Method for managing product segments of product production rules

Abstract

An effective method for managing product segments of product production rules within a manufacturing execution system adapted for providing a final product includes the following steps: a) each one of a plurality of sets of product segments are associated within one of a set of product production rules which are stored in a database under a reference standard product production rule (like a simple “manufacture of a car”); b) a command (e.g. from an operator) is inputted to the database for performing one of following selectable operations: i) add a new product segment; ii) remove one of previous product segment; iii) replace a previous product segment by a new one; c) a further set of new product production rules comprising previous product segments and a further product segment (related to the selectable operation and automatically detected in each product production rule) are introduced in the database; d) an indicator related to the selected operation (i, ii, iii) is inserted in said new product production rule. Finally, e) an algebraic operation is performed on all product segments of both the reference standard product production rule and the new product production rules (for example it performs an addition of the product segments), so that the algebraic operation delivers a final standard product production rule resulting from one of the selected operations of adding i), removing ii), replacing iii).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.