Abstract:
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for facilitating part qualification functions in a communication network environment. The method comprises creating a commodity template for a commodity associated with a supplier part. Creating a commodity template further comprises entering requirement data for qualifying the commodity and selecting at least one database in a part qualification repository for storing the requirements data. The part qualification repository comprises a parts database, a technology survey database, a quality information network database, and archives database, and a system testing database. The method further comprises assigning a default viewing tool for qualifying the commodity based upon the database selected and establishing access restriction operable for restricting and authorizing viewing and editing capabilities associated with the commodity template. The requirements data stored in databases associated with the part qualification repository are shared among the databases. The invention also included a system and storage medium.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a computer-based method and system, and more particularly, this invention relates to a computer-based method and system for qualifying supplier parts. 
     Part qualification is a critical element of integrating a supplier technology into a final product. The failure to follow all necessary steps can have drastic consequences in terms of final product quality. To get a jumpstart on competition it has become increasingly critical to quickly qualify new, leading-edge suppliers and to get their technologies integrated into a final product. Currently, many organizations lack a standard qualification process. This results in duplicate work and inconsistency. It is difficult to measure the efficiency of the qualification process or to know how far along the process is for a particular supplier part. It is also difficult to determine accountability for the overall qualification or for a particular set of sub tasks. Another problem is that there is currently no easy way to access and track the latest copies of qualification data because the data is stored in a variety of electronic and paper based formats. Relevant data is sometimes lost or thrown out as engineers change jobs or divisions reorganize. Time is often wasted looking for data and determining if the data at hand is the most recent version of the data. In the current environment it will be difficult to meet the competitive demands of speeding up the qualification process while ensuring high quality supplier parts. 
     To meet these competitive pressures it would be desirable to have a computer based tool that could serve as a central repository for storing and accessing all qualification data. The tool should also be used to enforce standard qualification processes and as a method of communication between qualification participants. Finally, the tool should include 24-hour a day access for authorized persons around the globe. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, for storage medium for facilitating part qualification functions in a communications network environment. The method comprises creating a commodity template for a commodity associated with a supplier part. Creating a commodity template further comprises entering requirements data for qualifying the commodity and selecting at least one database in a part qualification repository for storing the requirements data. The part qualification repository comprises a parts database, a technology survey database, a quality information network database, an archives database, and a system testing database. The method further comprises assigning a default viewing tool for qualifying the commodity bases upon the database selected and establishing access restrictions operable for restricting and authorizing viewing and editing capabilities associated with the commodity template. The requirements data stored in databases associated with the part qualification repository are shared among the databases. The invention also includes a system and storage medium. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several FIGURES: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a portion of the system that includes a plurality of workstations and servers on which the part qualification tool is implemented; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the system architecture of the part qualification software; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart describing how an engineer could utilize the software tool; 
         FIG. 4  is a sample front-end screen for the part qualification software application; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sample qualification plan screen. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the part qualification software is implemented through a networked system such as that shown in  FIG. 1 . Although not necessary to realize the advantages of the present invention, system  100  may be part of a wide area network in which different geographical locations are interconnected, either by high-speed data lines or by radio links, interconnecting numerous workstations at widely disparate locations. In the simplified diagram of  FIG. 1 , system  100  includes an organization  102  comprising a web server  104 , an applications server  106 , and a database server  108  that are located on a host system  110  and connected through a network  112  to workstations  114 . The term “organization” refers to the system implementing the part qualification application, and is typically an engineering organization. Network  112 , an intranet, may comprise a LAN, a WAN, or other network configuration known in the art. User system workstations  114  may be local or remote to the host system  110  and connected to the host system via network  112 . Further, network  112  may include wireless connections, radio-based communications, telephony-based communications, and other network-based communications. For purposes of illustration, however, network  112  is a LAN. A firewall  122  limits access to organization  102  to those network users possessing proper access permissions. In addition, employees of engineering organization  102  may access applications server  106  through a remote device  130  connected to the Internet. 
     Host system  110  is running suitable web server software designed to accommodate various forms of communications, and which allows information in data storage device  118  to be published on a web site. For purposes of illustration, host system  110  is running Lotus Domino™ as its server software. Databases  120  contain a variety of part qualification data and may be situated both local and remote to the host system  110 . These databases  120  contain data that is accessed by the part qualification software including technology surveys and test result data. Databases  120  may include commercially obtained software utilized by the part qualification tool to supplement part qualification information. For purposes of illustration, databases  120  include Aspect™ software which provides a variety of part information and descriptions commonly used by industries such as organization  102 . Databases  120  are collectively referred to as “part qualification database”. Applications server  106  executes the part qualification software, among other applications utilized by organization  102 . Applications server  106  is also running a groupware application such as Lotus Notes™ which allows remote users to access information through its replication capabilities, provides e-mail services, allows documents located in multiple databases  120  to be linked together through its “doc-links” feature, and supports a secure extranet architecture. 
     Data storage device  118  resides within intranet  112  and may comprise any form of storage device configured to read and write database type data maintained in a file store (e.g., a magnetic disk data storage device). Data storage device  118  is logically addressable across a distributed environment such as a network system  100 . The implementation of local and wide-area database management systems to achieve the functionality of data storage device  118  will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. Information stored in data storage device  118  is retrieved and manipulated via database server  108 . Data storage device  118  provides a repository for a variety of application information including the part qualification database of the present invention. A number of other databases  120  are accessed by the host system  110  because they contain part qualification data such as technology surveys and test result data. 
     System  150  comprises a web server  152  that connects user system workstations  154  to an intranet  156  and to the Internet. Firewall  158  provides security and protection against unauthorized access to internal network information from outside sources. Each of user system workstations  154  may access web server  152  via internal web browsers (not shown) located on workstations  154 . A data storage device  160  can be coupled to server  152 . Additionally, an extranet  140  may exist between system  150  and organization  102 . System  150  is typically a prospective or existing supplier of organization  102 . 
     The part qualification tool is an e-business software application that supports an environment for collaboratively driving part qualification processes by providing common part qualification plan templates across commodity types and by providing a common repository for part qualification data that is stored in a variety of locations such as databases  120 . Suppliers have access to the system in order to review qualification data related to their own products. Suppliers and engineers around the world have 24-hour access to the system. The part qualification tool expedites part qualification and increases the quality of the final product produced by organization  102  by providing a common business process and a shared data repository that can be utilized by all personnel involved in the qualification decision chain. The software runs on applications server  106  that is accessible via user system workstations  114 ,  130 , or  154  connected to the Internet, to extranet  140 , or to host system intranet  112 . This gives any participant in the part qualification process, with the proper authority, the ability to view and update data, and the ability to communicate electronically to any other participant in the process. Administration of security and access may be controlled through a gateway application such as IBM&#39;s Electronic Supply Chain Interlock (ESI) tool, which is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/658,257, filed on Sep. 8, 2000, entitled “E-Collaboration Commodity Management System and Method” and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       FIG. 2  depicts an exemplary embodiment of the system architecture of the part qualification software system which is located on host system  110 .  FIG. 2  also depicts the categories of data or commodity types that are among the types of information stored in databases  120  and which are elements of the part qualification database  404  utilized by the part qualification software of the present invention. These databases  120  can be remotely located from host system  110  or can be local to host system  110 . Archives database  202  refers to a database that stores part qualification plans that are no longer active. Other databases are referenced by the “location” or “status” field of the part qualification plan for a particular supplier part. These include technology surveys  204 , data specific to memory qualification  206 , data specific to memory commodities  208 , quality information data common to all commodities  210 , and system testing data specific to a particular corporate division  212 . Technology survey database  204  can be created by a development toolkit network software application such as the one described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/711,777 filed on Nov. 9, 2000, entitled “Method and System for Dynamically Providing Materials and Technology Information”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The above-referenced application allows development and engineering personnel of an organization to share technology information pertaining to new technologies in a collaborative environment and further allows suppliers to provide the organization with technical data pertaining to its products so that the developers and engineers of the organization can make quick business decisions. 
     Quality information network database  210  includes audit data and can be created using the software tool described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/749,846,  which was filed on Dec. 27, 2000, entitled “Method and System for Gathering and Disseminating Quality Performance and Audit Activity Data in an Extended Enterprise Environment”, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The above-referenced application facilitates the auditing process by providing standardized audit forms, reports, and related auditing procedures and information for use by an organization and stores the information in a centralized location for access by the organization. 
     Database  214  contains an index relating part numbers established by organization  102  to supplier part numbers along with a title of the part that is referenced by the software application. Database  216  is a commercial software application, such as Aspect™ that houses large volumes of part information used by organization  102 . Information is extracted nightly from database  216  and stored in database  214  for use by the part qualification tool. Part numbers and technology data from organization  102  can now be merged or associated with part numbers and data from database  216  to provide a more comprehensive and up-to-date library of part information. For example, organization  102  qualifies a particular technology for use. Once the technology has been qualified, several associated part numbers can be qualified at the same time. As the part qualification tool is tied to the Aspect™ or other commercial database  216 , a user can then “jump” from a particular part number record in database  216  to the relevant technology qualification data in part qualification database  404 . 
     A framework for the flow of information associated with the part qualification tool from the point of view of a user from organization  102  is depicted in  FIG. 3 . A user can access the part qualification tool by remote device  130  connected through the Internet. In addition, a user can access the part qualification tool by one of workstations  114 , either local or remote to host system  110 , connected through intranet  112 . Access to particular types of data and application functions may be restricted to particular users from organization  102 . 
     The system user accesses the part qualification tool through the main menu screen  400  depicted in  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , a variety of commodity types  402  are listed as part of the qualification database  404  of the part qualification tool. The user selects a commodity at step  302  from main menu screen  400 . 
     Next, the user will be prompted to set up a template for a commodity at step  304 . If this option is selected, the user will create a template by entering the type of data required to qualify this commodity type at step  306 . Next the user will enter the proposed repositories for the required data and will assign a default viewing tool based on the proposed repository at step  308 . The user will set up the security for this template by restricting access to particular system users for updating the template and viewing the template at step  310 . Finally, the user will set up a detailed plan template that includes tasks, suggested durations and an entity or individual responsible at step  312 . 
     If a commodity template already exists for the commodity type selected at step  302 , the user will be prompted to enter a technology qualification name at step  314 . A list of suppliers for that particular technology will be displayed and the user will select a supplier at step  316 . If the user has the proper authority, an option to create or update a qualification plan for the supplier technology will be presented at step  318 . The user can then copy the template for the particular commodity and make changes to the type of data required to qualify this commodity type, the proposed repositories for the required data, and the default viewing tool at step  320 . Next, the user will set up or modify the detailed plan at step  322 . The plan will be updated with status, person responsible, target dates and due dates. Finally, the user will set up security for accessing the plan at step  324 . Access can be restricted based on criteria such as system user, type of data and location of data. 
     Another option is to view a status screen for the supplier part at step  326 . This status screen  500  is depicted in  FIG. 5 . Screen  500  lists all required qualification information. This includes a description  516  of the qualification data for the subject part or component; a location for, or a text message  510  about, the qualification data; a check box or status box  512  indicating if the qualification data has been approved, and a recommended repository  514  for the qualification data. The screen also includes a qualification status field  520 , as well as a description  518  of the supplier part and the part number for both supplier  150  and organization  102 . The user can view a reference document via text message field  510  referred to in the plan at step  328 . The user will be prompted to invoke a viewing tool at step  330 , then be allowed to open the document using the tool at step  332 . When the user closes the document at step  334 , he/she will be returned to status screen  500  depicted in  FIG. 5 . 
     The user can also add a reference document to the list of text messages  510  at step  336 . This can be done by creating a document link in which the user selects “create doc-links”  506 , or by a hypertext link (not shown), or by typing in a file name or text regarding the status of the document at step  338 . A user with the proper authority can update the status box  512  at step  340  or archive the current plan  502  at step  342 . A user can also view the detailed plan  504  at step  344  which includes information such as detailed tasks, person or entity responsible, due dates and status information. Finally, the user can return to main menu screen  400  of  FIG. 4  by selecting that option  508  on the status screen  500  at step  346 . 
     A supplier at system  150  with a part going through the part qualification process could also access the part qualification software tool running on host system  110  through one of user system workstations  154 . The supplier could be limited to a subset of functions such as viewing his own tasks in the detailed plan or accessing his own technology surveys. The capability exists for suppliers to be limited to specific application functions and specific data. 
     This part qualification tool may also be invoked via the electronic supplier qualification and quality management software tool described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/752,090, which was filed on Dec. 29, 2000, entitled “Method and System for Providing an End-to-End Business Process for Electronic Supplier Qualification and Quality Management”, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     This invention supports the part qualification process by providing the ability to access all of the part qualification data through a single computer interface that can be used by everyone involved in the part qualification process. In addition, this invention also supports the part qualification process by providing a template that can be used to produce consistent qualification plans across a commodity type. This innovative interrelation of the new business process with an e-business framework enables a critical competitive advantage in time to market, cost avoidance through increased quality, elimination of redundancy, increased consistency, and improvement to both internal and external communications. 
     Establishing a consistent template for each commodity type and a common tool for accessing the data ensures consistency and makes it easy to education system users. Time will not be wasted trying to understand the status of various qualification plans due to differences in tasks and level of plan detail. It will be easier to determine the status of individual part qualifications because common reports can be produced. Communication will be expedited because it will be easier to determine who is responsible for a particular task. 
     The common data repository for common requirements also provides many benefits. All enterprise departments can be given access to the part qualification software but security can be implemented at various levels such as commodity and supplier part. The system, by providing the ability to link to doc-links, hypertext links and files located anywhere, is flexible enough to handle all data regarding technology qualification. The common data repository eliminates redundancies and improves communication because time is not wasted searching for the latest version of a piece of data. In addition, failures can be marked for root cause analysis. In summary, the tool supports better part qualification which will result in higher quality final products. 
     As described above, the present invention can be embodied in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatuses for practicing those processes. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code containing instructions embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other computer-readable storage medium, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code for example, whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by a computer, or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via electromagnetic radiation, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits. 
     While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.