Pull planning for unserviceable parts in connection with on-demand repair planning

A method for planning repairs in response to demand in a multi-level repair network, each level within the repair network comprising one or more repair locations at which unserviceable parts may be repaired, the method comprising:

• accessing 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:
• estimating the earliest time at which a repair operation can begin for the part at an upstream repair location;
• and
• planning 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, estimating 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
• planning 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-planning 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.

Software for planning repairs in response to demand in a multi-level repair network, each level within the repair network comprising one or more repair locations at which unserviceable parts may be repaired, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable 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.

A system for planning repairs in response to demand in a multi-level repair network, each level within the repair network comprising one or more repair locations at which unserviceable parts may be repaired, the system comprising one or more components collectively operable 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, taking into account any move lead time required for moving the part from the repair location to the upstream repair location and any inspection lead time required for inspecting the part at the 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, taking into account any repair lead time required for repairing the part at the upstream repair location and any move lead time required for moving the part back from the upstream repair location to the repair location;
• and
• plan a repair order for the part at the upstream repair location at the estimated latest time on a just-in-time basis, the repair order having a start time, the forecasted demand acting as a demand for generating the repair order;
• 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 on a just-in-time basis 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 repair order acting as a demand for generating the associated re-planned 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, taking into account any move lead time required for moving the part from the repair location to the upstream repair location, any inspection lead time required for inspecting the part at the upstream repair location, any repair lead time required for repairing the part at the upstream repair location, and any move lead time required for moving the part back from the upstream repair location to the repair location.
• the first, second, and third phases being performed for each of a plurality of times within a planning horizon for each of the one or more inspected unserviceable parts at the repair location that are not repairable at the repair location.

A system for planning repairs in response to demand in a multi-level repair network, each level within the repair network comprising one or more repair locations at which unserviceable parts may be repaired, the repair network comprising a downstream repair location, a final upstream repair location, and one or more intermediate upstream repair locations separating the final upstream repair location from the downstream repair location, the system comprising one or more components collectively operable to:

• access a forecasted demand for a specified quantity of serviceable parts at a specified future time at the downstream repair location;
• in a first phase, for each of one or more inspected unserviceable parts at the downstream repair location that are not repairable at the downstream repair location:
• estimate an earliest time at which a repair operation can begin for the part at each of the upstream repair locations;
• and
• plan a plurality of move orders for moving the part between the downstream repair location and the final upstream repair location such that the part can be available for repair at the final upstream repair location at the estimated earliest time for the final upstream repair location, each 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 downstream repair location that are not repairable at the downstream repair location:
• according to the forecasted demand and the earliest times estimated in the first phase, estimate a latest time at which a repair operation can begin for the part at each of the upstream repair locations in order to help satisfy the forecasted demand at the downstream repair location;
• and
• plan a repair order for the part at the final upstream repair location at the estimated latest time for the final upstream repair location, the repair order having a start time;
• in a third phase, for each of the one or more inspected unserviceable parts at the downstream repair location that are not repairable at the downstream repair location:
• according to the start time of the repair order planned for the final upstream repair location in the second phase, re-plan the move orders by modifying the delivery time of a most upstream move order according to the start time of the repair order, modifying the start time of the most upstream move order according to the modified delivery time of the most upstream move order, modifying the delivery time of a next most upstream move order according to the start time of the most upstream move order, modifying the start time of the next most upstream move order according to the modified delivery time of the next most upstream move order, and continuing in this manner until the start time of a most downstream move order has been modified;
• the start times of the re-planned move orders being estimated latest times at which the part can be moved between repair locations for repair at the final upstream repair location in order to help satisfy the forecasted demand at the downstream repair location.