Method and system for supply chain product and process development collaboration

• US 7,747,572 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Waypoint Global II Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Waypoint Global II Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Jason, Jackson, Kevin, Ruselink, Rebecca, McCauley, David, Scott, Steve Toren, Kivett, William A., Burdick, Robert A., Jones, Kyle, Funk, Dwight E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo; Thuy N
• Application Number:
  US09/802,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,399 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/2, 707/3, 707/6, 707/10, 707/618, 707/636, 707/654, 707/694, 705/2, 705/8, 705/7, 705/9, 705/1, 705/10, 715/733, 715/835, 726/1
• US Class Current: 707/636
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and system for supply chain product and process development collaboration. The supply chain is comprised of at least one project, each project having a part (or family of parts), a supplier of the part, and a customer. The system may include a data storage and retrieval device operably connected to a processor. The system'"'"'s functions include collaboration tools and security based on the users'"'"' project roles. The method uses a methodology that ensures certain requirements are met prior to satisfying the methodology. The system and method of the present invention ensures that current, applicable methodologies are applied to a specific part and allows for collaboration between the customer and supplier during all phases of the project. Because all projects in a supply chain are present, a user can navigate throughout the supply chain. The supply chain'"'"'s reporting functions permit determination of potential performance risks and the source thereof.

Claims

1. A system for management of at least one project, each of the at least one projects comprising a part, a supplier that is to supply the part, a customer that is to be supplied the part, at least one methodology applicable to the project, such methodology being indicative of at least one requirement, and at least one control associated with processing of the project, the system comprising:

means for processing project data to compare data entered by a user to the at least one methodology to ensure that correct process(es) is (are) followed to establish a manufacturing capability to reliably produce parts of a given quality to a given set of specifications; and

means for storing and retrieving the project data, the project data storing and retrieving means operably connected to the processing means, and the project data comprising, for each of the at least one projects, a project identifier to identify the project, a project part identifier to identify the part of the project, a project supplier identifier to identify the supplier of the project, a project customer identifier to identify the customer of the project, data representative of the at least one methodology of the project, and data representative of the at least one control of the project.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the project data storing and retrieving means comprises memory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the project data storing and retrieving means comprises a data storage device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user system operably connected to the processing means, such that a user operating the user system is able to selectively retrieve project data stored on the project data storing and retrieving means.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the connection between the processing means the user system comprises a network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network comprises a global computer network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the global computer network comprises the Internet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further capable of management of at least one sub-project, each of the at least one sub-projects comprising a part, a supplier that is to supply the part, and a customer that is to be supplied the part, the part of one of the at least one sub-projects comprising a sub-part of the part of one of the at least one projects, the project data further comprising, for each of the at least one sub-projects, a sub-project identifier to identify the sub-project, a sub-project supplier identifier to identify the supplier of the sub-project, and a sub-project customer identifier to identify the customer of the sub-project.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the project part comprises a family of parts, and wherein the project part identifier includes a descriptive field to distinguish among the family of parts.

10. A method of supply chain management, the supply chain comprising at least one project, each of the at least one projects including apart, a supplier that is to supply the part, and a customer that is to be supplied the part, the method of comprising the steps of:

(a) creating and storing, in a computerized system, at least one requirement applicable to at least one of the at least one projects of the supply chain, wherein one of the at least one requirements comprises at least one methodology, the at least one methodology including a document and, for each of the at least one requirements, at least one measurement criterion indicative that the requirement has been satisfied, the at least one measurement criterion comprising a document complete indicator;

(b) creating and storing, in the computerized system, a project record representative of one of the at least one projects of the supply chain, the project record including a project identifier, a part identifier to identify the project part, a supplier identifier to identify the project supplier, customer, identifier to identifier the customer, and an indicator of which of the at least one requirements is applicable to the project;

(c) monitoring the computerized system for entry of data by the supplier identified by the supplier identifier of the project record;

(d) evaluating the entered data to the at least one methodology to ensure that correct process(es) is (are) followed to establish a manufacturing capability to reliably produce parts of a given quality to a given set of specifications for relevance to the at least one requirements applicable to the project, and, if not relevant returning to step (c); and

(e) comparing the entered data to the at least one measurement criterion of the relevant at least one requirement, and, if the entered data does not satisfy the at least one measurement criterion, returning to step (c);

wherein that in steps (d) and (e) the entered data is compared to the document and the document is checked for completeness to satisfy the document complete indicator.

11. A supply chain management system, the supply chain including at least one project, a supplier to supply the part, and a customer to be supplied the part, the system comprising:

a first database comprising data representative of at least one methodology applicable to the project, such methodology being indicative of at least one requirement;

a second database comprising a project record for each of the at least one projects, each project record comprising a project identifier, a part identifier, a supplier identifier, and a customer identifier to identify the project, the project part, the project supplier, and the project customer, respectively, and each project record further including an indicator indicating which of the at least one methodologies is (are) applicable to the project; and

means for controlling the progress of the at least one project, the controlling means operably connected to the first database and the second database, the controlling means using the indicated methodology(ies) of the project for such control to compare data entered by a user to the at least one methodology to ensure that correct process(es) is (are) followed to establish a manufacturing capability to reliably produce parts of a given quality to a given set of specifications.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

collaborating means for data entry and retrieval by a team member of each of the project suppliers and a team member of each of the project customers represented in the second database.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for establishing at least one task for at least one project, where such task is to be completed by a team member of the project supplier or the project customer.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for generating at least one notification related to the at least one task, the notification made available to a team member of the project supplier or project supplier who is to complete the task.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a bulletin board for exchange of information between a team member of the project supplier and a team member of the project customer of at least one of the at least one project.

16. The system of 11, further comprising:

means for setting up at least one meeting between a team member of the project supplier and a team member of the project customer of at least one of the at least one projects.

17. A supply chain management system, comprising:

processing means;

data storage and retrieval means operable connected to the processing means, the data storage and retrieval means including a project record representative of a project of the supply chain, the project comprising a project part, a project supplier of the part, and a project customer of the part, the project record including a project identifier identifying the project, a project part identifier identifying the part, a project supplier identifier identifying the project supplier, a project customer identifier identifying the project customers, and data representative of a methodology imposed on the project, such methodology being indicative of at least one requirement, and a sub-project record representative of a sub-project to the project, the sub-project comprising a sub-part which is a sub-part of the project part, sub-project supplier to supply the sub-part, and a sub-project customer to be supplied the sub-part, the sub-project customer the same as the project supplier, the sub-project record including a sub-project identifier identifying the sub-project, a sub-project supplier identifier identifying the sub-project supplier, a sub-project customer identifier identifying the sub-project customer, and data representative of methodology imposed on the sub-project; and

an evaluation subsystem operable by the processing means for evaluating the project in view of the project methodology, and for evaluating the sub-project in view of the sub-project methodology, the processing means to compare data entered by a user to the methodology to ensure that correct process(es) is (are) followed to establish a manufacturing capability to reliably produce parts of a given quality to a given set of specifications.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a reporting subsystem operable by the processing means for reporting the evaluation of the project and subproject as determined by the evaluation subsystem.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the project methodology includes at least one document to be completed, and wherein the evaluation subsystem measures the extent to which the document is complete.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the project methodology includes a first risk factor, and wherein the evaluation subsystem measures the risk of the project based on the first risk factor.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the sub-project methodology includes a second risk factor, and wherein the evaluation subsystem measures the risk of the sub-project based on the second risk factor.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a user system operably connected to the processing means, such that a user operating the user system is able to obtain the evaluations made by the evaluation subsystem.