Real-time assembly and part validation and auto-disposition

• US 8,145,336 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zemke, Matthew H., Knipfer, Ivory W., Syme, Fraser A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US12/186,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 700/105, 700/107, 700/110, 705/28, 705/29, 707/100, 714/2
• US Class Current: 700/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

Real-time assembly and part validation (or “containment”) and auto-disposition in a manufacturing environment. Validation and auto-disposition are performed in a real-time, proactive manner where the validation and auto-disposition processing are not coupled to the installation process. Validation problems or issues may therefore be identified and resolved before an assembly or part is needed for installation.

Claims

1. An automated validation and auto-disposition method for parts to be installed in one or more products, comprising:

identifying each distinct part number represented in a rework repository;

performing a validation for each part, from a plurality of parts, having a part number that matches any of the identified part numbers, further comprising;

causing the part to fail the validation if a version number of the part does not match any of at least one predetermined acceptable version number for the part number; and

causing the part to fail the validation if failure conditions specified for the matching identified part number in the rework repository match conditions corresponding to the part; and

for each part that fails the validation, programmatically consulting the rework repository to determine any rework actions specified therein for addressing the validation failure and initiating at least one specified rework action to address the validation failure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automated validation and auto-disposition method is performed prior to needing parts for installation into a product.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parts is determined by consulting an inventory repository.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rework repository specifies, for each of at least one of the plurality of parts, at least one rework action.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rework repository specifies, for each of at least one of the plurality of parts, a plurality of rework actions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein programmatically consulting a rework repository further comprises using the part number of each part that fails the validation as an index into the rework repository to locate rework actions specified therein in association with that part number.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the failure conditions comprise at least one of:

a stocking location of the part, a vendor of the part, and a date range associated with the part.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the failure conditions comprise at least one of:

a serial number of the part, an age of the part, and an operation status associated with the part.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

validating whether each of a plurality of assemblies is acceptable for installing in the one or more products, comprising causing the assembly to fail the assembly validation if a version number of the assembly does not match any of at least one predetermined acceptable version number for the assembly, each assembly comprising at least two of the plurality of parts; and

for each of at least one of the assemblies that fails the assembly validation, programmatically consulting the rework repository to determine any rework actions specified therein for addressing the assembly validation failure and initiating at least one specified rework action to address the assembly validation failure.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising creating a rework tracking entry in a rework actions repository for each of the initiated rework actions and recording, in the rework tracking entry, a current status of that initiated rework action.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rework actions specified in the rework repository comprise at least one of:

returning the part to a vendor thereof;

repairing the part; and

discarding the part.

12. A system for automated validation and auto-disposition of parts and assemblies for installation in a product, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions executable using the processor to implement functions comprising;

identifying each distinct part number and each distinct assembly number represented in a rework repository;

performing a part validation for each part, from a plurality of parts, having a part number that matches any of the identified part numbers and an assembly validation for each assembly, from a plurality of assemblies, having an assembly number that matches any of the identified assembly numbers, comprising causing the part to fail the part validation if a version number of the part does not match any of at least one predetermined acceptable version number for the part and causing the assembly to fail the assembly validation if a version number of the assembly does not match any of at least one predetermined acceptable version number for the assembly; and

for each part that fails the part validation and each assembly that fails the assembly validation, using the part number of the failing part or the assembly number of the failing assembly, respectively, as an index to programmatically consult the rework repository to determine any rework actions specified therein, in association with the part number or the assembly number, for addressing the part or assembly validation failure and initiating at least one specified rework action to address the part or assembly validation failure.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

the automated validation and auto-disposition is performed prior to needing parts or assemblies for installation into a product.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the rework repository further comprises constraints for restricting whether the rework actions specified for a particular part number or assembly number are to be applied to individual parts or assemblies having that part number or assembly number, the constraints comprising at least one of:

a stocking location of the part or assembly, a vendor of the part or assembly, and a date range associated with the part or assembly.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the rework repository further comprises constraints for restricting whether the rework actions specified for a particular part number or assembly number are to be applied to individual parts or assemblies having that part number or assembly number, the constraints comprising at least one of:

a serial number of the part or assembly, an age of the part or assembly, and an operation status associated with the part or assembly.

16. A computer program product for automated validation and auto-disposition of parts and assemblies for installation in a product, the computer program product embodied on at least one computer-readable medium and comprising computer-readable program code for:

identifying each distinct part number and each distinct assembly number represented in a rework repository;

performing a part validation for each part, from a plurality of parts, having a part number that matches any of the identified part numbers and an assembly validation for each assembly, from a plurality of assemblies, having an assembly number that matches any of the identified assembly numbers, comprising causing the part to fail the part validation if a version number of the part does not match any of at least one predetermined number for the part and causing the assembly to fail the assembly validation if a version number of the assembly does not match any of at least one predetermined acceptable version number for the assembly; and

addressing the validation failure for each part that fails the part validation and each assembly that fails the assembly validation by using the part number of the failing part or the assembly number of the failing assembly, respectively, as an index to programmatically consult the rework repository to determine any rework actions specified therein, in association with the part number or the assembly number, and initiating at least one specified rework action to address the part or assembly validation failure.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the rework repository further comprises constraints for restricting whether the rework actions specified for a particular part number or assembly number are to be applied to individual parts or assemblies having that part number or assembly number, the constraints comprising at least one of:

a stocking location of the part or assembly, a vendor of the part or assembly, and a date range associated with the part or assembly.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the rework repository further comprises constraints for restricting whether the rework actions specified for a particular part number or assembly number are to be applied to individual parts or assemblies having that part number or assembly number, the constraints comprising at least one of:

a serial number of the part or assembly, an age of the part or assembly, and an operation status associated with the part or assembly.