Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2004-09-28
Pardo, Thuy N (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06799179
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to information technology, and more particularly, to a globally-integrated RMA (Returned Material Authorization) information system, which allows the RMA files built at a first global location, such as an oversees service station, to be shared by personnel at a second global location, such as a domestic repair center.
2. Description of Related Art
Globally-oriented corporations that sell products around the world often establish oversees service stations in foreign countries where their products are being sold so as to offer after-sale repair services to the oversees customers. If a sold product is defective, the customer can return the product to any nearby service station for repair. As a standard procedure, the service station will first build a so-called RMA (Returned Material Authorization) file which contains all the information about the returned product that can be referenced to perform the required repair work. If the repair work is minor, the service station may fix the problem by its own personnel; otherwise, the oversees service station will send the returned product back to its domestic repair center.
Presently, however, since the domestic repair center is unable to immediately gain access to the RMS files built by oversees service stations, it often requires the domestic repair center to repeat the testing procedure on the returned products transported back from the oversees service station to thereby build a new RMS file for each returned product. In regard to the corporation's overall service operation, this repeated task would be undoubtedly quite wasting in time and manpower, making the overall after-sale repair service quite inefficient and cost-ineffective. Moreover, since the RMS files built by the domestic personnel may be inconsistent with those built by the oversees personnel, it would cause serious management problems to the after-sale repair service. It also makes the domestic personnel unable to effectively track every returned product from the oversees service station. All these problems would make the overall after-sale repair service quite inefficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a globally-integrated RMA information system which allows an oversees service station to transfer RMS files periodically back to a domestic repair center, so that when the domestic repair center receives a batch of returned products from the oversees service station, the domestic repair personnel can immediately gain access to the associated RMS files of the returned products and thereby allow the after-sale repair service to be more efficient to carry out.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives, the invention proposes a globally-integrated RMA information system.
The globally-integrated RMA information system of the invention comprises a repair center information system installed at a first global location, a service station information system installed at a second global location, and data communication link installed between the repair center information system and the service station information system to allow the repair center information system and the service station information system to exchange data. The service station information system is capable of transferring all the RMS files periodically at specified time intervals back to the repair center information system. When the domestic repair center receives a batch of returned products from the oversees service station, the repair personnel can immediately gain access to the associated RMS files of the returned products from the local RMA database of the repair center information system, without having to repeat a testing procedure and build a RMS file for each returned product transported back from the oversees service station. The globally-integrated RMA information system of the invention therefore allows the overall after-sale repair service to be more efficient and reliable.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6226623 (2001-05-01), Schein et al.
patent: 6389337 (2002-05-01), Kolls
Terada, “Communication apparatus, server, service center, and service method”, May 2002, US patent application Publication, pp. 1-10.*
Lee et al., “Method, System, and Program for Customer Service and Support Management”, OCt. 2002, US patent application Publication, pp. 1-10.*
Spira et al., “Menu Driven Management and Operation Technique”, Sep. 2003, US patent application Publication, pp. 1-32.*
Edmonds et al., “System and related methods for remote production line monitoring using the web”, US patent application Publication, pp. 1-8.
Chen Cheng-Ju
Liao Yi-Ming
Tseng Li-Ching
Inventec C'orporation
Pardo Thuy N
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
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