Patent ID: 7289968

Claim:
A method of forecasting component requirements for devices being manufactured, said method comprising: determining production quantities of devices planned to be manufactured; exploding each of said devices planned to be manufactured into first level components to generate required first level component volumes, wherein said first level components include assemblies; multiplying said first level component volumes for each device by a corresponding production quantity of said production quantities to determine a total volume of first level components required, wherein said total volume of first level components includes assembly volumes; exploding each of said assemblies into assembly components to generate required assembly component volumes for each assembly; multiplying said assembly component volumes for each assembly by a corresponding assembly volume of said assembly volumes to determine a total volume of assembly components required; providing said total volume of assembly components required to assembly component manufacturers; and performing a minimum profile technique that removes specific ordering parameters consisting of at least order minimums, order maximums, leadtimes, transit times, and order sizing, wherein said devices planned to be manufactured share one or more of said components and said assemblies share one or more of said assembly components.