Method, system and facility for monitoring resources within a manufacturing environment

• US 20020123813A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Ashish, Bickley, Branden C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/99
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group

Abstract

A method, system and logic are described for monitoring resources within a manufacturing environment. A system for monitoring resources within a manufacturing facility includes a remote monitoring system coupled to one or more pieces of equipment within the manufacturing facility. The remote monitoring system may be communicatively coupled to a control center operable to display status information associated with using the one or more pieces of equipment.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring resources within a build to order manufacturing facility comprising:

a remote monitoring system coupled to one or more pieces of equipment within the manufacturing facility operable to produce build to order products;

the remote monitoring system communicatively coupled to a control center operable to display status information associated with using the one or more pieces of equipment; and

the monitoring system operable to determine an operating status of the one or more pieces of equipment relative to a ship criteria associated with producing the build to order products.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising plural pieces of equipment operably associated with one or more locations within the manufacturing facility.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an aggregator operably coupled to one or more information sources associated with the control center, the aggregator operable to consolidate real-time information relating to the status information.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more remote access terminals within the manufacturing facility operable to provide access to the remote monitoring system.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a simulator communicatively coupled to the remote monitoring system and operable to simulate allocating resources based on an error associated with the one or more pieces of equipment.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network interface communicatively coupled to one or more of the pieces of equipment and operable to communicate information in real-time to provide the operating status associated with the one or more pieces of equipment.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a process monitor operable to monitor a process that uses the one or more pieces of equipment.

8. A method for monitoring resources within a build to order manufacturing facility comprising:

accessing information resources for selective portions of a manufacturing facility, the resources associated with one or more pieces of equipment remotely located from a control center for the manufacturing facility operable to produce build to order products;

determining an operating status of the one ore more pieces of equipment relative to a ship criteria associated with manufacturing the products; and

displaying the status within a user interface of the control center.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

accessing a log to obtain information for monitoring the equipment;

determining if an error has occurred with one of the pieces of equipment;

notifying the control center of the error; and

updating the status for the piece of equipment.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining a reallocation of resources within the facility using a one or more WIP profiles;

reallocating the resources in response to the equipment encountering the error.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing information in real-time from remote locations within the manufacturing facility.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising automatically reallocating resources upon determining an error associated with a malfunctioning piece of equipment.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising routing product to a different portion of the manufacturing facility in response to determining the error.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising associating a process with the one or more pieces of equipment to provide a process monitor.

16. The medium of claim 15 further comprising logic operable to:

access a log to obtain information for monitoring the equipment;

determine if an error has occurred with one of the pieces of equipment;

notify the control center of the error; and

update the status for the piece of equipment.

17. The medium of claim 16 further comprising logic operable to:

determine a reallocation of resources within the facility using a one or more WIP profiles;

reallocate the resources in response to the equipment encountering the error.

18. The medium of claim 15 further comprising the logic operable to provide information in real-time from remote locations within the manufacturing facility.

19. The medium of claim 15 further comprising logic operable to automatically reallocate resources upon determining an error associated with a malfunctioning piece of equipment.

20. The medium of claim 19 further comprising the logic operable to route product to a different portion of the manufacturing facility in response to determining the error.

21. The medium of claim 15 further comprising logic operable to associate a process with the one or more pieces of equipment to provide a process monitor.

15. A medium including encoded logic for monitoring resources within a build to order manufacturing facility comprising the logic operable to:

access information resources for selective portions of a manufacturing facility, the resources associated with one or more pieces of equipment remotely located from a control center for the manufacturing facility operable to produce build to order products;

determine an operating status of the one ore more pieces of equipment relative to a ship criteria associated with manufacturing the products; and

display the status within a user interface of the control center.