System, method and computer program product for total effective cost management

• US 20060041459A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Greene, Scott R., Hester, David M.
• Application Number:
  US10/921,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20060041459A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for total effective cost management in an organization includes creating a maintenance plan for the organization, the maintenance plan including at least one task performed during maintenance of the organization. Then, a plurality of different maintenance schedules are created for performing the task(s) of the maintenance plan. A total effective cost (TEC) associated with each maintenance schedule is then determined based upon a cost and an availability associated with the maintenance schedule, the availability being based upon a down time and a mission time associated with the maintenance schedule. Thereafter, a maintenance schedule is selected from the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon the TEC for each maintenance schedule.

Claims

1. A system for total effective cost management in an organization, the system comprising:

a processing element capable of creating a maintenance plan for the organization, the maintenance plan including at least one task performed during maintenance of the organization, wherein the processing element is also capable of creating a plurality of different maintenance schedules for performing the at least one task of the maintenance plan, wherein the processing element is capable of determining a total effective cost (TEC) associated with each maintenance schedule based upon a cost and an availability associated with the maintenance schedule, the availability being based upon a down time and a mission time associated with the maintenance schedule, and wherein the processing element is capable of at least one of selecting and receiving a selection of a maintenance schedule from the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon the TEC for each maintenance schedule.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processing element is capable of creating a maintenance plan including at least one task having an associated time duration expected to complete the respective task, and wherein the processing element is further capable of determining the down time associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon a time duration expected to complete at least one task of the maintenance plan.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processing element is capable of creating a maintenance plan including at least one task having an associated cost expected to be incurred in performing the respective task, and wherein the processing element is further capable of determining the cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon a cost expected to be incurred in performing at least one task of the maintenance plan.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processing element is capable of determining the TEC for each maintenance schedule in accordance with the following:

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processing element is capable of at least one of selecting and receiving a selection of the maintenance schedule associated with the lowest TEC.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the organization comprises a hierarchical organization including n levels L₁ . . . L_n with n being a positive integer, wherein for at least i>

1 each level L_i comprises a plurality of components, and wherein the components of level L<sub>i−

1</sub> comprise groupings of the components of level L_i, and

wherein the processing element is capable of creating a maintenance plan, creating a plurality of different maintenance schedules, determining a TEC associated with each maintenance schedule and at least one of selecting and receiving a selection of a maintenance schedule for at least one component of at least one level of the organization.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the processing element is capable of determining a down time associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level based upon a time duration expected to complete at least one task of the maintenance plan of the respective component of the respective level, and wherein the processing element is capable of determining a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level based upon a cost expected to be incurred in performing at least one task of the maintenance plan of the respective component of the respective level.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the processing element is capable of determining, for at least level L_i+1, a down time and a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of level L_i+1 based upon the down time and cost associated with at least one component of level L_i grouped to form the component of level L_i+1.

9. A method of total effective cost management in an organization, the method comprising:

creating a maintenance plan for the organization, the maintenance plan including at least one task performed during maintenance of the organization;

creating a plurality of different maintenance schedules for performing the at least one task of the maintenance plan;

determining a total effective cost (TEC) associated with each maintenance schedule based upon a cost and an availability associated with the maintenance schedule, the availability being based upon a down time and a mission time associated with the maintenance schedule; and

selecting a maintenance schedule from the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon the TEC for each maintenance schedule.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein creating a maintenance plan comprises creating a maintenance plan including at least one task having an associated time duration expected to complete the respective task, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a down time associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon a time duration expected to complete at least one task of the maintenance plan.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein creating a maintenance plan comprises creating a maintenance plan including at least one task having an associated cost expected to be incurred in performing the respective task, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon a cost expected to be incurred in performing at least one task of the maintenance plan.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein determining a TEC associated with each maintenance schedule comprises determining the TEC for each maintenance schedule in accordance with the following:

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein selecting a maintenance schedule comprises selecting the maintenance schedule associated with the lowest TEC.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the organization comprises a hierarchical organization including n levels L₁ . . . L_n with n being a positive integer, wherein for at least i>

1 each level L_i comprises a plurality of components, and wherein the components of level L<sub>i−

1</sub> comprise groupings of the components of level L_i, and

wherein creating a maintenance plan, creating a plurality of different maintenance schedules, determining a TEC associated with each maintenance schedule and selecting a maintenance schedule occur for at least one component of at least one level of the organization.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising:

determining a down time associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level based upon a time duration expected to complete at least one task of the maintenance plan of the respective component of the respective level; and

determining a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level based upon a cost expected to be incurred in performing at least one task of the maintenance plan of the respective component of the respective level.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein determining a down time and a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level comprises determining, for at least level L_i+1, a down time and a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of level L_i+1 based upon the down time and cost associated with at least one component of level L_i grouped to form the component of level L_i+1.

17. A computer program product for total effective cost management in an organization, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

a first executable portion for creating a maintenance plan for the organization, the maintenance plan including at least one task performed during maintenance of the organization;

a second executable portion for creating a plurality of different maintenance schedules for performing the at least one task of the maintenance plan;

a third executable portion for determining a total effective cost (TEC) associated with each maintenance schedule based upon a cost and an availability associated with the maintenance schedule, the availability being based upon a down time and a mission time associated with the maintenance schedule; and

a fourth executable portion for at least one of selecting and receiving a selection of a maintenance schedule from the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon the TEC for each maintenance schedule.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the first executable portion is adapted to create a maintenance plan including at least one task having an associated time duration expected to complete the respective task, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

a fifth executable portion for determining a down time associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon a time duration expected to complete at least one task of the maintenance plan.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the first executable portion is adapted to create a maintenance plan including at least one task having an associated cost expected to be incurred in performing the respective task, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

a fifth executable portion for determining a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules based upon a cost expected to be incurred in performing at least one task of the maintenance plan.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the third executable portion is adapted to determine the TEC for each maintenance schedule in accordance with the following:

21. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the fourth executable portion is adapted to at least one of select and receive a selection of the maintenance schedule associated with the lowest TEC.

22. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the organization comprises a hierarchical organization including n levels L₁ . . . L_n with n being a positive integer, wherein for at least i>

1 each level L_i comprises a plurality of components, and wherein the components of level L<sub>i−

1</sub> comprise groupings of the components of level L_i, and

wherein the first executable portion is adapted to create a maintenance plan, the second executable portion is adapted to create a plurality of different maintenance schedules, the third executable portion is adapted to determine a TEC associated with each maintenance schedule and the fourth executable portion is adapted to at least one of select and receive a selection of a maintenance schedule for at least one component of at least one level of the organization.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22 further comprising:

a fifth executable portion for determining a down time associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level based upon a time duration expected to complete at least one task of the maintenance plan of the respective component of the respective level; and

a sixth executable portion for determining a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of at least one level based upon a cost expected to be incurred in performing at least one task of the maintenance plan of the respective component of the respective level.

24. A computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the fifth and sixth executable portions are adapted to determine, for at least level L_i+1, a down time and a cost associated with each of the plurality of different maintenance schedules of at least one component of level L_i+1 based upon the down time and cost associated with at least one component of level L_i grouped to form the component of level L_i+1.