Automated notification of part revisions for outside suppliers
First Claim
1. A method of notifying relevant parties of revisions, the relevant parties including at least one outside supplier, the method comprising:
- responsive to detecting a revision to a part specification document, identifying a part number associated with the part specification document;
searching a plurality of purchasing documents for the part number;
identifying each electronic mail address associated with any purchasing document containing the part number, at least one electronic mail address associated with any purchase document identified including an electronic mail address of the at least one outside supplier;
generating an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document;
transmitting the electronic mail message notification to all electronic mail addresses associated with a purchasing document containing the part number; and
terminating access by the at least one outside supplier to part information responsive to closing at least one purchasing document identified to have the electronic mail address of the at least one outside supplier.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Revision of a part specification document, such as a drawing, a part specification, or a bill of materials, prompts execution of an automated notification process. A unique part number associated with the revised part specification document is employed in searching open purchasing documents for purchase orders or request for quotes containing the part number. Electronic mail addresses for outside supplier contacts are kept in the database and linked to the supplier master of the open purchasing documents containing the part number. An electronic mail notification of the part specification document revision is generated and transmitted to each electronic mail address identified as being associated with an open purchasing document containing the subject part number.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of notifying relevant parties of revisions, the relevant parties including at least one outside supplier, the method comprising:
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responsive to detecting a revision to a part specification document, identifying a part number associated with the part specification document;
searching a plurality of purchasing documents for the part number;
identifying each electronic mail address associated with any purchasing document containing the part number, at least one electronic mail address associated with any purchase document identified including an electronic mail address of the at least one outside supplier;
generating an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document;
transmitting the electronic mail message notification to all electronic mail addresses associated with a purchasing document containing the part number; and
terminating access by the at least one outside supplier to part information responsive to closing at least one purchasing document identified to have the electronic mail address of the at least one outside supplier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of notifying relevant parties of document revisions, comprising:
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monitoring access to a plurality of part specification documents for creation, deletion, or release of a revision to any part specification document; and
responsive to detecting creation, deletion, or release of a revision to any part specification document, automatically identifying each outside supplier associated with at least one purchasing document including a part number from a part specification document for which the revision was created, deleted, or released, and automatically noting each identified outside supplier of the revision. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A system for notifying relevant parties of revisions, the system comprising:
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means for assigning a part number to at least one product purchased from at least one outside supplier to thereby define a part number;
means, responsive to detecting a revision to a part specification document, for identifying the part number associated with the part specification document;
means for searching a plurality of purchasing documents for the part number;
means for identifying each electronic mail address associated with any purchasing document containing the part number;
means for generating an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document; and
means for transmitting the electronic mail message notification to all electronic mail addresses associated with a purchasing document containing the part number. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for notifying relevant parties of document revisions, the relevant parties including at least one outside supplier, the system comprising:
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a document management utility executing within a server and monitoring access to a plurality of part specification documents for creation, deletion, or release of a revision to any part specification document; and
a notification agent executing within the server and, responsive to detecting creation, deletion, or release of a revision to any part specification document, automatically identifying each outside supplier associated with at least one purchasing document including a part number associated with a part specification document for which the revision was created, deleted, or released, and automatically notifying each identified outside supplier of the revision. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An article of manufacture for notifying relevant parties of revisions, the article of manufacture comprising computer readable storage media including program logic embedded therein that causes control circuitry to perform the steps of:
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(a) responsive to detecting a revision to a part specification document, identifying a part number associated with the part specification document;
(b) searching a plurality of purchasing documents for the part number;
(c) identifying each electronic mail address associated with any purchasing document containing the part number;
(d) generating an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document; and
(e) transmitting the electronic mail message notification to each of a plurality of electronic mail addresses associated with a purchasing document containing the part number. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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19. A computer program product within a computer usable medium for notifying relevant parties of document revisions, the relevant parties including at least one outside supplier, the computer program product comprising:
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instructions for monitoring access to a plurality of part specification documents for creation, deletion, or release of a revision to any part specification document; and
instructions, responsive to detecting creating, deletion, or release of a revision to any part specification document, for automatically identifying each outside supplier associated with at least one purchasing document including a part number from a part specification document for which the revision was created, deleted, or released, and for automatically notifying each identified outside supplier of the revision. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification