US 6,983,190 B2 | ||
Method for optimizing material substitutions within a supply chain | ||
Brian Trevor Denton, Winooski, Vt. (US); and Robert John Milne, Jericho, Vt. (US) | ||
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US) | ||
Filed on Oct. 22, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/605,735. | ||
Prior Publication US 2005/0090921 A1, Apr. 28, 2005 | ||
Int. Cl. G06F 19/00 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 700—103 | 21 Claims |
1. A computer implemented production planning method comprising:
identifying substitute components that can be used in place of original components in assemblies;
providing restrictions on use of said substitute components to subsets of assemblies, such that a substitute component may
be substituted for an original component in a first assembly and may not be substituted for said original component in a second
assembly, wherein said restrictions allow for multiple substitutions of said substitute components for said original components
in said first assembly; and,
computing an optimal production plan in which said first assembly is produced with said multiple substitutions, wherein said
plan is optimized for manufacturing efficiency.
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