Component provisioning or issuance in a maintenance, repair or overhaul environment

• US 6,820,038 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Garrow, Gary R., Newton, Charles P. III, Wetzer, Michael, Weir, Patrick E., West, David P. II, Ashby, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Xiuqin
• Application Number:
  US09/946,894
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 702/184, 705/26, 700/96
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method and system for component provisioning supports the grouping of components to realize efficiencies in component provisioning. The method comprises identifying components for performance of at least one maintenance, repair, and overhaul of equipment. At least kit of components is established for the equipment. The kit comprises an assembly of one or more components that is gathered to support the aggregation of installation activities and performance of at least one of maintenance, repair, and overhaul. Acquisition of the identified components is authorized. The identified components are acquired pursuant to the terms of the authorization. The acquired components are dispersed in accordance with the metric that is measurable and traceable.

Claims

1. A method for component provisioning or issuance, the method comprising:

identifying components for performing at least one of maintenance, repair, and overhaul of equipment;

determining a replacement correlation between a first component and a second component of the components;

establishing a kit of components for the equipment, the kit comprising identified components comprising both the first component and the second component when the replacement correlation exceeds a pre-selected minimum correlation, the identified components gathered to support an aggregation of maintenance activities in performance of at least one of maintenance, repair, and overhaul;

associating the kit with a status indicator; and

preparing to acquire the identified components.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

acquiring the identified components pursuant to terms of an authorization established according to the preparing; and

disbursing the acquired components in accordance with a metric that is measurable and traceable.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the acquiring step comprises notifying applicable component providers of data on the kit to support at least one of a kit control procedure, a kit change procedure, and a modification procedure for the equipment.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the disbursing comprises delivering the kit of components to the equipment at a defined geographic location in accordance with a delivery schedule.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein the disbursing comprises distributing components prior to planned maintenance activities in preparation for scheduled maintenance.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the establishing comprises establishing at least one virtual kit as the kit, the kit being associated with a component identifier.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the establishing comprises establishing at least one virtual kit as the kit, the kit being associated with a configuration identifier.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the establishing comprises establishing at least one virtual kit as the kit, the kit being associated with a component serial number, a component part number, or an assembly of the equipment.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the status indicator changes between pre-staged, staged, and disbursed with respect to the maintenance of the equipment.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identifying comprises communicating a requirement for at least one of the components in real-time to a supplier.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the components comprise an equipment configuration, and where the identifying comprises tracking a component status of at least one of the components in the equipment configuration by verifying currency of at least one of the components in the equipment configuration with a pre-selected minimum frequency prior to the acquisition.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the preparing for acquisition of identified components is altered in response to a change in the currency of at least one of the components.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising updating a status of configuration information on the equipment with sufficient frequency to minimize acquisition of obsolete components for prior configurations of the equipment.

14. The method of claim 1, where the status indicator is ‘

installed’

when the kit has been installed in the equipment.

15. The method of claim 1, where the status indicator is ‘

deferred’

when the kit has not been installed in the equipment.

16. The method of claim 1, where the status indicator is ‘

returned-to-stock’

when at least one of the identified components is no longer allocated to the equipment.

17. The method of claim 1, where the status indicator is ‘

pre-staged’

when the kit has not yet been allocated by reserving the components.

18. The method of claim 1, where the status indicator is ‘

staged’

when the kit has been allocated by reserving the components.

19. The method of claim 1, where the status indicator is ‘

disbursed’

when the kit has been distributed to a maintenance service provider.

20. A method for component provisioning, the method comprising:

identifying components for performing at least one of maintenance, repair, and overhaul of equipment, including defining a configuration as including at least a set of constituent components and subcomponents for a pre-selected piece of equipment;

establishing a maintenance plan including a requisite component and a predictive component, the predictive component representative of at least one of a probable additional maintenance requirement and possible additional maintenance requirements based on a historical maintenance record; and

preparing for acquisition of the identified components.

21. The method according to claim 20 further comprising:

acquiring the identified components pursuant to terms of an authorization associated with the preparing; and

disbursing the acquired components in accordance with a metric that is measurable and traceable.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the acquiring includes tracking availability of components of corresponding suppliers and tracking delivery dates or delivery durations of the components.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the acquiring comprises maintaining a pool of spare components that are restorable to specific levels of performance, restored components of the pool of spare components being substituted for the ordering of generally equivalent components from a supplier.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein the establishing comprises identifying a location association between the predictive component and the requisite component.

25. The method according to claim 20 wherein the establishing comprises identifying the predictive component as implicated in maintenance of the requisite component.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein the establishing comprises assigning a probability of a correlated performance level between the predictive component and the requisite component and organizing the requisite component and the predictive component into a kit if the probability at least meets a minimum probability threshold level.

27. The method according to claim 20 wherein the establishing step comprises supplementing the requisite component with the predictive component to permit integration of acquisition of the requisite component and the predictive component.

28. The method according to claim 20 wherein the establishing step comprises supplementing the requisite component with the predictive component to permit integration of installation of the requisite component with the predictive component.

29. The method according to claim 20 further comprising:

defining a configuration of the equipment, the configuration including at least one of a functional descriptor, a logical descriptor, a physical descriptor, and an operational descriptor of at least one component.

30. The method according to claim 20 further comprising:

defining a configuration of the equipment, the configuration including at least one of a functional descriptor, a logical descriptor, a physical descriptor, and an operational descriptor of at least one assembly of components.

31. The method according to claim 20 wherein the preparing for the acquisition comprises establishing lead times of respective components and updating the lead times associated with corresponding suppliers of the components.

32. The method according to claim 20 further comprising tracking components undergoing maintenance and designating the availability of the tracked components upon at least one of initiation and completion of the maintenance.

33. A method for component provisioning, the method comprising:

identifying components for performing at least one of maintenance, repair, and overhaul of equipment;

establishing a maintenance plan including a soft allocation component and a hard allocation component, where the soft allocation component is re-allocable based on an equipment priority and where the hard allocation is non-re-allocable;

authorizing acquisition of the identified components;

acquiring the identified components pursuant to authorization terms resulting from the authorizing step; and

disbursing the identified components in accordance with a metric that is measurable and traceable.

34. The method according to claim 33 further comprising establishing requisite levels of availability for the equipment and establishing the maintenance plan based on the established requisite levels.

35. The method according to claim 33 further comprising determining a minimum of component inventory and a planned shipment schedule corresponding to the soft allocation component.

36. The method according to claim 35 wherein the determined component inventory and raw material acquisition needs are summarized within a relevant lead time schedule window, and minimum inventory or economical lot quantity purchases are established and activated.

37. The method according to claim 33 further comprising applying a maintenance forecast to determine the soft allocation component.

38. The method according to claim 33 further comprising augmenting the hard allocation component, based on known maintenance requirements for the equipment, with the soft allocation component, based on a predictive maintenance analysis.

39. The method according to claim 33 wherein the soft allocation component is subsequently hard allocated with the hard allocation component, when the soft allocation component is subsequently required for maintenance consistent with the maintenance plan.

40. The method according to claim 33 wherein a soft allocation component shortfall is adjusted via system recommended acquisitions, or placement of demands on suppliers by a procurement system.

41. The method according to claim 33 further comprising estimating and procuring components required for unplanned maintenance work associated with the equipment.

42. The method according to claim 33 wherein the soft allocation component is selected based upon reference to a decision support matrix, the decision support matrix comprising a requisite task, a location of the soft allocation component relative to the requisite task within the equipment, and a probability of failure factor for a requisite task component.

43. The method according to claim 33 further comprising supporting removal of at least one component of one equipment to support a requisite level of availability of at least one second equipment, if the at least one second equipment has a higher priority for availability than the first equipment.

44. The method according to claim 43 wherein the removal of the component follows an authorization procedure and a status tracking procedure, and where the authorization procedure and the tracking procedure are traceable.

45. The method according to claim 33, where the step of establishing further comprises the steps of:

determining a replacement correlation between the soft allocation component and the hard allocation component, and

including both the soft allocation component and the hard allocation component together in a kit when the replacement correlation exceeds a pre-selected minimum correlation.

46. A method for initiating equipment maintenance, the method comprising:

defining an equipment configuration to include constituent components for a first pre-selected piece of equipment;

determining a replacement correlation between a first component and a second component of the constituent components;

establishing a kit for the equipment configuration, the kit comprising selected constituent components comprising both the first component and the second component, when the replacement correlation exceeds a pre-selected minimum correlation, the selected constituent components gathered to support an aggregation of maintenance activities in performance of at least one of maintenance, repair, and overhaul; and

preparing to acquire the kit of constituent components.

47. The method of claim 46, where the kit is a virtual kit.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of communicating in real-time a requirement for at least one of the selected constituent components to a supplier.

49. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of associating the kit with a status indicator.

50. The method of claim 49, where the status indicator changes between ‘

pre-staged’

when the kit has not yet been allocated by reserving the selected constituent components and ‘

staged’

when the kit has been allocated by reserving the selected constituent components.

51. The method of claim 49, where the status indicator changes between ‘

staged’

when the kit has been allocated by reserving the selected constituent components, and ‘

disbursed’

when the kit has been distributed to a maintenance service provider.

52. The method of claim 49, where the status indicator is ‘

installed’

when the kit has been installed in the first equipment.

53. The method of claim 49, where the status indicator is ‘

deferred’

when the kit has not been installed in the first equipment.

54. The method of claim 49, where the status indicator is ‘

retumed-to-stock’

when at least one of the selected constituent components is no longer allocated to the first pre-selected piece of equipment.

55. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of initiating removal of a selected component from a second pre-selected piece of equipment to support a requisite level of availability of the first pre-selected piece of equipment when the first pre-selected piece of equipment has a higher availability priority than the second pre-selected piece of equipment.

56. A method for initiating equipment maintenance, the method comprising:

defining an equipment configuration to include constituent components for a first pre-selected piece of equipment;

initiating removal of a chosen component from a second pre-selected piece of equipment to support a requisite level of availability of the first pre-selected piece of equipment when the first pre-selected piece of equipment has a higher availability priority than the second pre-selected piece of equipment; and

establishing a kit for the equipment configuration, the kit comprising selected constituent components, including the chosen component, gathered to support maintenance, repair, or overhaul maintenance activities.

57. The method of claim 56, where the selected constituent components further comprise a re-allocable soft allocation component and a non-re-allocable hard allocation component.