Patent ID: 7711593

Claim:
A computer-implemented system for planning repairs in response to demand in a multi-level repair network, each level within the multi-level repair network comprising repair locations at which unserviceable parts may be repaired, the system comprising: a server system having one or more computers, the server system coupled with the repair locations and configured to: access a forecasted demand for a specified quantity of serviceable parts at a specified future time at a repair location; in a first phase, for each of one or more inspected unserviceable parts at the repair location that are not repairable at the repair location: estimate the earliest time at which a repair operation can begin for the part at an upstream repair location; and plan a move order for moving the part between the repair location and the upstream repair location such that the part can be available for repair at the upstream repair location at the estimated earliest time, the move order having a start time and a delivery time; in a second phase, for each of the one or more inspected unserviceable parts at the repair location that are not repairable at the repair location: according to the forecasted demand and the earliest time estimated in the first phase, estimate a latest time at which a repair operation can begin with respect to the part at the upstream repair location in order to help satisfy the forecasted demand at the repair location; and plan a repair order for the part at the upstream repair location at the estimated latest time, the repair order having a start time; in a third phase, for each of the one or more inspected unserviceable parts at the repair location that are not repairable at the repair location: according to the start time of the repair order planned in the second phase, re-plan the move order by modifying the delivery time of the move order according to the start time of the repair order and modifying the start time of the move order according to the modified delivery time of the move order; the start time of the re-planned move order being an estimated latest time at which the part can be moved from the repair location to the upstream repair location for repair in order to help satisfy the forecasted demand at the repair location.