Patent ID: 7734488

Claim:
A method employing a top-down, tiered, standardized data collection, recording and evaluation process for establishing an objective measure of the functional capacity of an asset to address at least one specified use, comprising: providing at least one specially adapted electronic processor; providing electronically readable storage media accessible to said at least one specially adapted electronic processor; providing at least one engineering management system (EMS) accessible on said electronically readable storage media accessible by said at least one specially adapted electronic processor; using said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to develop at least one list of functional impact Categories and specific Sub-issue Types thereunder that impact functionality of said asset for each said at least one specified use, said at least one list of functional impact Categories and specific Sub-issue Types thereunder stored on said electronically readable storage media; using said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to display said list of functional impact Categories and specific Sub-issue Types to at least one evaluator; using said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to develop at least one question for each of said functional impact Categories; providing said at least one list of functional impact Categories, specific Sub-issue Types thereunder and said at least one question for each of said functional impact Categories on said at least one specially adapted electronic processor for use by at least said at least one evaluator; using said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to permit said at least one evaluator to use said list of functional impact Categories and specific Sub-issue Types thereunder and said at least one question for each of said functional impact Categories in an evaluation to evaluate functionality of said asset by observing issues of said asset; recording on at least one said at least one specially adapted electronic processor occurrences of said issues under a corresponding said Sub-issue Type; using said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to assign a Severity level, S, on a Severity scale to each said Sub-issue Type upon said recording of all said issues for each said Sub-issue Type; summing on said at least one specially adapted electronic processor, occurrences of said issues by Sub-issue Type to determine a Density, D, of said Sub-issue Type; using said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to record said evaluator's evaluation in said at least one engineering management system (EMS); and using said recorded evaluation, employing at least one algorithm which takes into account a functionality deduct value and adjustment factor on at least one said at least one specially adapted electronic processor to calculate as said objective measure a numerical value as a functionality index, FI; and using said functionality index to evaluate said asset.