Method and apparatus for tracking a part

• US 20040122689A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Dorsey, Alan E., Dailey, Roger S.
• Application Number:
  US10/327,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122689A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

The present invention includes a method and system configured to track a product having a plurality of parts, where at least one of the parts is a new part. The method may include the steps of establishing a design associated with the new part, establishing at least one logistics characteristics of the product parts, and tracking at least one of the logistics characteristics of the plurality of product parts.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a product having a plurality of parts, at least one of said parts being a new part, comprising the steps of:

establishing a design of said new part;

establishing at least one logistics characteristic of said product parts; and

tracking said at least one logistics characteristic of said plurality of product parts.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a repository of parts associated with said product, said repository including said new part.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically comparing the new part with at least one existing part.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of said comparison further includes the step of comparing at least one of a part design characteristic, a part cost, and a part weight.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of said comparison further includes the step of recommending a replacement of said new part design with said existing part design in response to said comparison.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the step of recommending said replacement further includes the steps of:

establishing at least one part design criteria associated with the new part;

comparing said existing part design with said at least one part design criteria; and

recommending a replacement of said new part design with said existing part design in response to said design criteria comparison.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 3, further comprising the step of replacing said new part with said existing part, in response to said comparison.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a request for procurement for the new part.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of receiving at least one bid for said new part procurement.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an automated design review request of said new part design.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving at least one design review in response to said automated design review request.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of establishing a list of part reviewers associated with said new part.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said list includes at least one external reviewer and one internal reviewer.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step of generating an automated design review request includes the step of automatically delivering an electronic communication to at least one of an internal reviewer an external reviewer in response to said establishment of said new part design.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 14, where said automated design review request includes a request for review of said design with respect to at least one of a manufacturing of said part, a part cost, a part lead time, a part reliability, an integration of said part in said product, a part weight, and a part location with respect to said product.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said design review request includes said new part design.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said automated design review request includes information associated with a location of said new part design through which said new part design may be electronically accessed.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 11, further comprising the step of establishing a final new part design in response to said new part design and said at least one received design review.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 18, wherein said step of generating said procurement request further includes the step of automatically generating said procurement request in response to said establishment of said final new part design.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein the step of automatically generating said procurement request further includes the step of automatically delivering an electronic communication associated with said procurement request to at least one external part supplier.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said procurement request includes said new part design.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein said automated procurement request includes information associated with a location of said new part design through which said new part design may be electronically accessed.

23. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing at least one logistics characteristic further includes the step of establishing a delivery schedule of said new part.

24. A method, as set forth in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

establishing an actual inventory of said part;

establishing a desired inventory of said part in response to said delivery schedule; and

comparing said actual inventory and said desired inventory.

25. A method, as set forth in claim 24, further comprising the step of automatically notifying one of an external supplier and an internal employee in response to said actual inventory being less then said desired inventory.

26. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said product has a plurality of existing parts and a plurality of new parts, further comprising the step of establishing a desired delivery schedule of said product in response to a desired delivery schedule of each of said plurality of exiting parts and said plurality of new parts.

27. A method, as set forth in claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

establishing an actual delivery schedule of at least one of said existing parts and said new parts; and

modifying said product schedule in response to said at least one actual delivery schedule.

28. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of generating said procurement request further includes the step of automatically generating said procurement request in response to said establishment of said new part design.

29. A method, as set forth in claim 28, wherein the step of automatically generating said procurement request further includes the step of automatically delivering an electronic communication associated with said procurement request to at least one external part supplier.

30. A method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein said procurement request includes said new part design.

31. A method, as set forth in claim 30, wherein said automated procurement request includes information associated with a location of said new part design through which said new part design may be electronically accessed.

32. A system configured to track a plurality of parts, at least one of said parts being a new part, comprising:

a repository configured to store a plurality of part designs;

a controller configured to establish a design of a new part in response to said stored part designs, establish at least one logistics characteristic of said product parts, and track said at least one logistics characteristic.

33. A system as set forth in claim 32, where said repository is further configured in one or more categories, said categories having one more of said part designs.

34. A system, as set forth in claim 33, further comprising a user interface configured to receive a request to search at least one of said categories for an analogous part design.