Real-Time Assembly and Part Validation and Auto-Disposition

• US 20100036515A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zemke, Matthew H., Syme, Fraser A., Knipfer, Ivory W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 use in assembling a product, comprising:

validating whether each of a plurality of parts is acceptable for use in current production by comparing a version of each part to an acceptable version or versions of that part; and

for each of at least one of the parts that fails the validation, programmatically consulting a 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 comparing a version of each part to an acceptable version or versions of that part further comprises performing the comparing prior to needing the part for installation into a product.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the parts fail the validation if comparing a version of each part to an acceptable version or versions of that part determines that the version of the part is different from the acceptable version or versions of that part.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the validating further comprises determining the plurality of parts by consulting an inventory repository.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the rework repository further comprises constraints for restricting whether the rework actions specified for a particular part number are to be applied to individual parts having that part number, the constraints comprising at least one of:

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

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the rework repository further comprises constraints for restricting whether the rework actions specified for a particular part number are to be applied to individual parts having that part number, the constraints comprising at least one of:

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

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

validating whether each of a plurality of assemblies is acceptable for use in current production by comparing a version of each assembly to an acceptable version or versions of that assembly, each assembly comprising at least two parts; and

for each of at least one of the assemblies that fails the validation, programmatically consulting a 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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;

validating whether each of a plurality of parts and a plurality of assemblies is acceptable for use in current production by comparing a version of each part and each assembly to an acceptable version or versions of that part or assembly; and

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

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein:

the validating is performed prior to needing the part for installation into a product; and

the parts and assemblies fail the validation if comparing a version of each part and each assembly to an acceptable version or versions of that part or assembly determines that the version of the part or assembly is different from the acceptable version or versions of that part or assembly.

15. The system according to claim 13, 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.

16. The system according to claim 13, 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, a version of the part or assembly, and an operation status associated with the part or assembly.

17. 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:

validating whether each of a plurality of parts and a plurality of assemblies is acceptable for use in current production by comparing a version of each part and each assembly to an acceptable version or versions of that part or assembly;

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

iteratively repeating the validating and the addressing.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein:

the parts and assemblies fail the validation if comparing a version of each part and each assembly to an acceptable version or versions of that part or assembly determines that the version of the part or assembly is different from the acceptable version or versions of that part or assembly.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, 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.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17, 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, a version of the part or assembly, and an operation status associated with the part or assembly.