Patent ID: 7797327
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: G06Q,G16H,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for managing the development and manufacturing of a beverage, the method comprising the steps of: recording information about the beverage during the development or manufacturing of the beverage in a single data layer using an operating mode selected from a plurality of operating modes, wherein each operating mode hi the plurality of operating modes affects a state that the information passes through and rules for verifying the information; assigning the information to a data dimension in a plurality of data dimensions, wherein the plurality of data dimensions comprises (i) a material dimension that stores material types, material attributes, and/or material hierarchy of materials used in the development or manufacturing of said beverage, (ii) a people dimension that stores an identity and role of people that participate in the development or manufacturing of said beverage, (iii) a standards dimension that stores internal standards for developing or manufacturing of the beverage or stores government imposed standards for developing or manufacturing of the beverage, (iv) an equipment dimension that sets valid limits, valid values, equipment characteristics, usage, and/or availability of equipment used in the development or manufacturing of the beverage, (v) an environment/facility dimension that tracks the facilities where processes used in the development or manufacturing of the beverage take place and the attributes of such facilities and, (vi) a process dimension that classifies the types of processes used in the development or manufacturing of the beverage, the workflow associated with each of the processes used in the development or manufacturing of the beverage, and the hierarchy of processes used in the development or manufacturing of the beverage, wherein the processes stored in the process dimension comprises a blend, a formulation, or a recipe; determining a plurality of permanent correlations between data dimensions in the plurality of data dimensions wherein the plurality of permanent correlations include a permanent correlation between a first data dimension and a second data dimension that are each independently selected from the group consisting of (i) said material dimension, (ii) said people dimension, (iii) said standards dimension, (iv) said equipment dimension, (v) said environment/facility dimension, and (vi) said process dimension, and wherein the plurality of permanent correlations span time and events in the development or manufacturing of the beverage thereby establishing compliance with regulatory standards; storing the plurality of permanent correlations in the single data layer; determining a context of the information; searching the permanent correlations of between the data dimensions in the plurality of data dimensions in response to the context; retrieving information from the plurality of dimensions and the plurality of permanent correlations about the development process or manufacturing of the beverage in view of the context; using said information to generate an electronic product history record or electronic development record for inclusion in a submission to a regulatory agency involved in the regulation of the development or manufacture of beverages; and including said electronic product history record or said electronic development record in said submission to said regulatory agency.