Integrated materials management for commercial aircraft fleets

• US 20070124223A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Khera, Cheryl, Cronie, Wendy, Nomi, Margaret, Rhodes, Patricia, Bueser, Matthew, Avery, Robert, Leonhardi, David, Kirkish, Paula, Maloney, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/29
• 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 10/087 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

Turnkey maintenance of a customer'"'"'s aircraft fleet is managed by a single management service provider (MSP) controlling integrated maintenance and materials services from a central operations site. The MSP converts data received directly from on-board aircraft systems into information it uses to manage maintenance service providers and parts suppliers. The MSP contracts with and manages maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) who perform the maintenance on the customers'"'"' aircraft at line and base stations. The MSP either remotely manages part inventories at the customer'"'"'s site, or manages suppliers who deliver the parts to the MROs. Maintenance planning, scheduling and execution information is exchanged between the MSP, MROs, part suppliers and the customers through a shared data communication network controlled by the MSP. The MSP charges the customer for the maintenance services based on a flat rate per unit of aircraft flying time.

Claims

1. A method of managing parts used to service multiple fleets of aircraft for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) establishing an integrated network of part suppliers under the control of a part network integrator;

(B) forwardly deploying parts from the part suppliers to customer designated sites;

(C) maintaining an inventory of the parts owned by the suppliers at each of the customer designated sites using the parts forwardly deployed in step (B); and

,

(D) using the network integrator to control the part inventories at the customer designated sites.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (A) includes connecting the part suppliers and the customers with the network integrator in a shared communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (B) is performed in response to requests issued by the network integrator to deliver parts to the customers based on the levels of inventory at the customer designated sites.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the network integrator to order parts from the part suppliers in order to maintain the inventories at the customer designated sites.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the network integrator to manage warranties given by the part suppliers to end users of the parts.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording by the network integrator of a transaction when the customer removes a part from the inventory.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transaction is recorded by the network integrator as a sale of the part removed from inventory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network integrator charges the customer for the part when the transaction is recorded as a sale.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network integrator provides each of the customers with a guarantee that the inventory maintained in step (C) will include a predetermined number of parts.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network integrator provides each of the customers with a guarantee relating to the reliability of the parts.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the network integrator to generate forecasts of part requirements of each of the customers.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the network integrator to maintain records relating to the quality of parts deployed from the part supplies to the customer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(E) using the network integrator to generate reports related to the use of parts by the customer; and

,

(F) carrying out maintenance service on the aircraft using the reports generated in step (E).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the parts include at least one of rotable parts, expendable parts and repairable parts.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the parts include expendable parts, and the method further comprises the step of charging the customers a service fee for the expendable parts.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the parts include rotable or repairable parts, and the method further comprises the step of charging the customers an hourly fee for the rotable or expendable parts.

17. A method of managing a supply chain of materials used to service fleet aircraft for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) organizing a network of material suppliers;

(B) designating a warehouse at each of a plurality of customer sites for storing the materials;

(C) maintaining an inventory of the materials owned by the suppliers at each of the warehouses; and

,

(D) using a network integrator to manage the suppliers, and the inventories at each of the warehouses.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (D) includes recording a sale transaction when the customer removes material from the inventory for use in servicing an aircraft.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the integrator charges the customer a fee for the material when the sale transaction is recorded.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein step (D) includes connecting the material suppliers and the customers with the network integrator in a shared communication network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the network integrator orders material from the suppliers in order to maintain the inventories at the warehouses.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of using the network integrator to manage warranties given by the part suppliers to end users of the parts.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the inventories are maintained by the network integrator, and network integrator provides each of the customers with a guarantee that the inventories in the customer'"'"'s warehouse will be maintained above predetermined levels.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein step (D) includes generating forecasts of material requirements of each of the customers.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein step (D) includes maintaining records relating to the quality of parts deployed from the part supplies to the customer.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

(E) using the network integrator to generate reports related to the use of materials by the customer; and

,

(F) carrying out maintenance service on the aircraft using the reports generated in step (E).

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the parts include at least one of rotable parts, expendable parts and repairable parts.

28. An integrated supply chain management system for materials used in servicing vehicle fleets for customers, comprising:

a network of material suppliers for supplying materials used in servicing the vehicles;

a plurality of warehouses respectively located at customer designated sites for warehousing inventories of materials owned by the suppliers;

an inventory at each of the warehouses of the materials supplied and owned by the suppliers;

a supply chain manager for managing the network of suppliers, the inventories in the warehouses and material sale transactions with the customers; and

,

a shared information communication network connecting the suppliers and the customers with the supply chain manager.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the communication network includes:

a computer based host server located at a site operated by the supply chain manager and having a set of stored instructions for carrying out supply chain management functions, and,

a remote server associated with each of the customer designated sites for storing information relating to the inventory at the associated site, and for communicating with the host server.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the communication network includes a communication terminal located at each of the customer designated sites for enabling the customer to send and receive communications between its site and the supply chain manager.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the communications network includes:

a first computer based server located at a site operated by the supply chain manager and having at set of stored instructions for carrying out supply chain management functions, and,

a second computer based server located at a site operated by the supply chain manager for storing information relating to maintenance of the vehicle, and exchanging information with the first server relating to the materials used for vehicle maintenance by the customers.