WO2001069467A1

WO2001069467A1 - Method for tracing, documenting and guiding the path of components in a logistics chain and a computer program for carrying out said method

Info

Publication number: WO2001069467A1
Application number: PCT/IB2001/000361
Authority: WO
Inventors: Katarina HACHMÖLLER; Paul Thethi
Original assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-17
Filing date: 2001-03-13
Publication date: 2001-09-20
Also published as: DE10013358A1; AU2001240967A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for tracing, documenting and guiding components in a logistics chain. The inventive method is based upon a system of networked computers. A local computer system is installed at at least each relevant location of the logistics chain, in addition to a central computer system which can exchange data with at least each local computer system. Each component can be clearly identified. The method comprises the following steps: Each component is clearly marked when being produced. The component is recorded on a standardised form when said component is situated at a certain location of the logistics chain, whereby said form is provided for each individual component respectively. Processing steps are recorded on said form. A number of characteristics which are considered relevant and pertain to the component are recorded on the form. The form is transmitted to the central computer system via long-distance data transmission lines. The form is stored as a standardised data record in a data base or in a data base system of the central computer system.

Description

Procedures for tracking, documenting and guiding the path of

Components in a logistics chain, and computer program for

Execution of the procedure

Technical field

The present invention relates to a method for tracking and documenting the path of components. It relates in particular to a computer program for performing the method.

State of the art

High-tech manufacturing methods require highly specialized manufacturing and processing companies. The necessary workload of expensive machines and the concentration of special knowledge mean that certain processing steps in the manufacture of technically sophisticated components can only be carried out by a few specialist companies scattered around the world. The manufacture of such components requires a sophisticated logistics chain.

State-of-the-art systems and processes for controlling and monitoring the logistics chain require a large number of external interventions. This makes them susceptible to errors, not real-time capable, and opens up opportunities for manipulation that are difficult to detect in a complex system.

Presentation of the invention

The efficient handling of projects, the control of a logistics chain, and last but not least the assurance of quality, require that the process owner must be informed at all times about the location and the process step at or in which an individual component is located. The process owner must also be able to intervene in a controlling manner. A process owner must receive information about the location of a component within the logistics chain at all times.

The method should be able to track and display the path of a component in the logistics chain in real time or at least promptly.

Information must be able to be called up simultaneously by a plurality of process owners and / or other processes.

Information about individual components must be available and documented, which is essential for quality control.

The procedure must require as few external interventions as possible in order to exclude sources of error and manipulation possibilities.

Decisions that a process owner makes regarding the further path of a component in the logistics chain must be transferred directly to the location where the component is currently located and implemented there. The relevant information must therefore be available at the relevant location.

A process owner who is located at any physical location must be able to call up real-time information about the physical location of a component and its logical location in the logistics chain and be able to make decisions about the further path of the component. These decisions must be communicated and implemented immediately at any time and anywhere. All of these steps must be documented. Efficient quality control requires complete documentation of every step of the component in the logistics chain.

The holistic view of processes and projects requires changes in the properties of the component to be recorded and documented in the broadest sense. These properties include added value at various locations in the logistics chain, but also reject rates and possible damage and environmental pollution due to transport, and much more.

Information about a component must also be able to be linked to other systems that represent a project or a value creation process.

According to the invention, a computer program system is set up for this purpose, which is based on distributed and networked resources and which contains information about a large number of components in a central database or in a centrally managed database system. One data record per individual component is preferably stored. Components are identified by a unique and unique serial number from the first production step. The serial numbers themselves are preferably managed in a central database. In this case, a supplier or process owner who needs a serial number for a component is assigned this from the central serial number database. The central administration of the serial numbers avoids the double assignment of serial numbers.

A central data record is stored for a serial number. This contains important component properties, such as the location of the component, both the physical location and the logical location within the logistics chain. The latter also defines the process steps that have already been carried out. Furthermore, this data record will (or can) contain information about the origin and destination of the component. Other important properties shadows are costs, possible deviations from the specification (non-conformance NC), lead times, and the like. But other information such as technical specifications is also stored there with advantage. This analysis is carried out with the aid of other analysis tools with which the system according to the invention must of course be able to communicate.

Between the numerous data that the data sets can contain - especially the serial number, specification deviation numbers (non-conformance number), the goods order number, the number of the technical specification, the supplier identification, reject lists, component prices should be mentioned here , Date, and the like - the program system can make logical connections.

The serial number of the component is preferably machine-readable coded on it, and is registered at least at goods in and out at different locations. According to the current state of the art, there would be the well-known bar codes that would be registered by bar code readers when goods were received and shipped. In a further development of technology, these could also be miniaturized electronic components that send a code without contact. This could then be received as a vision of the future from satellites, which would enable a seamless localization of the component within the entire logistics chain. In addition, codes applied by laser or the like in question. The information about the location of the component is then transferred to the central database. The automated localization of the components saves external intervention and tampering is prevented. The information about the location of a component is reliably available.

Information about process steps within the logistics chain are entered locally into a computer. A computer is positioned at important points in the logistics chain. These computers are one networked system of distributed resources. In particular, you communicate with a central computer that stores and manages the central database or the central system of databases. The communication of the globally distributed resources takes place in a WAN via remote data transmission lines, with telephone lines or the Internet in particular. At one location, computers can also communicate with each other via a LAN. A data record is preferably administered in the central computer per serial number, that is to say per individual component. All information flows there in real time, which means that a process owner can get a detailed insight into the logistics chain. Furthermore, the entire path of a component through the logistics chain can be documented in detail, which is an invaluable advantage, especially for quality control. On the other hand, the complete information enables the process owner to make well-founded decisions about the further path of the component. In particular, he can decide on further processing, repairs, returns due to intolerable deviations, a change in the destination, and the like. These decisions can be transmitted and implemented in real time via the networked computer system.

The data record that belongs to a component is preferably stored in a standardized form. The users - for example suppliers and process owners - are shown all data on likewise standardized forms and / or booking receipts, which contain the data relevant for the respective user. On these forms, users may also be asked for input. A number of forms are available that focus on specific aspects of the logistics chain. These forms can be customized, for example, for the specific presentation of the relevant parameters for quality monitoring and checking, specification deviations by component and supplier, value flows by component and supplier, rejects lists, specification numbers, and goods order numbers. The forms are for each Task specific properties of a component or a component group are displayed in connection with each other, and certain values can be manipulated within the form.

An access authorization system makes sense so that not every user can access every form. In particular, it must be avoided that every user can manipulate all data within a data record. Likewise, not everyone involved in a logistics chain should be able to see all the specifications. This can be achieved by an access authorization system known per se, with a distinction between write, read, delete, and other authorization classes. For example, these permissions can be granted to users per form. In this way, it can be achieved in a simple and efficient manner that each user can only view or manipulate data to the extent that his share in the overall process requires this.

The method according to the invention works particularly advantageously when serial numbers are linked to activity numbers. For each processing step that is carried out on a component, an activity number that describes this step is entered in the system. Components that have the same activity numbers can thus be grouped together. Components that have several identical activity numbers have undergone the same processes. If the activity numbers are arranged in the same order, the logistical order was the same. In this way you can search for special groups of components in the system. This is the only way to manually group certain components together.

If a component has a certain quality defect, it is preferably identified in the associated data record by a corresponding defect category number. These error category numbers can also be found in a targeted manner. If a component is used for special test purposes, it is identified by the same test number.

This type of number distribution does not create any IT effort, because the information is recorded anyway. They give the process owner a precise overview of the movement of large and small groups of normal parts, test parts and parts to be reworked which are of problematic quality and therefore require revision steps.

This labeling system enables targeted control of all parts in the entire logistics chain.

The computer program system can be implemented over long distances with adapted conventional software.

All hardware components for the implementation of the computer program system are commercially available components.

Brief description of the drawing

The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment in connection with the drawing. 1 shows the paths of a precision casting, for example one

Turbine blade, for a power plant in Borneo; 2 shows a data processing system which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Way of carrying out the invention

Figure 1 shows the logistics chain for this component. The solid lines mark the flows of goods and the dashed lines the flows of data. The shovel is poured at location A and provided with a serial number for identification. It is transported by truck to location B, an airport. The shovel is shipped to location C by plane. For example, a coating is applied there. Again, the component is transported to location D by truck and processed there. The component is shipped as air freight to location E, an airfield in China. There it must first pass through customs before it is transported to F and installed in a gas turbine. The entire gas turbine goes to port G by train, is loaded onto a ship and transported to port H. Customs must be passed there before the transport to destination I can finally take place.

The process owner for this power plant project is located at location Z. At each of locations A to I, a supplier, processing company, freight agent, and so on, has a computer that records the essential data of the component on a uniform booking form. In addition to the location, this is added value that has already taken place - i.e. processing steps, transport, etc., costs - impermissible deviations from the specification, lead times, origin of goods and destination, and the like. All this data is transmitted by remote data transmission to the central computer at location Z, where it is collected in a database system.

The process owner at location Z thus knows at any time the state of each component within the logistics chain that is captured by the system according to the invention. This means that he is also able to intervene in the logistics chain and, for example, change the destination of the component if necessary.

The process owner is also able to redirect the component in such a way that the next value creation step is carried out at a different location than the one originally intended, for example if the price or quality is no longer correct. He can also change the component specifications. All these changes can also be made via remote data transmission - Internet and the like. chen - immediately transferred to the location of the component and implemented there.

The transfer of all data to a central database in real time enables monitoring of the delivery dates.

The transfer of all data to a central database in real time enables early interventions in the logistics chain if deviations endangering the progress of a project are identified.

A standard form assigned to a component can be transferred from the central computer system to the other locations in the logistics chain. It is therefore known in advance which components are to be expected at these locations in the near future.

All data, in particular in the central database, are preferably stored in a standardized format, for example in the Oracle data format. Other standardized program systems such as SAP, PDM or the Lotus Notes NCR (Non Conformance Report) system can access this. Since each individual component is recorded with a data set, very extensive statistical analyzes of costs, quality, lead times and the like can be carried out. Critical points that need to be optimized can be identified easily. This also enables the logistics chain to be integrated into larger projects so that, for example, component orders can be launched automatically.

The system is preferably set up on a common Internet user platform such as MS Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator or Lotus Notes Domino. An intranet solution using standard Lotus Notes software is conceivable within one location. Such a system is outlined in FIG. 2. A central computer system 1 is installed at location Z. The process owner (Process Owner PO) with his workstation 3 is connected to this system. The central computer system stores data on a data carrier 2 in Oracle format. On the other hand, the central computer system 1 is connected via an interface 10 to a global data transmission network WAN, for example the Internet. Via interfaces 11, 12, 13, ..., local computer systems at locations A, B, C, ... are connected to the central computer system 1 and each deliver the data of the components that are located at the respective location. On the one hand, this data is accessible to the process owner PO on its computer system 3 and is stored in the Oracle format on the data carrier 2. Because the data records are available as standardized forms, they can be processed further in the clients 4, 5, 6 by SAP, PDM or Lotus Notes NCR systems and similar standard application software known per se and integrated into larger projects.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 computer system

2 data carriers

3 workstation 4 client

5 client

6 client

10 interface

11 interface 12 interface

13 interface

PO process owner

WAN global network (wide area network) LAN local area network

Z Process owner location (PO)

Claims

claims

1. A method for tracking, documenting and controlling components in a logistics chain, which method is based on a system of networked computers, a local computer system being installed at least at every relevant location in the logistics chain, and a central computer system being installed, which central computer system at least can exchange data with any local computer system, and each component, preferably via a serial number, can be clearly identified, which method includes the following steps:

- Each component is clearly identified during manufacture, preferably via a serial number;

- If the component is located at a specific location in the logistics chain, this is noted in a standardized form that exists for each individual component;

- Processing steps are noted in the form;

- A number of properties of the component considered relevant are noted in the form; - The form is sent to the central office via long-distance data transmission lines

Computer system transmitted;

- The form is saved as a standardized data record in a database or in a database system of the central computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is located by an automated identification system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a process owner can intervene in the logistics chain via remote data transmission lines.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data records are stored in Oracle format.

5. Data processing system for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

6. Computer program system for performing the method according to claim 1.

7. Computer program product on which at least one sequence of machine-readable computer code is stored, which causes a computer to carry out at least one of the method steps of the method according to claim 1.

8. A computer program product on which a plurality of sequences of machine-readable computer codes are stored, each sequence causing at least one computer to carry out a method step of the method according to claim 1, and wherein all sequences in their entirety cause a system of networked computers to carry out all method steps which are to be carried out of the method according to claim 1 are necessary.