Operating plan for machinery

• US 7,231,356 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Ward, Glenn G., Collins, Donald J., Stutchfield, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy; Andrew Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frenel; Vanel
• Application Number:
  US09/671,871
• Time in Patent Office: 2,448 Days
• Field of Search: 705 7- 10, 364/512
• US Class Current: 705/7.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management

Abstract

A methodology for engineering or re-engineering workflow management strategy, in furtherance of business excellence, is especially suitable for an organization whose business operations involve machinery. The methodology includes the identification of internal and/or external core functions, the preparation of individual written reports each pertaining to a different core function, the assimilation of such reports into a manual for use by the entire organization, the formation of such organization into internal and/or external core function units (which, typically, are at least substantially in accordance with the previously identified core functions), and the creation of one or more modes of systematic communication among the core function units. Suggested internal core functions include facilities, budget and contracts. Suggested external core functions include life cycle management, acquisition, research and development, test and evaluation, in-service engineering, integrating logistic support, program management and platform management.

Claims

1. A method of organizing and effecting a dynamic and comprehensive workflow management system for an entity in control of various kinds of machinery, said workflow management system using a computer network that permits computer access to a server capable of containing a centralized database pertaining to said workflow management system, said method comprising:

identifying all of the individual core management functions that relate to the overall management of all of the machinery controlled by an entity, said overall management encompassing the entire life cycles of said machinery, said core management functions consisting of internal core management functions and external core management functions, each said internal core management function involving specialized management of a business aspect of said overall management, each said external core management function involving specialized management of a technical aspect of said overall management, said internal core management functions including contracts management, budget management, and facilities management, said external core management functions including life cycles management and engineering management, said engineering management involving at least one type of engineering related to said machinery including in-service said machinery, said at least one type of engineering being selected from the group consisting of data engineering, design engineering, installation engineering, and maintenance engineering;

producing information pertaining to said core management functions, said information including plural individual workflow descriptions, each said individual workflow description describing a said core management function and establishing at least one linkage of said individual workflow description with at least one other said individual workflow description;

establishing core management function units, said core management function units at least substantially representing said core management functions;

formulating a coherent presentation essentially integrating said information, said coherent presentation encompassing a multiplicity of tasks, said coherent presentation representing an operational plan for performing all of said tasks, the performance of each said task commencing in a said core management function unit, at least some said tasks being performed in plural said core management function units based on said at least one linkage of said individual workflow description with at least one other said individual workflow description;

uploading said coherent presentation to said server for storage in said centralized database, said coherent presentation being computer-accessible by said core management function units;

performing at least one said task, said performance of at least one said task including use of said coherent presentation; and

updating said coherent presentation at least once, each said updated coherent presentation being computer-accessible by said core management function units, each said updating including uploading at least a portion of a said individual workflow description describing a said core management function so as to render at least one change to the preceding said individual workflow description describing the same said core management function, said at least one change including modification with respect to said at least one linkage of said individual workflow description with at least one other said individual workflow description.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said external core management functions further include at least one external core management function selected from the group consisting of acquisition management, research and development management, test and evaluation management, integrated logistic support management, program management, and platform management.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said external core management functions further include acquisition management, research and development management, test and evaluation management, integrated logistic support management, program management and platform management.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said life cycles management is the linchpin external core management function for all of said external core management functions.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said life cycles management is the linchpin external core management function for all of said external core management functions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein each said individual workflow description includes narrative description, procedural description and flow diagrammatic description.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coherent presentation includes a manual, wherein said manual includes narrative description, procedural description and flow diagrammatic description for each core function.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said external core management function units include a life cycle management unit and an engineering management unit, and wherein said external core management function units further include at least one external core management function unit selected from the group consisting of acquisition management unit, research and development management unit, test and evaluation management unit, in-service engineering management unit, integrated logistic support management unit, program management unit, and platform management unit.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said internal core management function units include a facilities management unit, a budget management unit, and a contracts management unit.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said external core management function units include a life cycle management unit and an engineering management unit;

said external core management function units further include external core management function units selected from the group consisting of acquisition management unit, research and development management unit, test and evaluation management unit, integrated logistic support management unit, program management unit and platform management unit; and

said internal core management function units include a facilities management unit, a budget management unit, and a contracts management unit.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said external core function management units include a life cycle management unit, an acquisition management unit, a research and development management unit, a test and evaluation management unit, an engineering management unit, an integrated logistic support management unit, a program management unit, and a platform management unit; and

said internal core function management units include a facilities management unit, a budget management unit, and a contracts management unit.

12. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising instituting communications among said core management function units, said instituting communications including instituting at least one type of communications selected from the group consisting of telephone, telefax, paper correspondence and electronic mail.

13. The method according to claim 1, said method further comprising distributing hard copies of said coherent presentation among said core management function units.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said producing information pertaining to said core management functions includes establishing plural teams, each said team being charged with submitting a section of said information that characterizes a different said core management function.

15. A method for defining and executing the flow of management operations of an organization that controls a variety of machinery, said method making use of a central computer and plural workstation computers connected to said central computer, said method comprising:

establishing plural organizational units, each said organizational unit availing itself of at least one said workstation computer, said establishing including proposing initial core functions and assembling informational segments, each said informational segment describing the functional flow associated with a said initial core function, the functional flow associated with each said initial core function being characterized by at least one nexus between said functional flow and the functional flow associated with at least one other said initial core function, said establishing plural organizational units further including designating refined core functions, said refined core functions at least substantially corresponding to said initial core functions, each said organizational unit performing a said refined core function, said refined core functions being every core function relating to the overall management of every item of machinery controlled by an organization, said overall management encompassing the entire life cycles of said machinery, said refined core functions consisting of internal refined core functions and external refined core functions, each said internal refined core function involving specialized management of a business aspect of said overall management, each said external refined core function involving specialized management of a technical aspect of said overall management, said internal refined core functions including contracts management, budget management, and facilities management, said external refined core functions including life cycles management and engineering management, said engineering management involving at least one engineering area related to said machinery including said machinery that is in service, said at least one engineering area being selected from the group consisting of data engineering, design engineering, installation engineering, and maintenance engineering;

formulating a manual that is at least substantially arranged in accordance with said organizational units and said refined core functions respectively performed by said organizational units, said manual covering at least substantially all of the undertakings of said organization, said manual at least substantially incorporating said informational segments so as to prescribe said flow of management operations both intrarelationally within each said organizational unit and interrelationally between said organizational units, the functional flow associated with each said refined core function being characterized by at least one nexus between said functional flow and the functional flow associated with at least one other said refined core function, said manual prescribing action to be taken for carrying out each said undertaking, each said undertaking requiring action to be taken by at least one said organizational unit, at least some said undertakings requiring action to be taken by at least two said organizational units, wherein each said undertaking that requires action to be taken by at least two said organizational units is carried out in accordance with at least one said nexus between two said functional flows associated with said refined core functions respectively performed by said at least two said organizational units;

storing said manual in said central computer for computer access by said organizational units, said manual being stored in a form electronically modifiable by each said organizational unit;

carrying out at least one said undertaking, at least one said undertaking being carried out so that action is taken by at least two said organizational units; and

maintaining currency of said manual as stored in said central computer, said maintaining currency including electronically modifying of said manual, by at least one said organizational unit, with respect to at least one nexus between the respective functional flows associated with at least two said refined core functions.

16. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 15, said method further comprising disseminating hard copies of said manual to said organizational units.

17. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 15, wherein said external refined core functions further include acquisition, research and development, test and evaluation, integrated logistic support, program management, and platform management.

18. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 15, said method further comprising enabling communication among said organizational units in furtherance of said flow of management operations, wherein said enabling communication includes instituting at least two communication means selected from the group consisting of telephone, telefax, correspondence and e-mail.

19. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 15, said maintaining currency including formulating a scheduling policy for continually improving said flow of management operations, said formulating a scheduling policy including prescribing the periodic updating of said manual.

20. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 19, wherein said periodic updating of said manual includes said electronically modifying of said manual.

21. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 15, wherein said electronically modifying of said manual includes adding at least one nexus between the respective functional flows associated with at least two said refined core functions.

22. The method for defining and executing the flow as recited in claim 15, wherein said electronically modifying of said manual includes removing at least one nexus between the respective functional flows associated with at least two said refined core functions.