Methods and apparatus for providing a quality control management system

• US 6,700,575 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genworth Mortgage Holdings LLC (Genworth Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genworth Mortgage Holdings LLC (Genworth Financial Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dobbins, Richard Dale, Bovarnick, Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SaJous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US09/563,517
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 702/1, 702/81, 702/84, 707/1, 707/100, 707/103.Y, 707/514, 707/526, 345/418, 345/440, 345/441, 345/700, 345/713, 345/736, 345/737, 345/751, 345/764, 345/501, 345/530, 345/531, 345/536, 345/548, 345/440.1, 345/440.2, 345/714, 345/853, 345/854, 700/1, 700/28, 700/91, 700/108-109, 705/7-10
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for process control management and quality navigation is described which provides an intranet based approach to providing management with run and control charts for more effective tracking and management of quality related processes. The quality navigation system includes intuitive quality navigation. Data which formerly may have been redundantly collected and stored is now centrally stored and made available on a web site. The system automatically links top level indicators to core and sublevel process and quality outcome indicators. To this end, core processes, measures of quality and sources of data are identified. Data is collected and stored in a database. Hierarchical relationships of processes and subprocesses are established. Strengths of relationships of the linkages of processes and subprocesses are identified and stored. Indicators for strengths of relationship are stored and displayed within families of linked charts. Users can readily drill down to lower levels of processes to look at underlying root data. Chart monitoring is automated on a real time basis, and users may be automatically informed of process data exceeding predetermined control limits.

Claims

1. A method of creating hierarchal linkages between top level indicator charts, core process charts, and subprocess charts comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of data in a database;

defining top level indicator charts utilizing a first portion of said plurality of data related to said top level indicator charts;

defining core process charts utilizing a second portion of said plurality of data related to said core process charts;

defining linkages between each of the top level indicator charts and the core process charts which influence each top level indicator chart, the linkages determining the degree of relationship between each top level indicator chart and the core process charts which affect the top level indicator chart;

defining subprocess charts utilizing a third portion of said plurality of data related to said subprocess charts; and

defining linkages between each of the core process charts and the subprocess charts which influence each core process chart, the linkages determining the degree of relationship between each core process chart and the subprocess chart which affect the core process chart.

2. A method of process control chart monitoring comprising the steps of:

storing data defining top level indicators charts, core process charts and subprocess charts, and linkages defining the degree of relationship among said charts in a database;

selecting a top level indicator chart for display;

automatically retrieving and displaying the selected top level indicator chart and core process charts linked to the selected top level indicator chart;

drilling down a level by selecting a core process chart; and

automatically retrieving and displaying the selected core process chart and sub-process charts linked to the core process chart.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

displaying an indicia of the strength of relationship of the selected core process chart and each of the subprocess charts linked to the selected core process chart.

4. A quality navigation method comprising the steps of:

identifying core processes, subprocesses, measures of quality and sources of data;

storing data for identified core processes and subprocesses in a database;

identifying linkages of processes and subprocesses, evaluating strengths of relationships of said processes and subprocesses and storing indicia of said strengths;

selecting a family of charts for display;

displaying the family of charts with indicia of strength of relationship; and

drilling down a level to display a family of charts at a level down along with their strength of relationship data.

5. A quality navigation system for providing easy navigation of quality charts comprising:

a server having a linkage table for storing linkage data for a plurality of processes and subprocesses and executable software for controlling operation of the server; and

an intranet or Internet connection for connecting a user workstation, the server operating to cause a family of charts to be displayed on a display of the user workstation along with relationship indicators indicating the strength of relationship of the displayed charts to a process of interest,

wherein said server is further operable to sort charts in a family of charts so that they will be hierarchically displayed based upon strength of relationship.

6. A method for quality navigation comprising the steps of:

storing data for core process charts and subprocess charts in a database;

storing chart definitions;

establishing hierarchical levels of organization of the core process charts and subprocess charts;

storing links of core process charts and subprocess charts which define families of charts having different strengths of relationship;

storing indicia of strengths of relationships of core process charts and subprocess charts;

selecting a family of charts for display;

fetching stored data and chart definitions;

automatically generating charts; and

displaying the family of charts with indicia of strength of relationship.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

recognizing any charts within the selected family of charts which are control charts;

automatically generating control limits for said control charts; and

displaying said control charts with said control limits.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

establishing multiple hierarchical levels of subprocess charts;

displaying a core process chart and a first level of linked subprocess charts;

drilling down a level by selecting a linked subprocess chart; and

displaying a further lower level of subprocess charts linked to the selected linked subprocess chart.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

linking core process charts and subprocess charts to their role in achieving financial objectives.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

storing indicia for strengths of relationships of core process charts and subprocess charts with their role in achieving financial objectives.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

storing measures of quality; and

linking the stored measures of quality to their role in achieving financial objectives.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

storing indicia for strength of relationships of the stored measure of quality with their role in achieving financial objectives.

13. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

displaying an indicator maintenance web page;

logging in a user desiring to utilize the indicator maintenance web page; and

authorizing the user to utilize the indicator maintenance web page to perform indicator maintenance only if the user is recognized as authorized.

14. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

displaying an add data points maintenance web page;

logging in a user desiring to utilize the add data points maintenance web page; and

authorizing the user to utilize the add data points maintenance web page to add data points only if the user is recognized as authorized.

15. A system for quality navigation comprising:

memory for storing data for core process charts and subprocess charts in a database;

memory for storing chart definitions;

means for establishing hierarchical levels of organization of the core process charts and subprocess charts;

memory for storing links of core process charts and subprocess charts which define families of charts having different strengths of relationship;

memory for storing indicia of strengths of relationships of core process charts and subprocess charts;

means for selecting a family of charts for display;

means for fetching stored data and chart definitions;

means for automatically generating charts; and

a display for displaying the family of charts with indicia of strength of relationship.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for recognizing whether charts within the selected family of charts are control charts;

means for automatically generating control limits for said control charts; and

means for displaying said control charts with said control limits.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for establishing multiple hierarchical levels of subprocess charts;

a display for displaying a core process chart and a first level of linked subprocess charts;

means for drilling down a level by selecting a linked subprocess chart; and

the display further displaying a further lower level of subprocess charts linked to the selected linked subprocess chart.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for linking core process charts and subprocess charts to their role in achieving financial objectives.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a memory for storing indicia for strengths of relationships of core process charts and subprocess charts with their role in achieving financial objectives.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a memory for storing measures of quality; and

means for linking the stored measures of quality to their role in achieving financial objectives.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

memory for storing indicia for strength of relationships of the stored measure of quality with their role in achieving financial objectives.

22. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

the display displaying an indicator maintenance web page;

a login system for logging in a user desiring to utilize the indicator maintenance web page; and

means for authorized the user to utilize the indicator maintenance web page to perform indicator maintanance only if the user is recognized as authorized.

23. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

the display displaying an add data points maintanance web page;

a login system logging in a user desiring to utilize the add data points maintenance web page; and

means authorizing the user to utilize the add data points maintanance web page to add data points only if the user is recognized as authorized.