Abstract: The present invention relates to workflow systems and methods. In one embodiment, the invention relates to integration of a calendar system with a workflow system where a calendar event can initiate a workflow by sending a message to a form route manager. The completion of a workflow or step in the workflow can result in sending a message to a calendar system to generate an event. In another embodiment, the invention relates to the integration of workflow with a project management system that includes project segments, which are processes that can be defined and controlled by workflow routes. The project management system sends a message to the workflow system to initiate workflow and the workflow system sends a message to the project management system, for example, at the completion of the workflow route. The relationship between the workflow routes can maintain the relationship between the project segments.

Abstract: The present invention is related to the repair of defective items where the defect symptom does not readily suggest the action to repair the item. Test and repair technicians isolate and repair defects. The defect symptom repair system provides a means for the technicians to pool their experience without extensive effort and to make their experience readily available. The defect symptom repair system is implemented as a web server on the Internet and easily accessible with use of web enabled devices. A defect symptom repair web server provides defect symptoms and associated repair actions. Each repair action has an effectiveness indicator. The defect symptom is match with the observed symptom. A repair action associated with the defect symptom is selected based on the effectiveness indicator. The repair action is applied to the item.

Abstract: The field of the present invention is the repair of a defective item where the item is directed through the repair process by a system. In the present invention, a manufacturing execution system controls and tracks an item through a sequence of workcenters that implement a process. A route defines the sequence of work centers for the process without repairing a defective item. An item is tested at a test workcenter and fails. A defect symptom describes the defect. A quality information screen collects quality information for the defect and presents a list of repair workcenters. Based on the defect symptom description, a repair workcenter is selected. The manufacturing execution system suspends the route and directs the item to the repair workcenter. The item is repaired at the repair workcenter and the quality information screen presents a list of workcenters including the test workcenter. If the repair of the item is complete, the test workcenter is selected.

Abstract: In the present invention, a product is manufactured in a manufacturing process controlled and tracked using a manufacturing execution system or MES. An engineering change is made to the product specification while units of the product are in the manufacturing process. The product unit is reworked to match the changed specification. The engineering change implementation function of the manufacturing execution system identifies the products units to be reworked, provides instructions for the rework, and tracks that all affected product units are reworked to the changed specification.

Abstract: The invention relates to information exchange when a design organization sends a design document to a manufacturer. The design documents may have errors and, once detected, the errors may not be corrected by the design organization. The documents may be resent with a small number of changes or perhaps no changes at all, but may have errors that have been seen before. The documents may have many items that are not important to the receiving organization. A dictionary is used to validate and correct the documents. Changes in the dictionary may require changes in the information used by the manufacturer.

Abstract: In the present invention a data recovery mechanism used to recover data from failed storage units is used to recover data from failed blocks on storage units. To reduce the impact of the read and write operations, multiple redundant blocks are stored on a storage unit. The storage for redundant blocks is rotated among the storage units so that the block storage requirements are balanced. Rotating the redundant block storage among the storage devices may also balance the storage system accesses. To recover data when the storage units with the redundant blocks fail, redundant blocks are stored with the latest data block update to reduce the impact of writing the redundant blocks. A redundant block may be a copy of a redundant block to protect against storage unit failures or may be a redundant block generated from blocks on the storage unit using a second error correction code and second stripe structure within the storage unit.