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Flores, Abelardo A., McCaherty, James W.
• Application Number:
  US10/123,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and system configured to manage a maintenance process for equipment. In one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes the steps of establishing a plurality of phases associated with said maintenance process, assigning a maintenance request to one of the phases; and establishing at least one process characteristic in response to the maintenance request and the phases.

Claims

1. A method of managing a maintenance process for equipment, comprising the steps of:

establishing a plurality of phases associated with said maintenance process;

assigning a maintenance request to one of said phases; and

establishing at least one process characteristic in response to said maintenance request and said phases.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a plurality of maintenance request have been assigned to one or more of said phases.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each said phase includes a plurality of maintenance request.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing said process characteristic, includes the step of establishing said process characteristic in response to a number of maintenance request in a phase.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the step of establishing said process characteristic in response to said number of maintenance request in a phase, includes the step of establishing said process characteristic in response to said number of maintenance request in a phase exceeding a request threshold.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 5, further comprising the step of automatically recommending a process modification in response to said maintenance request in a phase exceeding said request threshold.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said recommended process modification includes at least one of a change in work force, an overtime recommendation, and an change in physical resources.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing said process characteristic further includes the steps of:

establishing a number of scheduled maintenance events;

establishing a number of unscheduled maintenance events;

comparing said number of scheduled maintenance events with said unscheduled maintenance events and

establishing said process characteristic in response to said comparison.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the step of establishing said process characteristic further includes the step of:

establishing a service accuracy associated with at least one machine request.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the steps of:

establishing a number of maintenance events in said process; and

establishing a risk indicator in response to said maintenance event number, said risk indicator being indicative of a risk of failure of one or more pieces of equipment.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the steps of:

establishing a number of maintenance events in said process; and

establishing a detection indicator in response to said maintenance event number, said detection indicator being indicative of a quality of an equipment inspection process.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the steps of:

establishing an estimated repair time associated with said maintenance request.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the step of determining one of a number and a percentage of maintenance request older than a threshold time period.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 13, further including the step of establishing a responsiveness indicator, said responsiveness indicator being indicative of the quality of process response time.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the steps of:

establishing a number of maintenance events in one of said phases; and

establishing said process characteristic in response to said maintenance event number.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said maintenance process includes at least one inspection process.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the steps of:

establishing a number of maintenance requests associated with said at least one inspection process.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the equipment includes a plurality of systems, and wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic further comprises the steps of:

establishing a number of maintenance events associated with one of said plurality of systems.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of establishing at least one process characteristic includes the step of establishing a trend associated with a plurality of maintenance request.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of establishing said trend includes the step of establishing said trend in response to at least one of a number of pieces of said equipment to be maintained, an application associated with said equipment, a time of year associated with said maintenance request, and a type of equipment to be maintained.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 20, further comprising the step of automatically recommending a process modification is response to said trend.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 21, wherein said recommendation includes at least one of an modified work force, an overtime recommendation, and an change in physical resources.

23. A method of managing a maintenance backlog of equipment, comprising the steps of:

receiving a maintenance request;

entering said maintenance request into a backlog;

planning a pre-maintenance activity in response to said maintenance request;

scheduling a maintenance activity in response to said pre-maintenance activity; and

performing said maintenance activity.

24. A computer system configured to analyze a maintenance process having a plurality of phases, including a maintenance request phase, a pre-scheduling phase, and a scheduling phase, comprising:

a first code portion configured to receive a maintenance request;

a second code portion configured to manage pre-scheduling activity based on said maintenance request;

a scheduling code portion configured to schedule a maintenance action for a piece of equipment associated with said maintenance request; and

an analysis code portion configured to establish at least one process characteristic associated with said maintenance process.