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Push planning for unserviceable parts to facilitate repair planning in a repair network

  • US 7,277,862 B1
  • Filed: 08/19/2002
  • Issued: 10/02/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for repair planning for a repair location in a repair network, comprising multiple components collectively operable to:

  • model an uninspected buffer for unserviceable parts received at the repair location but not yet inspected at the repair location;

    model a first buffer for unserviceable parts inspected at the repair location and determined to be repairable at the repair location, the unserviceable parts within the uninspected buffer being assigned to the first buffer at a first rate according to an inspection operation at the repair location;

    model a second buffer for unserviceable parts inspected at the repair location and determined not to be repairable at the repair location, the unserviceable parts within the uninspected buffer being assigned to the second buffer at a second rate according to the inspection operation at the repair location;

    model a third buffer for unserviceable parts inspected at the repair location and determined not to be repairable at any repair location in the repair network, the unserviceable parts within the uninspected buffer being assigned to the third buffer at a third rate according to the inspection operation at the repair location;

    model a fourth buffer for unserviceable parts inspected at the repair location and determined to be serviceable without repair, the unserviceable parts within the uninspected buffer being assigned to the fourth buffer at a fourth rate according to the inspection operation at the repair location;

    generate one or more operation plans for the inspection operation to push unserviceable parts out of the uninspected buffer to the first, second, third, and fourth buffers according to the first, second, third, and fourth rates, respectively, the inspection operation having a predetermined disposition time, an unserviceable part that is pushed out of the uninspected buffer being available within the first, second, third, or fourth buffer only after the predetermined disposition time for the inspection operation has elapsed;

    generate an operation plan for each of one or more sourcing operations to push unserviceable parts out of the second buffer to one or more upstream repair locations, each upstream repair location being associated with a sourcing operation having a predetermined move lead time, an unserviceable part that is pushed out of the second buffer being available at an upstream repair location only after the predetermined move lead time for the associated sourcing operation has elapsed; and

    for each unserviceable part pushed out of the uninspected buffer to the first or second buffer, estimate the earliest time at which a repair operation can begin for the unserviceable part at the repair location or an upstream repair location, this earliest repair time determining the earliest time at which, after the unserviceable part has been repaired to make it serviceable, the serviceable part can be available to satisfy a demand at the repair location.

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