Patent ID: 7822796

Claim:
A method for facilitating part qualification functions in a communications network environment, comprising: creating a commodity template for a commodity, said commodity associated with a supplier part, comprising: entering requirements data for qualifying said commodity; selecting at least one database in a part qualification repository for storing said requirements data, said part qualification repository comprising: a parts database receiving information from a commercial parts database; a technology survey database; a quality information network database; an archives database; and a system testing database; assigning a default viewing tool for qualifying said commodity based upon said at least one database selected; establishing access restrictions operable for restricting and authorizing viewing and editing capabilities associated with said commodity template; wherein said requirements data stored in databases associated with said part qualification repository are shared among said databases; the method further comprising establishing a detailed qualification plan via said part qualification plan template, comprising: entering a technology qualification name associated with said commodity; receiving a list of suppliers associated with said technology qualification name; selecting a supplier from said list; and entering qualification data for said detailed qualification plan, said qualification data comprising: a plurality of tasks; individual or entity responsible for said detailed qualification plan; due dates associated with said detailed qualification plan; and status information associated with said detailed qualification plan; wherein the method further comprises viewing a status screen for a supplier part, said status screen comprising: a description of qualification data associated with said supplier part; a test message related to said supplier part qualification data a status box indicating approval status; a recommended repository for said qualification data; and a description of said supplier part, said description referencing said supplier part by supplier part name and by a part name used by an enterprise that is qualifying said supplier part.