Spare plug management system

• US 20070043634A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bar, Hena, Worthen, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for implementing a field supply chain logistics system for managing spare parts inventory. In one embodiment, the method comprises: identifying locations for field service locations (FSLs) field warehouses for the spare parts, based on time or distance windows to deliver the parts to the field locations each FSL serves; collecting and validating data to compute optimal field inventory levels and minimum inventory levels for non-field warehouse, the non-field warehouse including central stock; physically setting up FSLs so that the FSLs functions as field warehouses and receive plug requests; generating optimal inventory profiles; opening FSLs for service; conducting plug inventory to retrieve plug excess and deploy new levels; and conducting after implementation review to verify that processes are being followed as expected and document lessons learned.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a field supply chain logistics system for managing spare parts inventory, the method comprising the steps of

identifying locations for field service locations (FSLs) field warehouses for the spare parts, based on time or distance windows to deliver the parts to the field locations each FSL serves;

collecting and validating data to compute optimal field inventory levels and minimum inventory levels for non-field warehouse, the non-field warehouse including central stock;

physically setting up FSLs so that the FSLs functions as field warehouses and receive plug requests;

generating optimal inventory profiles;

opening FSLs for service;

conducting plug inventory to retrieve plug excess and deploy new levels; and

conducting after implementation review to verify that processes are being followed as expected and document lessons learned.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising conducting district meetings to educate and inform managers of each sub-region or district of the methodology to be applied.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining field service locations in a region.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein determining field service locations in a region comprises identifying and collecting descriptive data for existing field locations in a region, each field location having a need for plugs during the course of regular activities.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein determining field service locations in a region comprises identifying and collecting descriptive data for field locations that are suitable for being converted into FSLs or that are already operating as FSLs and serving locations in other regions, including locations that for various reasons will with certainty become FSLs.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein determining field service locations in a region further comprises determining desirable characteristics associated with the overall set of FSLs, such as maximum distance or time requirements to the locations they serve and determining the location of such facilities.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein determining field service locations in a region comprises:

listing the set of chosen FSLs and expected performance parameters;

reviewing the list with field personnel local to the region; and

repeating the process if the set of FSLs are considered not satisfactory based on performance parameters or other qualitative factors.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining a proposed set of FSLs using at least one of the following calculations:

1) Calculate the minimum number and location of the field service locations that can serve field customer locations within a region within a fixed time or distance window, such that mathematically the solution is given that field locations need to be served by one FSL,

2) Given a desired number of FSLs in the final set to be proposed, calculate the location of the field service locations so that a predetermined performance parameter is optimized, the optimization of the predetermined performance parameter is one of maximizing the total number of technicians whose reporting location is inside the time-window, and minimizing the total loss of productivity cost associated with having field locations outside the time-window, and such that the set of FSLs proposed is mathematically optimal given the constraints imposed,

3) Calculate the number and location of the field service locations simultaneously such that total costs are minimized and mathematically optimal, subject to coverage time window constraint.

9. A computer readable medium having a computer program for determining the proposed set of FSLs, the program for performing the steps in claim 8.

10. An iterative method for determining field service locations in a region, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying and collecting descriptive data for existing field locations in a region, each field location having a need for plugs during the course of regular activities;

identifying and collecting descriptive data for field locations that are suitable for being converted into FSLs or that are already operating as FSLs and serving locations in other regions, including locations that for various reasons will with certainty become FSLs;

determining desirable characteristics associated with the overall set of FSLs, such as maximum distance or time requirements to the locations they serve and determining the location of such facilities;

listing the set of chosen FSLs and expected performance parameters;

reviewing the list with field personnel local to the region; and

repeating the process if the set of FSLs are considered not satisfactory based on performance parameters or other qualitative factors.

11. A computer readable medium having a computer program for determining field service locations in a region, the program for performing the steps of:

identifying and collecting descriptive data for existing field locations in a region, each field location having a need for plugs during the course of regular activities;

identifying and collecting descriptive data for field locations that are suitable for being converted into FSLs or that are already operating as FSLs and serving locations in other regions, including locations that for various reasons will with certainty become FSLs;

determining desirable characteristics associated with the overall set of FSLs, such as maximum distance or time requirements to the locations they serve and determining the location of such facilities;

listing the set of chosen FSLs and expected performance parameters;

reviewing the list with field personnel local to the region; and

repeating the process if the set of FSLs are considered not satisfactory based on performance parameters or other qualitative factors.