Method and system to develop a process improvement methodology

• US 7,478,000 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Santhanam, Pradmanabhan, Malkin, Peter Kenneth, Kratschmer, Theresa C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, Jr.; John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/869,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 702/83, 702/182, 702/183, 702/81, 702/123, 707/7, 706/46, 706/59, 717/101
• US Class Current: 702/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method to create an instance of a defect-based production and testing process analysis machine (DPTPAM) provides continual process improvement based on foundational questions and classified defect data. The method includes the following steps: obtaining domain specific questions; developing a domain specific classification scheme that supports the answering of the foundational and domain specific questions; determining a method of using the domain specific classification scheme to answer both the foundational and domain specific questions; and creating a domain specific DPTPAM instance embodying the domain specific classification scheme and the method of answering the foundational and domain specific questions. The method can be implemented with a machine and a computer readable medium comprising logic for performing the method.

Claims

1. A method to create an instance of a defect-based production and testing process analysis machine (DPTPAM), the method comprising steps of:

obtaining domain specific questions, foundational questions, and classified defect data;

developing a domain specific classification scheme that supports answering foundational and the domain specific questions;

determining a method of using the domain specific classification scheme to answer both the foundational and domain specific questions for performing a foundational specific analysis; and

creating a domain specific DPTPAM instance embodying the domain specific classification scheme and the method of answering the foundational and domain specific questions for providing continual process improvement based on the foundational questions and the classified defect data.

2. A machine for creating an instance of a defect-based production and testing process analysis machine (DPTPAM) for providing continual process improvement based on foundational questions and classified defect data, the machine comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, and storing logic for;

obtaining domain specific questions;

developing a domain specific classification scheme that supports the answering of the foundation and domain specific questions;

determining a method of using the domain specific classification scheme to answer both the foundational and domain specific questions; and

creating the domain specific DPTPAM instance embodying the domain specific classification scheme and the method of answering the foundational and domain specific questions.

3. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium comprising program code that, when executed, causes a computer to:

obtain domain specific questions, foundational questions, and defect data;

develop a domain specific classification scheme that supports the answering of foundational questions and the domain specific questions;

determine a method of using the domain specific classification scheme to answer both the foundational and domain specific questions; and

create a domain specific DPTPAM instance embodying the domain specific classification scheme and the method of answering the foundational and domain specific questions.

4. A method for a first user to use a method to create a DPTPAM instance for a second user, the method comprising steps of:

obtaining domain specific questions;

developing a domain specific classification scheme that supports the answering of foundational questions and the domain specific questions;

determining a method of using the domain specific classification scheme to answer both the foundational and domain specific questions; and

creating a domain specific DPTPAM instance embodying the domain specific classification scheme and the method of answering the foundational and domain specific questions.