Patent ID: 6909927

Claim:
A method of monitoring the manufacturing status of a machine comprising the steps of: assigning a machine identifier to a machine comprised of one or more components, each one or more components to be incorporated into the machine at one or more production stations, wherein each one or more production stations is assigned a production station identifier; inputting the machine identifier into at least one memory of a first computer; inputting a unit control identifier for each one or more components wherein the unit control identifier is linked to the production station identifier where the unit control identifier is input; inputting defect information for each one or more component into the memory at an inspecting station apart from any of the production stations, wherein each inspecting station is assigned an inspecting station identifier, so that the defect information and the unit control identifier are linked to the inspecting station where the defect information is input and wherein the defect information includes at least one defect phenomenon linking the stored unit control identifier and the stored machine identifier, wherein the defect information includes at least one of defect rates and rates without defect, wherein the defect rate information comprises a listing of each inspection station, a number of defects identified at each production station, a number of units inspected, a defect rate at each inspection station, a total number of defects, a failure rate, a category and number of each category of defect detected and an associated failure rate; and outputting defect information which includes at least one of the machine identifier and the unit control identifier, wherein the machine history in manufacturing is traced later inputting a business function identifier into the memory, wherein the business function identifier identifies the party responsible for resolving the at least one defect phenomena.