Automated notification of part revisions for outside suppliers

• US 8,027,856 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vetco Gray Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Vetco Gray Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Bratcher, William R., Krueger, Paul J., Wooton, Wayne Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYCE, ANDRE D
• Application Number:
  US10/996,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/7.11
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Revision of a part specification document, such as a drawing, a part specification, or a bill of materials, prompts execution of an automated notification process. A unique part number associated with the revised part specification document is employed in searching open purchasing documents for purchase orders or request for quotes containing the part number. Electronic mail addresses for outside supplier contacts are kept in the database and linked to the supplier master of the open purchasing documents containing the part number. An electronic mail notification of the part specification document revision is generated and transmitted to each electronic mail address identified as being associated with an open purchasing document containing the subject part number.

Claims

1. A machine for updating part specification and purchasing documents, the machine comprising:

a manufacturer computer for notifying relevant parties of revisions to part specification documents and purchasing documents, the manufacturer computer comprising a processor and computer readable and non-transitory storage media including computer readable instructions stored thereon that when executed causes control circuitry within the manufacturer computer to perform the steps of;

monitoring user access to the part specification documents to determine whether a part specification in the part specification documents has been revised, revisions to the part specification document including adding, deleting or revising part specifications, the part specification documents including drawings of parts;

responsive to detecting a revision to a part specification document for a part, identifying a unique part number associated with the part having the revised part specification;

searching open purchasing documents relating to purchases from outside suppliers for the unique part number responsive to the identifying of the unique part number to thereby identify each of one or more open purchasing documents associated with the part having the revised part specification, the identified one or more open purchasing documents comprising one or more open purchase orders for the part, the part currently being manufactured under the one or more open purchase orders;

identifying, responsive to searching the purchasing documents, each supplier electronic mail address associated with each corresponding open purchasing document containing the unique part number for the part having the revised part specification document, each supplier electronic mail address associated with a different outside supplier;

responsive to identifying each respective supplier electronic email address associated with each open purchasing document containing the unique part number for the part having the revised part specification, generating to each of the respective outside suppliers, a separate electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document for the part having the unique part number contained within the respective purchasing document, each electronic mail message notification containing the unique part number and a link to the revised part specification document;

monitoring access by each of the outside suppliers receiving the electronic mail message notification of the revised part specification document to thereby determine whether each notified outside supplier affected by the revision has accessed the revised part specification document within a preselected period of time; and

determining, by sending a second electronic notification, why one or more of the notified outside suppliers has not accessed the revised part specification document.

2. A computer program product for performing a process of making revisions to part specification and purchasing documents and a process of notifying relevant parties associated with purchasing documents of the revisions, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions, stored on a tangible non-transitory computer readable medium, that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the following operations:

monitoring user access to the part specification documents, the user access being for creation, deletion, or release of a part specification document defining a revision, the revision being associated with a part having a unique part number;

searching open purchasing documents relating to outside suppliers for the unique part number responsive to the creation, deletion, or release of the revision to thereby identify each open purchasing document associated with the part associated with the revised part specification document, the identified open purchasing documents comprising one or more open purchase orders for the part, the part being currently manufactured under the one or more open purchase orders;

automatically identifying an email address associated with each respective outside supplier associated with each purchasing document containing the unique part number of the part associated with the revised part specification document;

automatically notifying each identified outside supplier of the revision; and

providing the revised part specification document to each identified outside supplier associated with each respective purchasing document containing the unique part number of the part associated with the revised part specification document.

3. A computer program product as defined in claim 2,

wherein the step of automatically notifying the identified outside supplier of the revision includes the step of generating, responsive to identifying each electronic email address associated with each outside supplier, an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document, the electronic mail message notification containing the unique part number and a link to the revised part specification document;

and

wherein the steps further comprise;

monitoring access by each identified outside supplier receiving the electronic mail message notification to thereby determine whether the revised part specification document has been accessed within a pre-selected period of time, and

determining, by sending a second electronic notification, a reason why one or more notified outside suppliers has not accessed the revised part specification document.

4. A computer program product as defined in claim 2,

wherein a plurality of outside suppliers are each affected by the revision;

and

wherein the step of automatically notifying the identified outside supplier of the revision includes the step of generating an electronic mail message notification to each of the plurality of outside suppliers affected by the revision.

5. A computer program product as defined in claim 2,

wherein a plurality of purchasing documents are each associated with the unique part number;

and

wherein the step of automatically notifying the identified outside supplier of the revision includes the step of generating an electronic mail message notification to each supplier associated with each separate one of the plurality of purchasing documents.

6. A computer implemented method of notifying relevant parties of revisions to part specification documents, implemented by a manufacturer computer associated with a manufacturer and for performing a process of updating manufacturer part databases and a process of notifying outside part suppliers of updated purchasing requirements, the computer implemented method comprising the following steps:

responsive to detecting a revision to a part specification document for a part, identifying a unique part number associated with the part having the revised part specification document;

positioning each unique part number associated with the revised part specification revisions within a queue defining a part revision notification queue;

checking the part revision notification queue for presence of a unique part number indicating a revision to an associated part specification document has been made;

responsive to the presence of unique part number in the part revision notification queue, searching all open purchasing documents and all part specification documents stored within computer memory for documents containing the unique part number, the open purchasing documents comprising one or more open purchase orders for the part, the part being currently manufactured under the one or more open purchase orders;

responsive to locating an open purchasing document containing the unique part number, identifying an outside supplier electronic mail address associated with the identified open purchasing document; and

generating, responsive to identifying each outside supplier electronic email address, an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the part specification document for the part having the unique part number associated with the purchasing document, the electronic mail message notification being generated for transmission to the outside supplier electronic mail address associated with the purchasing document, the electronic mail message notification containing the unique part number and a link to the revised part specification document.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6,

wherein the step of searching all open purchasing documents for the unique part number comprises searching open purchase orders and open requests for quotes for the unique part number;

and

wherein the method further comprises terminating outside supplier access to the manufacturer computer responsive to closing at least one of the following;

an open purchase order and an open request for quotes, having the unique part number associated therewith.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the step of generating an electronic mail message notification of the revision to the revised part specification document for the part having the unique part number associated with the purchasing document, comprises:

generating by a message containing a uniform resource locator link to the revised part specification document.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

setting a response period for the outside supplier to access the revised part specification document;

monitoring access to the revised part specification document during the response period; and

responsive to determining that at least one recipient of the electronic mail message notification failed to access the revised part specification document during the response period, transmitting an alert to a designated electronic mail address to thereby assist in determining why the failed access to the revised part specification document has occurred.