Patent ID: 6856968

Claim:
A method of processing an inquiry from a customer for environment and use specific parts, the method comprising: (a) storing information relating to environment specific parts and use specific parts in a part database, where part identifiers are without an inherent indication of specific environment or specific use, the information including any upgrades, supercessions, and replacements, and the information including parts suitable for implementation into nuclear plants, wherein parts suitable for implementation into one nuclear plant are not necessarily suitable for another nuclear plant, even of the same type; (b) receiving a customer inquiry concerning a part including a customer indication of anticipated part use including at least atmospheric environment; (c) searching the part database for the information relevant to the part by searching the part database based on the anticipated part use; and (d) outputting the information for customer display, wherein uncovered functionally suitable parts that do not satisfy the anticipated part use are omitted from the output information.