Patent ID: 8117059

Claim:
A computer-implemented system for on-demand repair planning comprising one or more processing units and one or more memory units, the one or more processing units: model for a repair location in a multilevel repair network, wherein each level in the multilevel repair network comprises one or more repair locations at which unserviceable parts may be repaired: a good parts buffer for serviceable parts available to be put to service to help satisfy a demand, the good parts buffer having a profile that is determined according to on hand inventory and outgoing inventory for a predetermined time period; a first buffer for unserviceable parts inspected at the repair location and determined to be serviceable without repair; and a second buffer for unserviceable parts inspected at the repair location and determined to be repairable at the repair location; access a forecasted demand for a specified quantity of serviceable parts at a specified future time at the repair location; estimate a quantity of parts available in the first buffer to help satisfy the forecasted demand and, if one or more parts are available in the first buffer, generate an operation plan for a use-as-is operation with respect to the one or more available parts, the use-as-is operation pulls the one or more available parts from the first buffer to the good parts buffer to help satisfy the forecasted demand; and if the forecasted demand is not fully satisfied, estimate a quantity of parts available in the second buffer to help satisfy the forecasted demand and, if one or more parts are available in the second buffer: estimate the latest time at which a repair operation can begin with respect to the one or more available parts in the second buffer in order to help satisfy the forecasted demand, the repair operation pulls the one or more available parts from the second buffer to the good parts buffer to help satisfy the forecasted demand; plan a repair order for the one or more available parts at the estimated latest time; and generate a just-in-time operation plan for the repair operation with respect to the one or more available parts consistent with the estimated latest time; if the forecasted demand is not fully satisfied according to the operation plans for the use-as-is and repair operations at the repair location: estimate a quantity of parts available in the first buffer of an upstream repair location to help satisfy the forecasted demand and, if any parts are available, generate an operation plan for a use-as-is operation with respect to the one or more available parts, the use-as-is operation pulls the one or more available parts from the first buffer of the upstream repair location to the good parts buffer of the upstream repair location.