Patent ID: 11887407
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 11:
12. A system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to generate data signals relating to a first equipment;
a communication system operatively coupled to the at least one sensor;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon;
one or more processors configured to access the executable instructions, the executable instructions causing at least one of the one or more processors to:
determine a repair to be performed on the first equipment based at least in part on the data signals received from the at least one sensor via the communication system;
examine historic repair data indicative of outlays for previous repairs of other equipment, and determine a pattern in fluctuations in the outlays;
determine a projected outlay for the repair to be performed on the first equipment based on the determined pattern in fluctuations in the outlays, the projected outlay comprising a projected cost for manual labor to perform the repair;
determine a quantity-based reduction in the projected outlay based at least in part on the projected cost for the manual labor to perform the repair and on a number of repairs to be performed at a repair facility which would result in the quantity-based reduction in the projected outlay;
determine weightings, based on prioritization, for each of two or more factors to determine whether to select one of repair or replace at least one of one or more repair parts, the two or more factors including at least one of an outlay of labor, an outlay of cost based on the projected outlay for the repair, an estimated duration of the first vehicle's downtime, an availability of inventory of at least one of the one or more repair parts, or a difficulty in repairing the at least one of the one or more repair parts, the weightings being based on scores determined for each of the two or more factors, wherein the estimated duration of the first vehicle's downtime factor is assigned a greater score than an availability of inventory factor;
evaluate the two or more factors based on the weightings;
automatically generate a purchase order for replacement of the at least one part based on the evaluation;
communicate the purchase order to one or more sellers of the at least one part; and
examine historic price fluctuations of the at least one of the one or more parts, and delay the repair on the first equipment using the at least one of the one or more replacement parts based on the automatic determination of whether to repair or replace the at least one part and based on an inventory of the at least one of the one or more replacement parts relative to a quantity discount of the at least one of the one or more replacement parts by delaying communicating of a control signal to a repair facility where the replacement is performed on the first equipment to delay replacement of the one or more replacement parts of the first equipment.