Integrated materials management for commercial aircraft fleets including access to real-time on-board systems information

• US 20070124222A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Nomi, Margaret, Avery, Robert, Maloney, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Turnkey maintenance of a customer'"'"'s aircraft fleet is managed by a single management service provider (MSP) controlling integrated maintenance and materials services from a central operations site. The MSP converts data received directly from on-board aircraft systems into information it uses to manage maintenance service providers and parts suppliers. The MSP contracts with and manages maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) who perform the maintenance on the customers'"'"' aircraft at line and base stations. The MSP either remotely manages part inventories at the customer'"'"'s site, or manages suppliers who deliver the parts to the MROs. Maintenance planning, scheduling and execution information is exchanged between the MSP, MROs, part suppliers and the customers through a shared data communication network controlled by the MSP. The MSP charges the customer for the maintenance services based on a flat rate per unit of aircraft flying time.

Claims

1. A method of managing a supply chain of materials used to service fleet aircraft for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) organizing a network of material suppliers;

(B) maintaining an inventory of the materials at customer designated sites;

(C) using a network integrator to manage the suppliers, and the inventories at each of the designated; and

,

(D) providing the customers with electronic access to real-time data relating to the status of systems on-board the aircraft, the real-time data being useful in performing maintenance requiring the materials maintained in the inventory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (D) includes:

collecting the data from the on-board aircraft systems,

storing the data in a electronic storage device; and

,

providing the customer with an electronic navigation tool allowing the customer to retrieve and navigate through the stored data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data is stored in a computer based server, and the customer is provided with access to the navigational tool through a web portal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is maintained at a web site hosted by the integrator, and the customer accesses the data using a web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrator charges the customer a fee for access to the data provided in step (D).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the integrator charges the customer a fee for managing the inventory, and the fee for access to the data is included in the fee charged for managing the inventory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrator charges the customer a fee for materials the customer removes from inventory to service aircraft, and for access to the data, based on the flight hours the aircraft is in service over a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(E) providing the customer with access to technical information relating to the materials; and

,

(F) providing the customer with a navigation tool for accessing and navigating through the data and technical information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes faults occurring in on-board systems resulting in the need for aircraft maintenance service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network integrator orders materials from the suppliers in order to maintain the inventories.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the materials maintained in the inventories are owned by the suppliers.

12. A method of managing parts used to service multiple fleets of aircraft for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) establishing an integrated network of part suppliers under the control of a part network integrator;

(B) maintaining an inventory of the parts from the supplier at customer designated sites;

(C) collecting and storing data from aircraft in each of the fleets revealing possible problems with the aircraft requiring maintenance involving parts;

(D) providing the customer with access to the data collected and stored in step (C); and

,

(E) using the network integrator to control the part inventories at the customer designated sites.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network integrator collects and stores the data in step (C), and provides the access to the data in step (D).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein step (C) includes storing the data in an electronic storage device, and step (D) includes providing the customer with an electronic navigation tool allowing the customer to retrieve and navigate through the stored data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data is stored in a computer based server, and the customer is provided with access to the navigational tool through a web portal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the data is maintained at a web site hosted by the integrator, and the customer accesses the data using a web browser.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the integrator charges the customer a fee for maintaining the inventory of parts in step (B), and for access to the data, based on the flight hours the aircraft is in service over a predetermined period of time.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the parts maintained in the inventories are owned by the suppliers.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the network integrator provides each of the customers with a guarantee that the inventory maintained in step (B) will be maintain above predetermined levels.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the network integrator provides each of the customers with a guarantee relating to the reliability of the parts.

21. An integrated supply chain management system for materials used in servicing vehicle fleets for customers, comprising:

a network of material suppliers for supplying materials used in servicing the vehicles;

an inventory of the materials located at each of the customer designated sites;

a supply chain manager for managing the network of suppliers, and the material inventories;

a system for collecting vehicle on-board data revealing possible problems on the vehicle requiring maintenance involving use of the materials;

a storage device for storing the collected data;

a navigation tool for allowing the customer to access and navigate through the data in order to determine the need for materials required to service the vehicle; and

,

a shared data communication network connecting the customers with the supply chain manager and the navigation tool.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication network includes a computer based host server located at a site operated by the supply chain manager and having a set of stored instructions for carrying out supply chain management functions.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the communication network includes a communication terminal located at each of the customer designated sites for enabling the customer to send and receive communications between its site and the supply chain manager, and to access the navigation tool.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the communications network includes:

a web site hosted by the supply chain manager and providing access to the navigation tool,

a portal to the web site accessible through the world wide web, and

wherein the customer uses a web browser to access the navigational tool.