System and storage medium for providing an end-to-end business process for electronic supplier qualification and quality management

Abstract

A system for facilitating supplier qualification and quality management functions includes an application executing on a host system and a web-based user interface provided by the application, the web-based user interface collaboratively enabling qualification of suppliers, parts, and technologies over a network. The system also includes a shared data repository and a workstation in communication with the host system, and a supplier in communication with the host system via the user interface and network. The collaborative qualification includes acquiring supplier capabilities, part data, and supplier technology data from a collaborative source via the user interface. The collaborative qualification also includes storing acquired data in the shared data repository, and performing quality management functions via the user interface and shared data repository. The quality management functions include: managing changes to a supplier product; managing process changes proposed by a supplier; and assessing quality metrics provided by a supplier.

1 . A system for facilitating supplier qualification and quality management functions in a communications network environment, comprising:
 a supplier qualification and quality management application executing on a host system;   a web-based user interface provided by supplier qualification and quality management application, said web-based user interface operable for collaboratively enabling qualification of suppliers, parts, and technologies over a network;   a shared data repository in communication with said host system;   a workstation in communication with said host system, said workstation operated by a manufacturing representative;   a link to at least one supplier over said network, said at least one supplier in communication with said host system via said web-based user interface and said network;
 wherein said collaboratively enabling qualification of suppliers, parts, and technologies includes:
 acquiring supplier capabilities, part data, and supplier technology data from at least one collaborative source via said web-based user interface, said collaborative source including a supplier, said manufacturing representative, and at least one of an electronic catalog and a commercial data repository; 
 storing acquired data in said shared data repository, said acquired data accessible to affected collaborative sources; and 
 performing quality management functions via said web-based user interface and shared data repository, said quality management functions including at least one of: 
 
   managing identified changes to a supplier product;   managing process changes proposed by a supplier; and   assessing quality metrics provided by a supplier;   wherein the system further comprises a problem report, wherein said performing quality management functions includes:   identifying potential problems relating to a supplier;   alerting affected collaborative sources of said potential problems;   notifying management;   collaborating with said supplier associated with said potential problems for determining a resolution; and   generating said problem report.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein problem reports are categorized by at least one of:
 supplier;   problem reports that have been open for more than one month;   problem reports of a critical nature; and   problem reports related to a particular final product.   
     
     
         3 . A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for facilitating supplier qualification and quality management functions in a communications network environment, the program code including instructions for causing a host system to implement a method, comprising:
 qualifying suppliers, parts, and technologies in a collaborative network environment via a web-based user interface and shared data repository, said qualifying suppliers, parts, and technologies including:
 acquiring supplier capabilities, part data, and supplier technology data from at least one collaborative source via said web-based user interface, said collaborative source including a supplier, a manufacturing representative, and at least one of an electronic catalog and a commercial data repository; 
 storing acquired data in said shared data repository, said acquired data accessible to affected collaborative sources; and 
 performing quality management functions via said web-based user interface and shared data repository, said quality management functions including at least one of: 
 managing identified changes to a supplier product; 
 managing process changes proposed by a supplier; and 
 assessing quality metrics provided by a supplier; 
 wherein said performing quality management functions includes: 
 identifying potential problems relating to a supplier; 
 alerting affected collaborative sources of said potential problems; 
 notifying management; and 
 collaborating with said supplier associated with said potential problems for determining a resolution; and 
 generating a problem report. 
   
     
     
         4 . The storage medium of  claim 3 , wherein problem reports are categorized by at least one of:
 supplier;   problem reports that have been open for more than one month;   problem reports of a critical nature; and   problem reports related to a particular final product.