Patent ID: 6871182
Filing Date: 2005-03-22
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a computer to perform an engineering change decision analysis of an engineering design change in a product, comprising: displaying a list of change drivers that is are driving the engineering design change and receiving a selection of a change driver from a user; displaying a first set of questions soliciting general cost information associated with the engineering design change, the first set of questions including (i) a highest, best, and lowest warranty variance estimate and probability for warranting the product manufactured with the engineering design change, and (ii) a highest, best, and lowest warranty variance estimate and probability associated with the product manufactured without product verification testing; receiving answers to the first set of questions; displaying a second set of questions soliciting change driver-specific information associated with the selected change driver, and receiving answers thereto; computing with a computer a cost associated with the engineering design change using the answers to the first set of questions wherein computing the cost includes (i) computing a cost variance associated with warranty of the product manufactured with the engineering design change with and without product verification testing, (ii) computing a cost variance associated with producing the product manufactured with the engineering design change, the production cost variance including tooling and assembly costs, and (iii) summing the warranty cost variance with the production cost; computing a value associated with not implementing the engineering design change using the change driver-specific answers; and comparing the computed costs and value and generating a recommendation of whether the engineering design change should be implemented in response to the comparison.