Method for sourcing replacement parts
AssigneePartsSource, LLC
InventorsA. RAY DALTON, DANIEL BETTING
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of sourcing a piece of equipment or a replacement part includes preparing a part request record, providing a part source database, an access portal, 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.
Claims19
A method of sourcing a part, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a sourcing database of at least one part source record, wherein the part source record includes at least first and second indexing fields;
- providing an access portal for access by at least one vendor, wherein the vendor can access the at least one part source record;
- providing at least one limitation to vendor access, the at least one limitation limiting the vendor to access to a vendor category;
- providing a quote function wherein the vendor can provide a quote on at least one part;
- and,
- providing prioritization of a 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 comprising 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 comprising at least a first preferred variable field and at least a first quality assurance field;
- providing an access portal for access by at least one vendor, wherein the vendor can access the at least one part source record;
- providing at least one limitation to vendor access, the at least one limitation limiting the vendor to access to a vendor category;
- providing a quote function wherein the vendor can provide a quote on at least one part;
- 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 comprising 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
- providing a prioritization function to prioritize the list of prospective part sources based on at least two of the indexing fields.
An apparatus for sourcing a part, the apparatus comprising:
- a sourcing database containing at least one part source record, wherein the part source record includes at least first and second indexing fields;
- an access portal for access by at least one vendor, wherein the vendor can access the at least one part source record, the access portal being linked to the database;
- at least one limitation to vendor access, the at least one limitation limiting the vendor to access to a vendor category;
- a quote function wherein the vendor can provide a quote on at least one part;
- and,
- a prioritization function for a list of prospective part sources based on at least one of the indexing fields.
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the part source record comprises at least a third indexing field, wherein the third indexing field is selected from the group comprising at least a first preferred variable field and at least a first quality assurance field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.