Warranty management system and method

• US 7,970,711 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Cunha, Eduardo Alves da, Töyrylä, Ilkka
• Primary Examiner(s): Borlinghaus; Jason M
• Application Number:
  US11/748,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A warranty management data processing system, method, and computer program are provided for determining relationships of data associated with warranty claims. Warranty data for a plurality of products is received and stored, and warranty service providers file repair/replace warranty claims against the warranties for the corresponding products. The repair/replace warranty claims are processed and repair/replace claims data is generated. The stored warranty data and the repair/replace claims data are analyzed, and a graphical representation of a distribution of the repair/replace claims data for one of the warranty service providers is generated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented warranty management data processing method for determining relationships of data associated with warranty claims, the computer including a processor and memory, and the method comprising steps performed by the computer of:

receiving, by the processor, warranty data for a plurality of products, wherein each of the plurality of products is associated with a serial number;

storing, by the processor, warranty data for a plurality of products;

processing, by the processor, warranty claims filed against warranties for the plurality of products by a plurality of warranty service providers;

generating, by the processor, claims data based on the warranty claims;

analyzing, by the processor, the stored warranty data and the claims data; and

generating, by the processor, a first graphical representation of a distribution of the claims data for one of the plurality of the warranty service providers, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution curve of a differential of the serial numbers associated with the respective claims data, the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers; and

generating, by the processor, a second graphical representation of a distribution of the claims data for the plurality of the warranty service providers, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution curve of a differential of the serial numbers associated with the respective claims data, the differential calculated based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of the warranty service providers.

2. The warranty management data processing method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers and the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of warranty service providers is a differential of sequentially ordered serial numbers.

3. The warranty management data processing method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers and the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of warranty service providers is a differential of sequentially ordered serial numbers for theoretical warranty claims, and wherein the distribution curves are compared.

4. The warranty management data processing method of claim 1, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution of product ages for the plurality of products of the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers.

5. The warranty management data processing method of claim 1, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution of spare parts data for the plurality of products of the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers.

6. A warranty management data processing system for determining relationships of data associated with warranty claims, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device configured to store warranty data for a plurality of products, wherein each of the plurality of products is associated with a serial number;

a claims module for processing warranty claims filed against warranties for the plurality of products by a plurality of warranty service providers and generating claims data based on the warranty claims;

an analysis module for analyzing the stored warranty data and the claims data, and generating a graphical representation of a distribution of the claims data for one of the plurality of the warranty service providers;

a distribution module for generating;

a first distribution curve of a differential of the serial numbers associated with the respective claims data, the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers, and

a second distribution curve of a differential of the serial numbers associated with the respective claims data, the differential calculated based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of the warranty service providers.

7. The warranty management data processing system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers and the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of warranty service providers is a differential of sequentially ordered serial numbers.

8. The warranty management data processing system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers and the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of warranty service providers is a differential of sequentially ordered serial numbers for theoretical warranty claims, and wherein the distribution curves are compared.

9. The warranty management data processing system of claim 6, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution of product ages for the plurality of products of the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers.

10. The warranty management data processing system of claim 6, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution of spare parts data for the plurality of products of the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers.

11. A warranty management computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, for determining relationships of data associated with warranty claims and containing instructions that, when executed on a processor, performs a method comprising:

receiving warranty data for a plurality of products, wherein each of the plurality of products is associated with a serial number;

storing warranty data for a plurality of products;

processing warranty claims filed against warranties for the plurality of products by a plurality of warranty service providers;

generating claims data based on the warranty claims;

analyzing the stored warranty data and the claims data; and

generating a first graphical representation of a distribution of the claims data for one of the plurality of the warranty service providers, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution curve of a differential of the serial numbers associated with the respective claims data, the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers; and

generating a second graphical representation of a distribution of the claims data for the plurality of the warranty service providers, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution curve of a differential of the serial numbers associated with the respective claims data, the differential calculated based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of the warranty service providers.

12. The warranty management computer program of claim 11, wherein at least one of the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers and the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of warranty service providers is a differential of sequentially ordered serial numbers.

13. The warranty management computer program of claim 12, wherein at least one of the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by one of the plurality of warranty service providers and the differential based upon the warranty claims filed by the plurality of warranty service providers is a differential of sequentially ordered serial numbers for theoretical warranty claims, and wherein the distribution curves are compared.

14. The warranty management computer program of claim 11, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution of product ages for the plurality of products of the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers.

15. The warranty management computer program of claim 11, wherein the distribution of the claims data includes a distribution of spare parts data for the plurality of products of the warranty claims filed by the one of the plurality of the warranty service providers.