Assembly should cost application

• US 20070050311A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Tennyson, Matthew, Detloff, Robert, Keith, Terry, Mohr, Frankie, Garman, Matthew, Tracy, Stephen, Ahmed, Fauzia
• Application Number:
  US11/213,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A computer system for estimating the cost of an assembly has a processor and a database operably linked to the processor. The processor is configured to access an assembly cost structure stored in the database. The assembly cost structure has a bill of materials and a list of one or more core manufacturing processes. The processor is also configured to determine the cost of the assembly.

Claims

1. A computer system for estimating the cost of an assembly, comprising:

a processor;

a database operably linked to the processor;

the processor configured to;

access an assembly cost structure stored in the database, wherein the assembly cost structure includes a bill of materials and a list of one or more core manufacturing processes; and

determine the cost of the assembly.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the list of one or more core manufacturing processes includes a list of processes required to manufacture the assembly.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the bill of materials includes a list of one or more components for use in manufacturing the assembly.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the assembly cost structure is defined by a buyer and one or more suppliers.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the assembly cost structure is modified by supplier request and buyer approval.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to communicate with one or more computer networks.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the one or more computer networks includes a network associated with a buyer of the assembly.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the one or more computer networks includes the Internet.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the one or more computer networks can be accessed by at least one computer associated with a supplier.

10. A method for estimating the cost of an assembly, the method comprising:

defining an assembly cost structure, wherein the assembly cost structure includes a bill of materials and a list of one or more core manufacturing processes;

providing one or more suppliers with access to the assembly cost structure;

receiving the assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers;

storing the assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers;

analyzing the assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers; and

determining an estimated cost for the assembly based on the analysis of the assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list of one or more core manufacturing processes includes a list of processes required to manufacture the assembly.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the bill of materials includes a list of one or more components needed for manufacturing the assembly.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the assembly cost structure is defined by a buyer and the one or more suppliers.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the assembly cost structure is modified by a request from the one or more suppliers and dependent upon to buyer approval.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the assembly cost structure information includes cost information associated with the bill of materials and the list of one or more core manufacturing processes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further includes summing the cost information associated with the bill of materials and the list of one or more core manufacturing processes.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further includes selecting a supplier from the one or more suppliers for the manufacture of the assembly based upon the estimated cost of the assembly.

18. The method of claim 10, further including receiving updates to the assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the updates are received without making a request of the one or more suppliers.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the assembly cost structure of the assembly includes analyzing information an assembly cost structure associated with a different assembly.

21. The method of claim 10, further including using the estimated cost of the assembly for design of the assembly.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein analyzing assembly cost structure information from one or more suppliers includes comparing assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving assembly cost structure information from the one or more suppliers includes receiving the assembly cost structure information via one or more computer networks.