Controlled cancellation for production flow and physical assets

• US 8,290,606 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Knipfer, Ivory W., Zemke, Matthew H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jason
• Application Number:
  US12/130,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/97, 700/99, 700/100, 700/105, 705/28, 705/7, 705/300, 705/400, 705/500, 705/6, 705/29, 705/7.12, 705/7.23, 705/7.25
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment can be provided. The method can include receiving a cancellation of an order in the manufacturing environment, reading a list of work units associated with the order, obtaining at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, reading a space maximum value associated with at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, reading a stock maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, determining a current stock value associated with at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, and if the current stock value is less than the space maximum value and the stock maximum value, setting a valid cancel optimization status indicator of the first work unit. The method can further include retrieving a cancel optimization model record matching the at least one identifying attribute of the first work unit, and can include applying the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit to modify a process routing map of the first work unit.

Claims

1. A method, using a computer hardware system, for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment, the method comprising:

receiving, using the computer hardware system, a cancellation of an order in the manufacturing environment;

reading, using the computer hardware system, a list of work units associated with the order;

obtaining, using the computer hardware system, at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order;

reading, using the computer hardware system, a space maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit;

reading, using the computer hardware system, a stock maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order;

determining, using the computer hardware system, a current stock value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order;

if the current stock value is less than the space maximum value and the stock maximum value, setting, using the computer hardware system, a valid cancel optimization status indicator for the first work unit;

retrieving, using the computer hardware system, a cancel optimization model record matching at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order; and

,

applying using the computer hardware system, the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit in the list of work units to modify a process routing map of the first work unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order comprises:

obtaining a plurality of identifying attributes of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, wherein the plurality of identifying attributes are selected from the group consisting of product line, product identification, bill of materials and part identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit to modify a process routing map of the first work unit comprises:

determining a current level of test completion for the first work unit; and

comparing the current level of test completion to a minimum test complete value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit to modify a process routing map of the first work unit comprises:

determining a current percentage of installed parts of the first work unit; and

comparing the current percentage of installed parts to a minimum percentage of installed parts value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit to modify a process routing map of the first work unit comprises:

determining a current percentage of operations completed for the first work unit; and

comparing the current percentage of operations completed to a minimum percentage of operations complete value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a work unit in the list of work units associated with the order is a parent work unit;

reading a list of child work units associated with the parent work unit;

obtaining at least one identifying attribute for each child work unit installed in the parent work unit;

reading a stock maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute for each child work unit;

determining a current child stock value associated with the at least one identifying attribute for each child work unit; and

,

if the current child stock value for each child work unit is less than the stock maximum value for each child work unit, setting a valid cancel optimization status indicator for the parent work unit.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving a cancel optimization model record matching the at least one identifying attribute of the parent work unit.

8. A system for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment, the system comprising:

a data storage device configured to store work unit routings and cancel optimization rules;

an process adjustment for cancel optimization engine, executing as a processor of a computer hardware system, the process adjustment for cancel optimization engine communicatively coupled to a manufacturing system and the data storage device; and

cancelled order process adjustment logic comprising program code, when executed on the processor of the computer hardware system, causes the process adjustment for cancel optimization engine to receive a cancellation of an order in the manufacturing environment, to read a list of work units associated with the order, to obtain at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, to read a space maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, to read a stock maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, to determine a current stock value associated with at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit, if the current stock value is less than the space maximum value and the stock maximum value, to set a valid cancel optimization status indicator for the first work unit, to retrieve a cancel optimization model record matching at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order and to apply the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit to modify a process routing map of the first work unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment is further configured to retrieve a cancel optimization model record matching at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order and to

obtain a plurality of identifying attributes of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, wherein the plurality of identifying attributes are selected from the group consisting of product line, product identification, bill of materials and part identifier.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the system for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment is further configured to

determine a current level of test completion for the first work unit, and

compare the current level of test completion to a minimum test complete value.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the system for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment is further configured to

determine a current percentage of installed parts of the first work unit, and

compare the current percentage of installed parts to a minimum percentage of installed parts value.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment, the computer usable program code, which when executed on a computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform:

receiving a cancellation of an order in the manufacturing environment;

reading a list of work units associated with the order;

obtaining at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order;

reading a space maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order;

reading a stock maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order

determining a current stock value associated with at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit;

setting a valid cancel optimization status indicator for the first work unit conditioned upon the current stock value being less than the space maximum value and the stock maximum value;

retrieving a cancel optimization model record matching at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order; and

,

applying the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit in the list of work units to modify a process routing map of the first work unit.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform

obtaining a plurality of identifying attributes of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, wherein the plurality of identifying attributes are selected from the group consisting of product line, product identification, bill of materials and part identifier.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform

determining a current level of test completion for the first work unit;

and

comparing the current level of test completion to a minimum test complete value.