Methods and systems for utilizing repair orders in determining diagnostic repairs

• US 20140207515A1
• Filed: 01/21/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Merg, Patrick S., Foreman, Jacob G., Bunting, Hannah E.A.
• Application Number:
  US13/746,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207515A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A method and system for publishing a real-fix tip associated with one or more repairs orders. A fix-generator data processing machine (DPM) can retrieve a repair order (RO) from an RO database configured to store published or unpublished RO. The fix-generator DPM can select standard text phrases to identify a complaint, a cause, and a correction to generate a real-fix tip. A coordinator DPM can review the real-fix tip prior to publication of the real-fix tip. The coordinator DPM can return the real-fix tip for revising at the fix-generator DPM and can display the revised real-fix tip for further review of the real-fix tip. Published real-fix tips, alone or along with the RO associated with the real-fix tip, can be presented to an RO receiver DPM. Unpublished RO can be received in an electronic form or in paper form and converted to the electronic form.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a selection of a first repair order (RO) stored in an RO database;

displaying, using a display device, a real-fix creation-interface controlled by the processor;

generating, using the processor, at least a portion of a first real-fix tip associated with the first RO, wherein the at least a portion of the first real-fix tip is based on information entered via the real-fix creation-interface; and

transmitting, using a communications interface, the at least a portion of the first real-fix tip to the RO database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, using the display device, an RO-group selection-interface, wherein the RO-group selection-interface is configured to display at least one RO group associated with RO search criteria selected using the RO-group selection-interface, and wherein the at least one RO group comprises a first RO group including the first RO; and

receiving, at the processor, a selection of the first RO group from the at least one RO group,

wherein receiving the selection of the first RO comprises receiving, while repair orders of the first RO group are displayed on the display, a selection of the first RO from the first RO group.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying, using the display, a quantity of repair orders for each RO group of the at least one RO group,

wherein the or each quantity of repair orders indicates how many repair orders are identified during a search of the RO database using the RO search criteria.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein displaying the real-fix creation-interface comprises displaying a first text entry area and at least a subset of phrases associated with the first text entry area, and

wherein generating the at least a portion first real-fix tip comprises receiving a selection of at least one phrase, from the at least a subset of phrases associated with the first text entry, for entry into the first text entry area.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein another portion of the first real-fix tip is generated by a processor that stores the first real-fix tip in the RO database.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein displaying the real-fix creation-interface comprises displaying an RO validation selection area from which an RO validation selection is selectable from a plurality of RO validation selections;

the method further comprising;

receiving, at the processor, a first RO validation selection, selected from the RO validation selection area, for the first RO; and

associating the first RO with the first RO validation selection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of RO validation selections comprises a usable RO selection, a non-usable RO selection, and a duplicate RO selection.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a second RO stored in the RO database;

displaying, using the display device, at least one real-fix tip previously stored within the RO database;

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a real-fix tip, previously stored within the RO database, as a real-fix tip to be associated with the second RO;

receiving, at the processor, a second RO validation selection, selected from the RO validation selection area, for the second RO; and

associating the second RO with the second RO validation selection.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a third RO stored in the RO database;

receiving, at the processor, a third RO validation selection from the RO validation selection area, wherein the third RO validation selection is a non-usable RO validation selection; and

associating the third RO with the third RO validation selection.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the third RO was selectable as a result of the processor searching the RO database based on RO search criteria selected using an RO-group selection interface, and

wherein, after associating the third RO with the third RO validation selection, the third RO is not presented as a selectable RO in response to the processor searching the RO database again based on the RO search criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first real-fix tip comprises data selected from the group consisting of (i) data indicating a complaint pertaining to a malfunction of a repairable item, (ii) data indicating a cause of the malfunction of the repairable item, and (iii) data indicating how the malfunction of the repairable item was corrected.

12. A machine comprising:

a processor;

a display device;

a computer-readable data storage device comprising computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising;

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a first repair order (RO) stored in an RO database;

displaying, using a display device, a real-fix creation-interface controlled by the processor;

generating, using the processor, at least a portion of a real-fix tip associated with the first RO, wherein the at least a portion of the real-fix tip is based on information entered via the real-fix creation-interface; and

a communications interface to transmit the at least a portion of the real-fix top for storage within the RO database.

13. The machine of claim 12,

wherein displaying the real-fix creation-interface comprises displaying an RO validation selection area from which an RO validation selection is selectable from a plurality of RO validation selections, and

wherein the set of functions comprises:

receiving, at the processor, a first RO validation selection, selected from the RO validation selection area, for the first RO;

associating the first RO with the first RO validation selection.

14. The machine of claim 13, wherein the set of functions further comprises:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a second RO stored in the RO database;

displaying, using the display device, at least one real-fix tip previously stored within the RO database;

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a real-fix tip, previously stored within the RO database, as a real-fix tip to be associated with the second RO;

receiving, at the processor, a second RO validation selection, selected from the RO validation selection area, for the second RO; and

associating the second RO with the second RO validation selection.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a selection of a first real-fix tip submitted for review prior to publication of the first real-fix tip;

displaying, using a display device, the first real-fix tip submitted for review;

receiving, at the processor, a selection to return the first real-fix tip for revision of the first real-fix tip prior to publication of the first real-fix tip;

displaying, using the display device, a reason-for-return entry area;

receiving, using the reason-for-return entry area, a reviewer comment indicating why the first real-fix tip is being returned for revision; and

receiving, at the processor, a submission selection that triggers transmitting the review comment to an RO database comprising the first real-fix tip.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the reviewer comment comprises receiving a selection of a pre-authored comment why the first real-fix tip is being returned for revision or entering a spontaneous text comment why the first real-fix tip is being returned for revision.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of the first real-fix tip after transmitting the review comment to the RO database;

receiving, at the processor, a selection to publish the first real-fix tip as revised at a fix-generator data processing machine after transmitting the review comment to the RO database; and

transmitting, using a communications interface, the selection to publish the first real-fix tip to the RO database.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a second real-fix tip submitted for review prior to publication of the second real-fix tip;

displaying, using the display device, the second real-fix tip submitted for review;

receiving, at the processor, a selection to publish the second real-fix tip; and

transmitting, using a communications interface, the selection to publish the second real-fix tip to the RO database,

wherein the second real-fix tip is submitted for review only once prior to the second real-fix tip being published.

19. A machine comprising:

a processor;

a display device;

a computer-readable data storage device comprising computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising;

receiving, at the processor, a selection of a real-fix tip submitted for review prior to publication of the real-fix tip;

displaying, using the display device, the real-fix tip submitted for review;

receiving, at the processor, a selection to return the real-fix tip for revision of the real-fix tip prior to publication of the real-fix tip;

displaying, using the display device, a reason-for-return area; and

receiving, using the reason-for-return area, a review comment indicating why the real-fix tip is being returned for revision;

a communications interface to transmit the review comment to a repair order (RO) database comprising the real-fix tip.

20. The machine of claim 19, wherein displaying the real-fix tip comprises displaying, using the display device, a graphical user interface including a selector to return the real-fix tip for revision of the real-fix tip and a selector to submit the real-fix top for publication.

21. The machine of claim 19, wherein the set of functions further comprises:

receiving, at the processor, a selection of the real-fix tip after transmitting the review comment to the RO database;

receiving, at the processor, a selection to publish the real-fix tip as revised at a fix-generator data processing machine after transmitting the review comment to the RO database; and

transmitting, using a communications interface, the selection to publish the real-fix tip to the RO database.