System for evaluating process implementation

Abstract

A method for evaluating process implementation is disclosed. The method includes establishing at least one functional map that relates a first criteria indicative of operational failures associated with operating the process and a second criteria indicative of operational times associated with operating the process. The method also includes establishing a first value indicative of a quantity of operational failures predicted to occur during start-up of the operation of the process. The method also includes establishing a second value indicative of a quantity of operational failures allowed to occur during continued operation of the process. The method further includes predicting a first timing indicative a time the process will be operated to achieve the second value as a function of the first and second criteria.

1 .- 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A work environment for evaluating a process implementation comprising:
 a computer configured to receive a plurality of inputs from a user;   a database including a plurality of data indicative of at least one map configured to functionally relate a first plurality of values indicative of percentage of risk associated with operating the process and a second plurality of values indicative of time associated with operating the process; and   a program configured to access the at least one map to predict a first timing indicative of the time the process will be operated to reduce risk associated with operating the process from an initial percentage of risk to a desired percentage of risk;   wherein the process is configured to manipulate a plurality of products and risk associated with operating the process is indicative of one of the plurality of products not being manipulated according to desired specifications.   
     
     
         9 . The work environment of  claim 8 , wherein the program is further configured to:
 receive at least one input from the computer indicative of the similarity between the process and at least one previously implemented process; and   determine the initial percentage of risk as a function of the at least one input.   
     
     
         10 . The work environment of  claim 8 , wherein the desired percentage of risk is indicative of an acceptable amount of operational failures. 
     
     
         11 . The work environment of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the map is further configured to functionally relate the first and second plurality of values according to a dual logarithmic scale; and   the map includes a plurality of plots each having a slope of two units of the first plurality of values to one unit of the second plurality of values.   
     
     
         12 . The work environment of  claim 8 , wherein the process implementation includes at least one of a cross docking, receiving, warehousing, repacking, picking, sequencing, kitting, sub-assembly, or shipping operation. 
     
     
         13 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for evaluating process implementation comprising:
 establishing at least one functional map relating a first plurality of values indicative of percentage of risk associated with operating a process and a second plurality of values indicative of time associated with operating the process;   establishing a first value, indicative of a quantity of failures predicted to likely occur during start-up of the process, as a function of the amount of new content associated with the process;   establishing a second value indicative of a quantity of failures allowed to occur during continued operation of the process; and   predicting a first timing indicative of a time the process will be operated to reduce operational failures occurring during start-up from the first value to the second value as a function of the first and second plurality of values.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the new content is a function of a quantity of sub-processes associated with the process that have not been previously implemented with respect to at least one other process. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the new content is a function of a quantity of sub-processes associated with the process that are customized with respect to at least one sub-process associated with at least one other process. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein establishing the first value includes subdividing the process into one or more sub-processes associated with the process and comparing each of the one or more sub-processes with at least one other process. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further including operating the process until the second value is achieve within a statistical confidence threshold. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the process is a logistical process including at least one of a cross-docking, receiving, warehousing, repacking, picking, sequencing, kitting, subassembly, or shipping operation. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further including normalizing the first timing as a function of one or more resources associated with the process. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more resources include at least one of a quantity of workers associated with the process, a quantity of shifts that workers associated with the process perform, a quantity of manipulations associated with the process performed within a given period of time, or the operational time period of the process. 
     
     
         29 . A method of validating a process, comprising:
 determining an initial risk associated with operating the process at least partially during validation;   determining an acceptable risk associated with operating the process after validation, the acceptable risk being less than the initial risk;   predicting a timing, via a map functionally relating risk associated with operating the process and time of operating the process, the timing being indicative of the time the process will be operated during validation to reduce the initial risk to the acceptable risk; and   normalizing the predicted timing as a function of one or more resources associated with the process.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the initial risk is a function of operational failures predicted to occur during operation of the process during validation. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the acceptable risk is a function of operational failures acceptable to occur during operation of the process after validation. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the process is configured to manipulate a plurality of products and the risk associated with operating the process is a function of one or more of the plurality of products not being manipulated according to desired specifications. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the process is a logistical process including at least one of a cross-docking, receiving, warehousing, repacking, picking, sequencing, kitting, subassembly, or shipping operation. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more resources include at least one of a quantity of workers associated with the process, a quantity of shifts that workers associated with the process perform, a quantity of manipulations associated with the process performed within a given period of time, or the operational time period of the process. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , further including operating the process during validation to reduce the initial risk to the acceptable risk.