System for issue identification, prioritization, and resolution and associated method

• US 7,302,397 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gribskov, Christopher L., Hein, Walter J., Taylor, Bradley J., Smith, Neil S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat; Bradley B.
• Application Number:
  US09/656,678
• Time in Patent Office: 2,637 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 10, 705/80, 705/51, 709/205
• US Class Current: 705/309
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method of collaboratively identifying, prioritizing, and resolving issues is provided. An issue and/or a comment corresponding to the issue are received over a computer network from a customer and/or an originating entity via respective computer devices and posted on a discussion-capable electronic media accessible to the computer devices, as well as a third computer device. The third computer device is used by a committee comprised of a customer representative and originating entity representative to access the electronic media to separate the posted issues into rejected issues and action issues, at least partially based on the posted comments. The committee prioritizes the action issues and sends resolution directions for each action issue to the customer and/or a manufacturer. Once a resolution proposal for an action issue is received, the committee directs the implementation of the resolution proposal for each action issue before closing the action issue upon completion of the resolution proposal. An associated system is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of collaboratively identifying, prioritizing, and resolving issues affecting a series of similar complex systems, the method being implemented over a computer network and comprising:

assessing an impact of each of one or more issues affecting one or more systems in the series, the assessed impact of each issue having a quantitative value and including a combination of impacted human factors and impacted operations factors, wherein assessing an impact comprises assessing an impact including a combination of impacted human factors and impacted operations factors that each have an associated quantitative value, the value of the assessed impact being the sum of the values of the factors;

receiving the issues for posting on a discussion-capable electronic media, the issues being received by a manufacturer of, or one of a plurality of customers in possession of, the affected one or more systems;

receiving comments corresponding to the posted issues for posting on the electronic media after the respective posted issues, wherein for each issue, the issue and comments corresponding thereto are received by a manufacturer and one or more of a plurality of customers in possession of the affected one or more systems, or by a plurality of the customers, for collaboration with respect to the issue, and wherein one or more of the issues or comments corresponding to one or more of the issues includes the assessed impact of the respective one or more issues;

accessing the electronic media by a committee including representatives of the manufacturer and one or more of the customers, the electronic media being accessed for the committee to identify action issues from the posted issues at least partially based on the posted comments corresponding thereto, and for the committee to thereafter prioritize the action issues, the committee identifying and prioritizing the action issues at least partially based on the assessed impact of the respective one or more issues;

assigning an action issue by the committee to the manufacturer or one or more of the customers for conducting a resolution investigation thereon;

receiving a resolution proposal for the assigned action issue resulting from the corresponding resolution investigation, the resolution proposal being accessible by the committee to evaluate the resolution proposal; and

directing implementation of the resolution proposal for the evaluated action issue by the committee, directing implementation including the committee directing closure of the action issue upon completion of implementation of the resolution proposal,

wherein the assigning an action issue, receiving a resolution proposal and directing implementation of the resolution proposal steps occur for each of a plurality of action issues at least partially based upon the priority determined by the committee.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein accessing the electronic media further includes identifying one or more rejected issues from the posted issues, and wherein the method further comprises storing the rejected issues for at least one of further monitoring or future reference.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the assigning step further includes sending a set of resolution directions for conducting the respective resolution investigation, the directions including at least one of a suggested cost for resolving the issue, or a criteria for designating the action issue as being resolved.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the receiving an issue step comprises receiving a non-safety issue.

5. A system for collaboratively identifying, prioritizing, and resolving issues affecting a series of similar complex systems, the system being implemented over a computer network and comprising:

a computer device configured to communicate over the computer network with a manufacturer of the series, a plurality of customers in possession of systems in the series, and a committee including representatives of the manufacturer and one or more of the customers, wherein the computer device comprises;

a first processing portion configured for receiving an assessment of an impact of each of one or more issues affecting one or more systems in the series, the assessed impact of each issue having a quantitative value and including a combination of impacted human factors and impacted operations factors, wherein the first processing portion is configured for receiving an assessment of an impact including a combination of impacted human factors and impacted operations factors that each have an associated quantitative value, the value of the assessed impact being the sum of the values of the factors;

a second processing portion for receiving the issues for posting on a discussion-capable electronic media,

wherein the second processing portion is also configured for receiving comments corresponding to the posted issues for posting on the electronic media after the respective posted issues, wherein for each issue, the issue and comments corresponding thereto are received by the manufacturer and one or more customers, or by a plurality of customers, for collaboration with respect to the issue, and wherein one or more of the issues or comments corresponding to one or more of the issues includes the assessed impact of the respective one or more issues;

a third processing portion configured for the committee to access the electronic media, identify action issues from the posted issues at least partially based on the posted comments corresponding thereto, and thereafter prioritize the action issues, the committee identifying and prioritizing the action issues at least partially based on the assessed impact of the respective one or more issues;

a fourth processing portion configured for the committee to assign an action issue to the manufacturer or one or more of the customers for conducting a resolution investigation thereon;

a fifth processing portion configured for receiving a resolution proposal for the action issue resulting from the corresponding resolution investigation, the resolution proposal being accessible by the committee to evaluate the resolution proposal; and

a sixth processing portion configured for the committee to direct implementation of the resolution proposal, and direct closure of the action issue upon completion of implementation of the resolution proposal,

wherein the fourth, fifth and sixth processing portions are configured for each of a plurality of action issues based upon the priority determined by the committee.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the second processing portion is further configured for the committee to identify one or more rejected issues from the posted issues, and configured to store the rejected issues for at least one of further monitoring or future reference.

7. A system according to claim 5 wherein the fourth processing portion is further configured to send a set of resolution directions for conducting the respective resolution investigation, the directions including at least one of a suggested cost for resolving the issue, or a criteria for designating the action issue as being resolved.

8. A system according to claim 5 wherein the issues comprise non-safety issues.

9. A system according to claim 5 wherein the manufacturer comprises a manufacturer of a series of aircraft.

10. A method of collaboratively identifying, prioritizing, and resolving issues affecting a series of similar complex systems, the method being implemented over a computer network and comprising:

assessing an impact of each of one or more issues affecting one or more systems in the series, the assessed impact of each issue having a quantitative value and including a combination of impacted human factors and impacted operations factors, wherein assessing an impact comprises assessing an impact including a combination of impacted human factors and impacted operations factors that each have an associated quantitative value, the value of the assessed impact being the sum of the values of the factors;

accessing a discussion-capable electronic media including, posted thereon, the issues and comments corresponding to the issues, wherein for each issue, the issue and comments corresponding thereto has been received for posting by a manufacturer and one or more of a plurality of customers in possession of the affected one or more systems, or by a plurality of the customers, for collaboration with respect to the issue, and wherein one or more of the issues or comments corresponding to one or more of the issues includes the assessed impact of the respective one or more issues;

identifying action issues from the posted issues at least partially based on the posted comments corresponding thereto;

prioritizing the action issues, wherein identifying and prioritizing the action issues comprise identifying and prioritizing the action issues at least partially based on the assessed impact of the respective one or more issues;

assigning an action issue to an assignee comprising the manufacturer or one or more of the customers, the assignee being responsible for developing a resolution proposal for resolving the respective action issue;

sending the action issue and an associated set of resolution directions to the assignee, the set of resolution directions including issue-closure criteria to be met by the resolution proposal for the action issue;

receiving a resolution proposal for the action issue from the assignee;

evaluating the resolution proposal for the action issue with respect to the issue-closure criteria; and

directing implementation of the resolution proposal for the evaluated action issue, including directing closure of the action issue upon completion of implementation of the resolution proposal,

wherein the assigning, receiving, and directing steps occur for each of a plurality of action issues at least partially based upon the priority of the action issues, and

wherein the accessing, separating, prioritizing, assigning, sending, receiving, evaluating and directing steps are performed by a committee including representatives of the manufacturer and one or more of the customers.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein identifying action issues further includes identifying one or more rejected issues from the posted issues, and wherein the method further comprises storing the rejected issues for at least one of further monitoring or future reference.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein assigning the action issue comprises assigning the action issue to an assignee according to the priority determined by the committee.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein sending the action comprises sending the action issue with an associated set of resolution directions including at least one of an implementation cost or an implementation deadline to be met by the resolution proposal for the respective action issue.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein the manufacturer comprises a manufacturer of a series of aircraft, and wherein receiving an issue comprises receiving a non-safety issue.

15. A method according to claim 10 further comprising requesting, by the committee, approval of the at least one issue-closure criteria associated with the action issue, from at least the customer, prior to assigning the action issue to the assignee.

16. A method according to claim 10 further comprising obtaining, by the committee, a commitment from at least the customer to implement a resolution proposal to the action issue meeting the at least one issue-closure criteria, prior to assigning the action issue to the assignee.

17. A method according to claim 10 further comprising directing implementation of the resolution proposal meeting the associated issue-closure criteria;

and closing the action issue upon completion of implementation of the respective resolution proposal, wherein the directing and closing steps are also performed by the committee, and wherein the assigning, sending, receiving, evaluating, directing and closing steps occur for each of a plurality of action issues at least partially based upon the priority determined by the committee.

18. A method according to claim 10 wherein the manufacturer comprises a manufacturer of a series of aircraft, and wherein sending the action issue comprises sending the action issue with an associated set of resolution directions including an implementation cost.