Patent ID: 7039632

Claim:
A computerized method of communicatively interfacing data for managing a manufacturing processing operation in a manufacturing environment, the computerized method comprising the steps of: storing process data in manufacturing data resource (MDR) databases of a computer including a product quality database, said process data relating to the manufacturing processing operation; storing manufacturing reference information relating to the manufacturing processing operation; selectively retrieving the stored process data; analyzing the retrieved process data and providing a graphical display that depicts a real-time estimate of a process performance of the manufacturing processing operation; automatically defining a query based on the graphical display to selectively retrieve the stored manufacturing reference information including information regarding problem solving for process or product issues that arise during the manufacturing processing operation based on the real-time estimate of the process performance; executing the query and providing a reference display of the manufacturing reference information including said problem solving information; displaying the process data retrieved from an MDR database in hierarchically organized levels; said hierarchically organized levels including: a top level for identifying a product/machine combination of the manufacturing processing operation; a first sub-level for identifying one or more MDR databases corresponding to the product/machine combination identified in the top level; a second sub-level for identifying product components and/or machine sections of the manufacturing processing operation; and a third sub-level for identifying product attributes and/or machine variables of the manufacturing processing operation; and selectively using the provided reference display to adjust the manufacturing processing operation.