Patent ID: 8433596

Claim:
A method for service parts planning in a network having one or more service parts comprising: (a) for each of at least a subset of the one or more service parts, calculating, for the service part, system availability per cost of the service part for each of a plurality of locations within the network, the system availability is a probability that the service part is functioning, wherein the calculating is based, at least in part, on machine-specific information that includes at least one of machine-specific usage information, and machine-specific early indicator of failure information; (b) determining, by a computer, which change in quantity of a service part of the at least the subset of the one or more service parts at a location of the plurality of locations results in a greatest gain in system availability per cost of the service part; and (c) increasing an investment in the service part at the location that results in the greatest gain in system availability per cost of the service part.