METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A RECEIVING, INSPECTION, AND SUPPLIER QUALITY SYSTEM

• US 20080313059A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Anderson, George E., Martinek, Brian Joseph, Koch, Warren Richard, Hammond, James Arthur JR.
• Granted Patent: US 10,410,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• 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

Abstract

The disclosure provides a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing inspection of items. In one embodiment, an identifier for an item is received in a shipment of items to form a received item. Inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items are adjusted using a quality history. The quality history is data regarding results of inspections of items. A result of the inspection is received. The quality history is updated with the result of the inspection.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing inspection of items, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving an identifier for an item in a shipment of items to form a received item;

adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using a quality history, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of items received;

receiving a result of the inspection; and

updating the quality history for items received.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the result of inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment of items and further comprising:

notifying appropriate personnel of the set of nonconforming items using predetermined roles in the system to identify the appropriate personnel.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the result of inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment of items and further comprising:

accepting instructions for dealing with the set of nonconforming items.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the result of inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment and further comprising:

receiving a disposition for the set of nonconforming items, wherein the disposition indicates that the set of nonconforming items are to be returned to a supplier of the set of nonconforming items for corrective action; and

sending a notification of nonconformance to the supplier of the set of nonconforming items, wherein the notification of nonconformance comprises a notification to the supplier of a return of the set of nonconforming items and a request for the corrective action.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the result of the inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment of items and further comprising:

receiving a disposition for the set of nonconforming items, wherein the disposition indicates that the set of nonconforming items are to be reworked.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the received item is a first item and the shipment of items is a first shipment, and wherein updating the quality history for items received forms an updated quality history, and further comprising:

receiving an identifier for a second item in a second shipment of items;

adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the second shipment of items using the updated quality history;

receiving a result of the inspection of the second shipment of items; and

updating the updated quality history with the result of the inspection of the second shipment of items.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the inspection criteria includes an inspection sample size.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the inspection criteria includes an inspection level.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for managing inspection of items, said computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for receiving an identifier for an item in a shipment of items to form a received item;

computer usable program code for adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using a quality history, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of items received;

computer usable program code for receiving a result of the inspection; and

computer usable program code for updating the quality history with the result of the inspection.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the result of the inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment of items and further comprising:

computer usable program code for notifying appropriate personnel of the set of nonconforming items using predetermined roles in the system to identify the appropriate personnel.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the result of the inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment of items and further comprising:

computer usable program code for accepting instructions for dealing with the set of nonconforming items.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the result of the inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment of items and further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a disposition for the set of nonconforming items, wherein the disposition indicates that the set of nonconforming items are to be returned to a supplier of the shipment of items for corrective action; and

computer usable program code for sending a notification of nonconformance to the supplier, wherein the notification of nonconformance comprises a notification to the supplier of a return of the set of nonconforming items and a request for the corrective action.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein updating the quality history for items received forms an updated quality history, and wherein the received item is a first item and the shipment of items is a first shipment, and further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving an identifier for a second item in a second shipment of items;

computer usable program code for adjusting inspection criteria for inspecting the second shipment of items using the updated quality history;

computer usable program code for receiving a result of the inspection of the second shipment; and

computer usable program code for updating the updated quality history with the result of the inspection of the second shipment.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the inspection criteria includes an inspection sample size.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the inspection criteria includes an inspection level.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive an identifier an item in a shipment of items to form a received item;

adjust inspection criteria for inspecting the shipment of items using a quality history for the received item, wherein the quality history is data regarding results of inspections of items received; and

update the quality history with the result of the inspection.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein updating the quality history forms an updated quality history, and wherein the received item is a first item and the shipment is a first shipment, and wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive an identifier for a second item in a second shipment of items;

adjust inspection criteria for inspecting the second shipment of items using the updated quality history;

receive a result of the inspection of the second shipment; and

update the updated quality history with the result of the inspection of the second shipment.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the result of inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment and wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to receive a disposition for the set of nonconforming items, wherein the disposition indicates that the set of nonconforming items are to be returned to the supplier for corrective action;

and send a notification of nonconformance to the supplier, wherein the notification of nonconformance comprises a notification to the supplier of a return of the set of nonconforming items and a request for the corrective action.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the inspection criteria includes an inspection sample size.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the result of the inspection indicates a set of nonconforming items in the shipment and wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to notify appropriate personnel of the set of nonconforming items using predetermined roles in the system to identify the appropriate personnel.