Method for sourcing replacement parts
AssigneePartsSource, LLC
InventorsA. Dalton, Dan Betting
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of sourcing a piece of equipment or a replacement part includes preparing a part request record, providing a part source database, searching part source records in the database according to one or more search parameters associated with the part, part requestor or part source, creating a prospective part source list, and prioritizing the part source list by one or more indexing fields, to identify sources predicted to have the part at the best combination of quality, price, and other similar factors. A method of updating the indexing fields is also disclosed.
Claims19
A method of sourcing a part, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a sourcing database of part source records, wherein the part source records includes at least first and second indexing fields;
- searching the sourcing database according to at least a first search parameter to create a list of prospective part sources;
- and
- prioritizing the list of prospective part sources based on at least one of the indexing fields.
A method of sourcing a medical part, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a sourcing database of part source records, wherein the part source records includes at least first, second, third and fourth indexing fields,
- wherein the first indexing field is a contact field,
- wherein the second indexing field is selected from the group consisting of at least a first modality ID field and at least a first manufacturer field,
- wherein the third and fourth indexing fields are selected from the group consisting of at least a first preferred variable field and at least a first quality assurance field;
- searching the part source records according to at least a first search parameter,
- wherein the at least a first search parameter is a parameter selected from the group consisting of part model number, part serial number, part manufacturer, equipment model number, equipment serial number and equipment manufacturer, to create a list of prospective part sources;
- and
- prioritizing the list of prospective part sources based on at least two of the indexing fields.
A method of sourcing a medical part, the method comprising the steps of:
- creating a part request record, wherein the part request record includes at least a first parameter selected from the group consisting of part model number, part serial number, part manufacturer, equipment model number, equipment serial number and equipment manufacturer;
- providing a sourcing database of part source records, wherein the part source records includes at least first, second, third and fourth indexing fields,
- wherein the first indexing field is a contact field,
- wherein the second indexing field is selected from the group consisting of at least a first part ID field and at least a first part type field,
- wherein the third and fourth indexing fields are selected from the group consisting of at least a first preferred variable field and at least a first quality assurance field;
- searching the part source records according to the at least a first search parameter;
- prioritizing the list of prospective part sources based on at least two of the indexing fields;
- contacting at least a first part source from the list of prospective part sources to order the part;
- and
- selectively updating the indexing fields of the part source record of the at least a first part source contacted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.