System for determining personal protective equipment recommendations based on prioritized data

Abstract

A system for computing personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations, including a plurality of client computers, where each client computer in the plurality of client computers, uses a processor, for receiving and storing corporate information of a corporate organization and PPE needs associated with the corporate organization; and for receiving and storing a plurality of benchmark data describing a current PPE usage for at least one application of the PPE within the corporate organization; and a server, remotely located from the plurality of client computers and connected to the plurality of client computers via a network, for identifying a selected PPE by performing an analysis based on the corporate information and the benchmark data wherein the analysis compares characteristics of a plurality PPE against characteristics of the at least one application and provides a priority ranking of importance for the plurality of characteristics required for the at least one application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for computing personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations, comprising:
 a plurality of client computers, where each client computer in the plurality of client computers, uses a processor, for receiving and storing corporate information of a corporate organization and PPE needs associated with the corporate organization; and for receiving and storing a plurality of benchmark data describing a current PPE usage for at least one application of the PPE within the corporate organization;   a server, remotely located from the plurality of client computers and connected to the plurality of client computers via a network, the server comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein program instructions executable by the processor to configure the server to:
 identify a selected PPE by performing an analysis based on the corporate information and the benchmark data wherein the analysis compares characteristics of a plurality of PPE against PPE characteristics required for the at least one application for determining areas of improvement wherein the selected PPE improves the benchmark data by comparing the characteristics of the selected PPE to the benchmark data; and 
 generate a PPE recommendation based on the selected PPE that improves the benchmark data, wherein the PPE recommendation includes a PPE configuration for the at least one application based on the determined areas of improvement. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PPE characteristics required for the at least one application are given a priority ranking of importance via at least one of the plurality of client computers and the analysis takes into account the priority ranking of the PPE characteristics required for the at least one application when selecting a PPE. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the corporate information and benchmark data is synchronized between the plurality of client computers and the server. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the benchmark data comprises at least one of cost performance data, an injury reduction data, SKU reduction data, a training information or production waste data. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the corporate information is organized in hierarchical levels and the hierarchical levels include at least one of a corporation, a division, a region, a plant, a department, an area, a line, or a product application. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one display device for presenting a report including the selected PPE and at least one benefit associated with the selection of the selected PPE. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the server communicates the PPE recommendation to at least one of the plurality of client computers for display. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of client computers comprise one or more of desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, smart phones, or tablet computers. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for computing personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations, comprising:
 a memory to store information and program instructions;   a processor, coupled to the memory, to execute the program instructions to configure the apparatus to:
 identify a selected PPE by performing an analysis based on corporate information of a corporate organization and PPE needs associated with the corporate organization and benchmark data describing a current PPE usage for at least one application of the PPE within the corporate organization wherein the analysis compares characteristics of a plurality of PPE against PPE characteristics required for the at least one application for determining areas of improvement wherein the selected PPE improves the benchmark data by comparing the characteristics of the selected PPE to the benchmark data; and 
 generate a PPE recommendation based on the selected PPE that improves the benchmark data, wherein the PPE recommendation includes a PPE configuration for the at least one application based on the determined areas of improvement. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one display device for presenting a report including the selected PPE. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , where the report further includes at least one benefit associated with the selection of the selected PPE 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the PPE characteristics required for the at least one application are ranked in an order of importance and the analysis takes into account the ranking of the PPE characteristics required for the at least one application when selecting a PPE. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the benchmark data comprises at least one of cost performance data, an injury reduction data, SKU reduction data, a training information or production waste data. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the corporate information is organized in hierarchical levels and the hierarchical levels include at least one of a corporation, a division, a region, a plant, a department, an area, a line, or a product application. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the benchmark data further comprises entry of at least one of an injury reduction data, inventory control information, or a training information. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the analysis comprises at least one of a financial impact analysis or a PPE usage overview analysis. 
     
     
         17 . A method for computing personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations, comprising:
 identifying, at a server, a selected PPE by performing an analysis based on corporate information of a corporate organization and PPE needs associated with the corporate organization and benchmark data describing a current PPE usage for at least one application of the PPE within the corporate organization and a priority ranking of importance for a plurality of characteristics required for the at least one application wherein the analysis compares characteristics of a plurality of PPE against the ranked characteristics for the at least one application for determining areas of improvement wherein the selected PPE improves the benchmark data by comparing the characteristics of the selected PPE to the benchmark data; and   generating a PPE recommendation based on the selected PPE that improves the benchmark data, wherein the PPE recommendation includes a PPE configuration for the at least one application based on the determined areas of improvement.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising ranking the PPE characteristics required for the at least one application in an order of importance and taking into account the priority ranking of the PPE characteristics required for the at least one application when selecting a PPE. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising displaying a report including the selected PPE. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising organizing the corporate information in hierarchical levels and the hierarchical levels include at least one of a corporation, a division, a region, a plant, a department, an area, a line, or a product application.