Artificial intelligence system for item analysis for rework shop orders

• US 5,315,509 A
• Filed: 07/30/1993
• Issued: 05/24/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Natarajan, Bharath
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brutman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US08/100,067
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 364/468, 395/904
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/904 Manufacturing or machine, e.g. agricultural machinery, machine tool

Abstract

A computer implemented method facilitates the capability for shop re-work orders to be effectively scheduled, knowing the time and location of item availability that is needed to correct the problem found in the re-work shop orders. The system automatically identifies alternate components or items that can be used in the shop orders and provides realistic shipping dates so that the re-work shop orders can be scheduled. If components or items are not available, the system provides feedback to the material planning system to re-plan items using traditional material planning systems such as the MRP (material requirement planning) systems and provide projected shipping dates so that re-work orders can be scheduled.

Claims

1. A data processing system for item analysis for re-work shop orders generated by a re-work order scheduling process, said data processing system comprising:

monitoring means for detecting a re-work order generated by a re-work order scheduling process for an entire shop floor, wherein said re-work order identifies a defective item;

identification means, responsive to a detection of a re-work order, for identifying a replacement item;

polling means for determining if said replacement item is available; and

allocation means for allocating said replacement item and establishing a delivery schedule for said allocated replacement item.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said identification means includes:

means for determining if said item defective has an engineering change; and

means, responsive to a presence of an engineering change, for identifying a new item as said replacement item based on said engineering change.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein said allocation means includes means for identifying a location of said replacement item.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, further comprising means for automatically providing said delivery schedule to a production release planning system in response to an establishment of said delivery schedule.

5. The data processing system of claim 1, further comprising means, responsive to an unavailability of a replacement component, for providing feedback to a material planning system to re-plan said unavailable replacement item and establishing a projected delivery schedule based on material planning system outputs.

6. A method for item analysis, said method providing for the automatic identification of a replacement item for a defective item identified in a re-work order created by a re-work order scheduling process, said method comprising the computer implement steps of:

monitoring a re-work order scheduling process for re-work orders generated by said re-work order scheduling process;

identifying a replacement item for said defective item in response to an occurrence of a re-work order by

designating an item as replacement item if said item identical to said defective item is available,

determining if a new item has superseded said item utilizing an engineering change in response to an unavailability of said item,

determining if said new item is available if said new item has superseded said item,

designating said new item as said replacement item if said new item is available,

selecting an alternate item having the same function as the defective item in response to an unavailability of said new item, and

designating said alternate item as said replacement item if said alternate item is available; and

allocating said replacement item for delivery and establishing a delivery schedule for said replacement item in response to an identification of said replacement item, wherein uniform identification of replacement items may be provided.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing said delivery schedule to a production release planning system in response to an establishment of said delivery schedule.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein if said replacement item is not available, performing the steps of:

providing feedback to a material planning system to re-plan the items that are not currently available; and

establishing a projected delivery schedule based on material planning system outputs.

9. A data processing system for item analysis for re-work shop orders, said data processing system comprising:

monitoring means for detecting a re-work order generated by a re-work order scheduling process, wherein said re-work order identifies a defective item;

analysis means, responsive to a detection of a re-work order, for identifying a replacement item including;

means for determining a presence of an engineering change for said defective item; and

means for selecting a new item as said replacement item based on said engineering change in response to a presence of said engineering change for said defective item;

polling means for determining if said replacement item is available; and

allocation means for allocating said replacement item for use and establishing a delivery schedule for said replacement item.

10. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising means responsive to an unavailability of a replacement components for providing feedback to a material planning system to re-plan said unavailable replacement item and means for establishing a projected delivery schedule based on material planning system outputs.

11. A data processing system for item analysis for re-work shop orders, said data processing system comprising:

monitoring means for monitoring re-work orders for a shop floor;

an artificial intelligence means for identifying a replacement item for said defective item in response to an occurrence of a re-work order, including;

means for designating an item as replacement item if said item identical to said defective item is available,

means for determining if a new item has superseded said item utilizing an engineering change in response to an unavailability of said item,

means for determining if said new item is available if said new item has superseded said item,

means for designating said new item as said replacement item if said new item is available,

means for selecting an alternate item having the same function as the defective item in response to an unavailability of said new item, and

means for designating said alternate item as said replacement item if said alternate item is available; and

allocation means for allocating said replacement item for delivery and establishing a delivery schedule for said replacement item in response to an identification of said replacement item, wherein uniform identification of replacement items for a shop floor may be provided.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, further comprising means for providing said delivery schedule to a production release planning system in response to an establishment of said delivery schedule.

13. The data processing system of claim 11 further comprising

feedback means, responsive to an unavailability of a replacement item replacement item, for providing feedback to a material planning system to re-plan the items that are not currently available;

and

projection means for establishing a projected delivery schedule based on material planning system outputs, responsive to an unavailability of a replacement item replacement item.