Planning and scheduling of maintenance, repair, and overhaul services

• US 7,937,280 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2001
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Feng, Leung, Heung-Wah, Cherneff, Jonathan, Carvallo, Tassio
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, PETER H
• Application Number:
  US10/011,572
• Time in Patent Office: 3,459 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 700/97, 700/99, 700/100
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system (10) for planning and scheduling service events for one or more assets includes a demand optimizer engine (12) that receives information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset. The demand optimizer engine (12) also generates a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset and identifying a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event so as to minimize the amount of time the asset is non-operational and the costs associated with each service event. The system (10) also includes a supply optimizer engine (14) that receives the service plan from the demand optimizer engine (12) and generates a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the flow of one or more parts used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event. The service schedule includes a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events. The supply optimizer engine (14) communicates the service schedule to the demand optimizer engine (12) and the demand optimizer engine (12) modifies the service plan according to the service schedule received from the supply optimizer engine (14).

Claims

1. A system for planning and scheduling service events of one or more assets, comprising:

one or more computers coupled with one or more data storage locations, the one or more computers comprising;

a demand optimizer engine stored in a storage medium of the one or more computers, the demand optimizer engine configured to;

receive information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset, the information comprising rate of usage information about each asset, required uptime information about each asset, information about each type of service, service facility capacity information and a wear model for deterioration of the asset over time; and

generate a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset, the service plan including a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event that minimizes the amount of time the asset is non-operational and minimizes the costs associated with each service event; and

a supply optimizer engine stored in the storage medium of the one or more computers, the supply optimizer engine configured to;

receive the service plan from the demand optimizer engine;

generate a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the current flow and inventory of one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts comprise at least one of a rotable part or a spare part used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event and current turn-around time and capacity of a service facility at which the service event occurs, the service schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events; and

communicate the service schedule to the demand optimizer engine, wherein the supply optimizer engine communicates the service schedule to the demand optimizer engine subsequent to receiving the generated service plan from the demand optimizer engine;

the demand optimizer engine further configured to modify the service plan according to the generated service schedule.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the demand optimizer engine is further configured to generate the planned service start time and end time for each service event to minimize unused asset life.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the demand optimizer engine is further configured to generate the planned service start time and end time for each service event without considering the flow of one or more parts used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event or the capacity of one or more service facilities used to perform the services of each planned service event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the future service requirements comprises the asset condition and one or more maintenance rules specifying an asset condition at which a service should be performed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating characteristics comprise information relating to one or more preferred times for services to be performed on an asset.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cost associated with a service event comprises the cost of the services performed during the service event and the cost of the asset being non-operational during the service event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the demand optimizer engine is further configured to use an estimation of the turn-around time associated with a service event to determine a planned end time for the service event; and

the supply optimizer engine is further configured to use the information regarding the flow of the one or more parts to determine a turn-around time for the service event and uses the turnaround time and the planned start time for the service event to generate a scheduled end time for the service event.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the supply optimizer engine is further configured to always use the planned start time as the scheduled start time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the supply optimizer engine is further configured to generate a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on minimizing cost and turn-around time.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the service plan according to the service schedule comprises modifying the planned start time of a next service event associated with an asset in response to a difference between a planned end time for a previous service event associated with the asset generated by the demand optimizer engine and a scheduled end time for the previous service event generated by the supply optimizer engine.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the supply optimizer engine uses a genetic algorithm to generate the service schedule, the genetic algorithm having a plurality of chromosomes each corresponding to a particular ordering of a set of maintenance, repair, and/or overhaul service events.

12. A computer-implemented method of planning and scheduling service events for one or more assets, comprising:

receiving by a computer, information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset, the information comprising rate of usage information about each asset, required uptime information about each asset, information about each type of service, service facility capacity information and a wear model for deterioration of the asset over time;

generating by the computer, a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset, the service plan including a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event that minimizes the amount of time the asset is non-operational and minimizes the costs associated with each service event;

generating by the computer, a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the current flow and inventory of one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts comprise at least one of a rotable part or a spare part used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event and current turn-around time and capacity of a service facility at which the service event occurs, the service schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events; and

modifying by the computer, the service plan according to the generated service schedule.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the planned service start time and end time for each service event to minimize unused asset life.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the planned service start time and end time for each service event without considering the flow of one or more parts used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event or the capacity of one or more service facilities used to perform the services of each planned service event.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the information regarding the future service requirements comprises the asset condition and one or more maintenance rules specifying an asset condition at which a service should be performed.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the operating characteristics comprise information relating to one or more preferred times for services to be performed on an asset.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the cost associated with a service event comprises the cost of the services performed during the service event and the cost of the asset being non-operational during the service event.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

an estimation of the turn-around time associated with a service event is used to determine a planned end time for the service event; and

the information regarding the flow of the one or more parts is used to determine a turn-around time for the service event and the turn-around time and the planned start time for the service event are used to generate a scheduled end time for the service event.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the supply optimizer engine always uses the planned start time as the scheduled start time.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on minimizing cost and turn-around time.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the service plan according to the service schedule comprises modifying the planned start time of a next service event associated with an asset in response to a difference between a planned end time for a previous service event associated with the asset generated by the demand optimizer engine and a scheduled end time for the previous service event generated by the supply optimizer engine.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the service schedule is generated using a genetic algorithm, the genetic algorithm having a plurality of chromosomes each corresponding to a particular ordering of a set of maintenance, repair, and/or overhaul service events.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software for planning and scheduling service events for one or more assets, the software when executed, using one or more computers is configured to:

receive information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset, the information comprising information about each asset, information about each type of service, service facility capacity information and a wear model for deterioration of the asset over time;

generate a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset, the service plan including a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event that minimizes the amount of time the asset is non-operational and minimizes the costs associated with each service event;

generate a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the current flow and inventory of one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts comprise at least one of a rotable part or a spare part used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event and current turn-around time and capacity of a service facility at which the service event occurs, the service schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events; and

modify the generated service plan according to the generated service schedule.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the software is further configured to generate the planned service start time and end time for each service event to minimize unused asset life.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the software is further configured to generate the planned service start time and end time for each service event without considering the flow of one or more parts used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event or the capacity of one or more service facilities used to perform the services of each planned service event.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the information regarding the future service requirements comprises the asset condition and one or more maintenance rules specifying an asset condition at which a service should be performed.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the operating characteristics comprise information relating to one or more preferred times for services to be performed on an asset.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the cost associated with a service event comprises the cost of the services performed during the service event and the cost of the asset being non-operational during the service event.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein:

an estimation of the turn-around time associated with a service event is used to determine a planned end time for the service event; and

the information regarding the flow of the one or more parts is used to determine a turn-around time for the service event and the turn-around time and the planned start time for the service event are used to generate a scheduled end time for the service event.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the planned start time is always used as the scheduled start time.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the software is further configured to generate a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on minimizing cost and turn-around time.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein modifying the service plan according to the service schedule comprises modifying the planned start time of a next service event associated with an asset in response to a difference between a planned end time for a previous service event associated with the asset and a scheduled end time for the previous service event.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the service schedule is generated using a genetic algorithm, the genetic algorithm having a plurality of chromosomes each corresponding to a particular ordering of a set of maintenance, repair, and/or overhaul service events.

34. A system for planning and scheduling service events for one or more assets, comprising:

one or more computers coupled with one or more data storage locations, the one or more computers comprising;

a demand optimizer engine stored in a storage medium of the one or more computers, the demand optimizer engine configured to;

receive information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset, the information comprising rate of usage information about each asset, required uptime information about each asset, information about each type of service, service facility capacity information and a wear model for deterioration of the asset over time, the information regarding the future service requirements comprising the asset condition and one or more maintenance rules specifying an asset condition at which a service should be performed; and

generate a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset, the service plan including a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event that minimizes the amount of time the asset is non-operational and minimizes the costs associated with each service event, the demand optimizer engine using an estimation of the turn-around time associated with a service event to determine a planned end time for the service event; and

a supply optimizer engine stored in the storage medium of the one or more computers, the supply optimizer engine configured to;

receive the service plan from the demand optimizer engine;

generate a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the current flow and inventory of one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts comprise at least one of a rotable part or a spare part used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event and based on the current capacity and turn-around time of one or more service facilities used to perform the services of each planned service event, the service schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events, the supply optimizer engine using the information regarding the flow of the one or more parts to determine a turn-around time for the service event and using the turn-around time and the planned start time for the service event to generate a scheduled end time for the service event; and

communicate the service schedule to the demand optimizer engine, wherein the supply optimizer engine communicates the service schedule to the demand optimizer engine subsequent to receiving the generated service plan from the demand optimizer engine;

the demand optimizer engine further configured to modify the service plan according to the generated service schedule.

35. A computer-implemented method for planning and scheduling service events for one or more assets, comprising:

receiving by a computer, information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset, the information comprising rate of usage information about each asset, required uptime information about each asset, information about each type of service, service facility capacity information and a wear model for deterioration of the asset over time, the information regarding the future service requirements comprising the asset condition and one or more maintenance rules specifying an asset condition at which a service should be performed;

generating by the computer, a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset, the service plan including a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event that minimizes the amount of time the asset is non-operational and minimizes the costs associated with each service event, the demand optimizer engine using an estimation of the turn-around time associated with a service event to determine a planned end time for the service event;

generating by the computer, a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the current flow and inventory of one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts comprise at least one of a rotable part or a spare part used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event and based on the current capacity and turn-around time of one or more service facilities used to perform the services of each planned service event, the service schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events, the information regarding the flow of the one or more parts used to determine a turn-around time for the service event and using the turn-around time and the planned start time for the service event used to generate a scheduled end time for the service event; and

modifying by the computer, the service plan according to the generated service schedule.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software for planning and scheduling service events for one or more assets, the software when executed, using one or more computers is configured to:

receive information regarding future service requirements for an asset and operating characteristics of the asset, the information comprising rate of usage information about each asset, required uptime information about each asset, information about each type of service, service facility capacity information and a wear model for deterioration of the asset over time, the information regarding the future service requirements comprising the asset condition and one or more maintenance rules specifying an asset condition at which a service should be performed;

generate a service plan identifying one or more planned service events during which one or more services are to be performed on the asset, the service plan including a planned start time and a planned end time for each service event that minimizes the amount of time the asset is non-operational and minimizes the costs associated with each service event, an estimation of the turn-around time associated with a service event used to determine a planned end time for the service event;

generate a service schedule for one or more of the planned service events based on information regarding the current flow and inventory of one or more parts, wherein the one or more parts comprise at least one of a rotable part or a spare part used in conjunction with the services of each planned service event and based on the current capacity and turn-around time of one or more service facilities used to perform the services of each planned service event, the service schedule including a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the one or more planned service events, the information regarding the flow of the one or more parts used to determine a turn-around time for the service event and the turn-around time and the planned start time for the service event used to generate a scheduled end time for the service event; and

communicate the service schedule to the demand optimizer engine subsequent to receiving the generated service plan form the demand optimizer engine; and

modifying the generated service plan according to the generated service schedule.