# US 2018/0321663 A1 · Data-analytic approach to identifying and prioritizing delay-contributing manufacturing jobs

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- Number: US 2018/0321663 A1
- Document ID: US20180321663A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/584,879
- Filed: 2017-05-02
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-02
- Applicants: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Oscar Kipersztok; Paul J. Schachter; Uri Nodelman; Michael L. Callaghan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321663A1

## CPC

- G05B 19/41865: {characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow}
- G06Q 10/063114: {Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group}
- G06Q 10/063116: {Schedule adjustment for a person or group}
- G06Q 10/06312: {Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling}
- G06Q 10/06313: {Resource planning in a project environment}
- G06Q 10/06316: {Sequencing of tasks or work}
- G05B 2219/32086: Integrate process planning and job shop scheduling
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

According to an embodiment, a computer-implemented method of identifying delay causing product assembly jobs in a factory that produces multiple products includes acquiring delay times for each of a plurality of jobs performed for assembly of each of a plurality of products at the factory, ranking the jobs according to a number of products affected by delay times, whereby a ranked jobs list is produced, adjusting at least one of a delay threshold, a job rank threshold, or a number of products threshold until a plot of amount of products affected by a delay exceeding the delay threshold as a dependent variable, versus ranked jobs of the ranked jobs list as an independent variable, exceeds the number of products threshold at the job rank threshold, and outputting an initial segment of the ranked jobs list up to the job rank threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method (600) of identifying delay causing product assembly jobs in a factory that produces multiple products, the method comprising:
acquiring (602), by at least one electronic processor, delay times (802) for each of a plurality of jobs performed for assembly of each of a plurality of products at the factory;
ranking (603), by at least one electronic processor, the jobs according to a number of products affected by delay times, whereby a ranked jobs list is produced;
adjusting (604), by at least one electronic processor, at least one of a delay threshold, a job rank threshold, or a number of products threshold until a plot (302, 304), of amount of products affected by a delay exceeding the delay threshold as a dependent variable, versus ranked jobs of the ranked jobs list as an independent variable, exceeds the number of products threshold at the job rank threshold; and
outputting (606), by at least one electronic processor, an initial segment of the ranked jobs list up to the job rank threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
implementing (812) at least one quality control improvement on at least one job in the initial segment of the ranked jobs list; and
repeating (800) the acquiring, ranking, adjusting, and outputting at least once.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
displaying a depiction (900) of average delay per product as a dependent variable versus number of affected products as an independent variable; and
animating the depiction to represent results of the implementing and repeating.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the delay times comprise one of:
duration delays, end time delays, or start time delays.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of plots (302, 304) as decreasing curves for a plurality of delay threshold values.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the products are aircraft.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of jobs are at a single physical job station.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting comprises causing to be displayed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a word analysis (700) on descriptions of jobs in the initial segment of the ranked jobs to identify at least one common word.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises:
holding the job rank threshold and the amount of affected products threshold fixed, and
adjusting the delay threshold.

### Claim 11

A computer-implemented system (1000) for identifying delay causing product assembly jobs in a factory that produces multiple products, the system comprising at least one electronic processor (1002) configured to:
acquire (602) delay times (802) for each of a plurality of jobs performed for assembly of each of a plurality of products at the factory;
rank (603) the jobs according to a number of products affected by delay times, whereby a ranked jobs list is produced;
adjust (604) at least one of a delay threshold, a job rank threshold, or a number of products threshold until a plot (302, 304), of amount of products affected by a delay exceeding the delay threshold as a dependent variable, versus ranked jobs of the ranked jobs list as an independent variable, exceeds the number of products threshold at the job rank threshold; and
output (606) an initial segment of the ranked jobs list up to the job rank threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one electronic processor is further configured to:
implement (812) at least one quality control improvement on at least one job in the initial segment of the ranked jobs list; and
repeatedly (800) acquire, rank, adjust, and output at least once.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one electronic processor is further configured to:
display a depiction (900) of average delay per product as a dependent variable versus number of affected products as an independent variable; and
animate the depiction to represent results of repeatedly acquiring, ranking, adjusting, and outputting.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the delay times comprise one of:
duration delays, end time delays, or start time delays.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one electronic processor is further configured to: cause a display of a plurality of plots (302, 304) as decreasing curves for a plurality of delay threshold values.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the products are aircraft.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of jobs are at a single physical job station.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one electronic processor is configured to output by causing to be displayed.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one electronic processor is further configured to perform a word analysis (700) on descriptions of jobs in the initial segment of the ranked jobs to identify at least one common word.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one electronic processor is further configured to adjust by holding the job rank threshold and the amount of affected products threshold fixed and adjusting the delay threshold.