Method and system for reporting on the quality of a repair process

• US 20050049912A1
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Troyer, William J., Brocious, David Ray
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method of reporting on the quality of repair work performed on an article such as a vehicle including the steps of: (1) identifying occurrences of quality problems in repair of an article at a repair facility, (2) generating quality data on the occurrences of quality problems of step (a), (3) electronically transferring the quality data to a computer database, (4) sorting the quality data in the database and (5) producing a report of the sorted quality data. A system for practicing this method includes one or more repair shops in communication with a computer. Data on the insurance of quality problems during the repair of vehicles is transmitted from the repair shops to the computer which then sorts the quality data in the database and produces reports of assorted quality data to provide information to repair shops, insurance companies and manufacturers.

Claims

1. A method of reporting on the quality of repair work performed on an article comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying occurrences of quality problems in repair of an article at a repair facility;

(b) generating quality data on the occurrences of quality problems of step (a);

(c) electronically transferring the quality data to a computer database;

(d) sorting the quality data in the database; and

(e) producing a report of the sorted quality data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of generating estimate data on the estimated cost for repairing the article, the estimate data being transferred to the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the article is a vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the quality problems are selected from the group consisting of incorrect estimate, failure to procure repair parts, procurement of incorrect repair parts, repair parts unavailable, improper welding, poor fit of parts, improper corrosion protection, poor workmanship, incomplete repair, insufficient vehicle protection and improper refinish color match.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the quality data includes information on the date of the repair and the report of step (e) identifies the quantity of quality problems in a time period.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the report of step (e) compares the quantity of repairs having at least one occurrence of a quality problem in a time period to the total quantity of repairs performed in the time period.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the quality data further comprises identification of a stage of the repair at which the quality data was collected, the stage being selected from the group consisting of delivery of the vehicle to the repair facility, disassembly of the vehicle, frame repair, metal repair, mechanical repair, preparation for refinishing, application of refinish, reassembly of the vehicle and delivery of the vehicle to its owner.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step (d) comprises sorting the quality data according to one of the repair stages.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the quality data includes the estimate data and step (d) comprises sorting the quality data by a repair estimate factor selected from the group consisting of vehicle manufacturer, vehicle model, vehicle year, insurance company, repair time, labor cost, parts cost, materials cost, total repair cost, repair facility overhead and repair level.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein step (d) comprises sorting the quality data according to a geographic area of the repair facility.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein steps (b), (c), (d) and (e) are performed on a computer network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer database of step (c) is maintained on a global communications network.

13. A system for reporting on the quality of repair work performed on an article comprising:

(a) means for collecting quality data on occurrences of quality problems in repair of an article at a repair facility;

(b) a computer having a database for tabulating the collected quality data; and

(c) software for sorting the tabulated quality data and producing a report of the sorted quality data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for entering quality data includes means for collecting estimate data on an estimated cost to repair the article.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the article is a vehicle and the repair facility is a vehicle repair facility.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the quality problems are selected from the group consisting of incorrect estimate, failure to procure repair parts, procurement of incorrect repair parts, repair parts unavailable, improper welding, poor fit of parts, improper corrosion protection, poor workmanship, incomplete repair, insufficient vehicle protection and improper refinish color match.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the quality data further comprises information on the date of the repair and the software includes an algorithm for sorting the quality data for repairs having at least one occurrence of a quality problem in a time period.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the quality data further comprises identification of a stage of the repair at which the quality data was collected, the stage being selected from the group consisting of delivery of the vehicle to the repair facility, disassembly of the vehicle, frame repair, metal repair, mechanical repair, preparation for refinishing, application of refinish, reassembly of the vehicle and delivery of the vehicle to its owner.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the software includes an algorithm for sorting the quality data according to one of the repair stages.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the quality data includes the estimate data and the software includes an algorithm for sorting the quality data according to a repair estimate factor selected from the group consisting of vehicle manufacturer, vehicle model, vehicle year, insurance company, repair time, actual repair time, labor cost, parts cost, materials cost, total repair cost, repair facility overhead and repair level.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the software includes an algorithm for sorting the data according to a geographic area of the repair facility.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for collecting quality and estimate data comprises another computer.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer having the database further includes the means for collecting the quality and estimate data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer is maintained on a global communications network.