Managing maintenance for an item of equipment

• US 7,987,108 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Newton, Charles P. III, Wetzer, Michael, Garrow, Gary R., Weir, Patrick E., West, David P. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jonathan G
• Application Number:
  US11/490,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 702/81
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A method and system for maintaining an item of equipment supports the provision of predictive maintenance in a manner which eliminates or reduces downtime of the equipment. The method includes tracking performance data on the equipment or a particular component of the equipment. At least one required maintenance activity is predicted based upon the performance data with respect to a defined performance standard. Performance of the required maintenance activity is scheduled at a defined respective time based upon the prediction.

Claims

1. A maintenance system comprising:

a communication interface comprising hardware operable to receive;

component data from a supplier data source;

operational data from an equipment sensor; and

worker qualifications data from a human resources system;

memory storing the component data, operational data, and the worker qualifications data;

a configuration monitor comprising hardware operable to determine a configuration maintenance requirement when an equipment configuration is out-of-date;

a predictive maintenance controller coupled to the memory and comprising;

a timer;

a scheduler receiving time data, duration data, or both from the timer; and

a maintenance module coupled to the scheduler and comprising a financial analyzer and a longevity estimator, a probability of failure predictor, or both;

where the predictive maintenance controller is operable to determine a predictive maintenance plan based on the component data, worker qualifications data, the operational data, and a predictive maintenance factor;

a resource planner operable to plan for availability of a component for performing maintenance consistent with the configuration maintenance requirement and operable to coordinate the configuration maintenance requirement and the predictive maintenance plan into a combined maintenance schedule for both the configuration maintenance requirement and the predictive maintenance plan; and

where the communication interface is further operable to transmit the combined maintenance schedule;

to a project personnel management system; and

to a purchasing and inventory control system.

2. The maintenance system of claim 1, where the predictive maintenance controller comprises at least the longevity estimator, and where the predictive maintenance factor is a longevity estimate.

3. The maintenance system of claim 1, where the predictive maintenance controller comprises at least the probability of failure predictor, and where the predictive maintenance factor is a probability of failure estimate.

4. The maintenance system of claim 1, where the resource planner is further operable to plan for the availability of the component at a geographic location.

5. The maintenance system of claim 1, further comprising an allocation intermediary coupled to the communication interface and the scheduler.

6. The maintenance system of claim 1, where the memory comprises:

a first database comprising the component data and operational data;

a second database comprising the worker qualifications data;

and a third database comprising planned maintenance data.

7. The maintenance system of claim 1, where the financial analyzer is operable to provide a cost estimate for the combined maintenance schedule.

8. The maintenance system of claim 7, where the memory comprises a first database comprising repair data and parts list data.

9. The maintenance system of claim 7, where the memory comprises a first database comprising geography definition data and planned work geography definition data.

10. The maintenance system of claim 6, further comprising a fourth database comprising maintenance history data.

11. The maintenance system of claim 1, further comprising an equipment maintenance worker terminal coupled to the project personnel management system through a communication network.

12. The maintenance system of claim 1, further comprising a supplier order fulfillment center coupled to the purchasing and inventory control system through a communication network.

13. A maintenance method comprising:

receiving component data from a supplier data source, operational data from an equipment sensor, and worker qualifications data from a human resources system over a communication interface including hardware;

storing the component data, the operational data, and the worker qualifications data in a memory in communication with the communication interface;

with a data processing system comprising hardware;

determining a configuration maintenance requirement when an equipment configuration is out-of-date;

using a financial analyzer and a longevity estimator, a probability of failure predictor, or both in conjunction with a timer and a scheduler to determine a predictive maintenance plan based on the component data, the worker qualifications data, the operational data, and a predictive maintenance factor;

planning for availability of a component for performing maintenance consistent with the configuration maintenance requirement;

coordinating the configuration maintenance requirement and the predictive maintenance plan into a combined maintenance schedule for both the configuration maintenance requirement and the predictive maintenance plan; and

transmitting the combined maintenance schedule through the communication interface to a project personnel management system and to a purchasing and inventory control system.

14. The method of claim 13, where using comprises:

using at least the longevity estimator, and where the predictive maintenance factor is a longevity estimate.

15. The method of claim 13, where using comprises:

using at least the probability of failure predictor, and where the predictive maintenance factor is a probability of failure estimate.

16. The method of claim 13, where planning comprises:

planning for the availability of the component at a geographic location.

17. The method of claim 13, where storing comprises:

storing the component data and operational data in a first database,

storing the worker qualifications data in a second database; and

further comprising storing planned maintenance data in a third database.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing maintenance history data in a fourth database, the maintenance history comprising historical configuration data and historical planned maintenance data.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing repair data and parts list data in a first database, and storing historical resource data in a second database.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising searching the memory for worker qualifications and availability.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising allocating maintenance personnel to perform the combined maintenance schedule based on simultaneous availability of the component and the maintenance personnel.

22. The method of claim 13, where transmitting comprises:

transmitting through the project personnel management system to an equipment maintenance worker terminal.

23. The method of claim 13, where transmitting comprises:

transmitting through the purchasing and inventory control system to a supplier order fulfillment center.

24. A maintenance system comprising:

means for receiving component data from a supplier data source, operational data from an equipment sensor, and worker qualifications data from a human resources system over a communication interface;

means for determining a configuration maintenance requirement when an equipment configuration is out-of-date;

means for determining a predictive maintenance plan based on the component data, the worker qualifications data, the operational data, and a predictive maintenance factor using a financial analyzer and a longevity estimator, a probability of failure predictor, or both in conjunction with a timer and a scheduler;

means for planning for availability of a component for performing maintenance consistent with the configuration maintenance requirement;

means for coordinating the configuration maintenance requirement and the predictive maintenance plan into a combined maintenance schedule for both the configuration maintenance requirement and the predictive maintenance plan; and

means for transmitting the combined maintenance schedule through the communication interface to a project personnel management system and to a purchasing and inventory control system.

25. The maintenance system of claim 24, where the means for determining uses at least the longevity estimator, and where the predictive maintenance factor is a longevity estimate for an equipment component.

26. The maintenance system of claim 24, where the means for determining uses at least the probability of failure predictor, and where the predictive maintenance factor is a probability of failure estimate.

27. The maintenance system of claim 24, where the means for transmitting further transmits the combined maintenance schedule to an equipment maintenance worker terminal.

28. The maintenance system of claim 24, where the means for transmitting further transmits the combined maintenance schedule to a supplier order fulfillment center.

29. The maintenance system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for storing the component data and operational data; and

means for storing the worker qualifications data.