Patent ID: 7031930
Filing Date: 2006-04-18
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method whereby a contractor uses displays generated by a computer to manage activities of a plurality of subcontractors of goods and services for one or more complex device commissioned by a manufacturer, the method comprising the following steps: executing a real-time computer program in the computer, the computer program providing a display having a location on said display for a status for each subcontractor, said status being drawn from a pre-defined set and identifying a change, wherein the pre-defined set of status changes are designated to be of different classes; the computer program changing a visible attribute of the status location assigned to a particular subcontractor whenever that subcontractor accesses the computer and reports a change in status by selecting from said predefined set; the computer program providing a second display showing all instances of the status for said subcontractor; and the computer program providing a third display permitting, for each status change, on-line review and approval by a manager of the contractor of said change in status by said subcontractor; wherein persons selected by the contractor are sent a reminder when there is a status change for which no action has been reported by the manager until the manager either takes an action or resolves the status change, wherein resolving the status change is indicated by a change of color of a status indicator on the display, and wherein the status change is resolved after a passage of a contractor-selected period of time.