Minimizing use of parts that will reach their end of life prior to the products for which those parts are usable

• US 20060047479A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Connor, James A., St. Pier, Dean A., Purvin, Theodore V. Jr., Sweetland, Anne-Marie L., Desai, Sudhir M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Use of parts in products is managed to minimize the use of parts that will reach their end of life prior to the products for which those parts are usable. To manage use of a part, end of life data for the part is estimated and compared to the actual or projected end of life data of a product for which the part is to be used or is used. If the comparison indicates that the part will reach its end of life prior to the product, then various factors are considered to determine whether the part is to be used in the product. The factors include cost, scheduling, alternate part availability, redesign options and/or other factors.

Claims

1. A method of managing use of parts in products, said method comprising:

obtaining estimated end of life data for a part usable in at least one product, said estimated end of life data being non-part supplier provided; and

using the estimated end of life data to manage use of the part in a product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated end of life data comprises an estimated end of life date for the part.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises retrieving the estimated end of life data from a database, said database comprising one or more parts for one or more products, at least one part of the one or more parts having estimated end of life data associated therewith.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising populating the database with the estimated end of life data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the using comprises:

comparing the estimated end of life data of the part with end of life data of the product; and

managing use of the part in the product based on the comparing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the using further comprises performing analysis, in response to results from the comparing, to facilitate managing use of the part in the product.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the analysis includes at least one of a cost analysis, an analysis of whether an alternate part is available, an analysis as to whether the product is to be redesigned, and an analysis as to whether a last time buy order is acceptable.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the managing comprises choosing not to use the part in the product.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the managing comprising choosing to use the part in the product and planning on placing a last time buy order for the part at some point in time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating one or more reports associated with the estimated end of life data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the obtaining and the using one or more times.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the repeating is performed during one or more defined checkpoints within a life cycle of the product.

13. A memory for storing data for access by code being executed in a communications environment, said memory comprising:

a database used by said code to facilitate management of use of a part in a product, said database comprising estimated end of life data for the part, said estimated end of life data being non-part supplier provided.

14. A system of managing use of parts in products, said system comprising:

means for obtaining estimated end of life data for a part usable in at least one product, said estimated end of life data being non-part supplier provided; and

means for using the estimated end of life data to manage use of the part in a product.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for obtaining comprises the means for retrieving the estimated end of life data from a database, said database comprising one or more parts for one or more products, at least one part of the one or more parts having estimated end of life data associated therewith.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for using comprises:

means for comparing the estimated end of life data of the part with end of life data of the product; and

means for managing use of the part in the product based on the comparing.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for using further comprises means for performing analysis, in response to results from the comparing, to facilitate managing use of the part in the product.

18. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code logic to manage use of parts in products, the computer readable program code logic comprising;

obtain logic to obtain estimated end of life data for a part usable in at least one product, said estimated end of life data being non-part supplier provided; and

use logic to use the estimated end of life data to manage use of the part in a product.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the use logic comprises:

compare logic to compare the estimated end of life data of the part with end of life data of the product; and

manage logic to manage use of the part in the product based on the comparing.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the use logic further comprises perform logic to perform analysis, in response to results from the comparing, to facilitate managing use of the part in the product.