Individual Object Workbench for Unique Asset Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems face challenges in accurately tracking and managing unique assets over their lifecycle, as they become increasingly complex and unique, leading to difficulties in reflecting relationships and configurations, especially when assets have long lifespans and high value.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface (GUI) called the 'individual object workbench' is introduced, enabling users to create, maintain, and manage individual object data associated with unique assets, using unique identifiers and allowing for attribute definition and document attachment, which improves data management and accessibility by integrating individual object data with product and business partner data in a single database.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If CRM systems use product master data to represent assets, then data storage is simplified, but the system cannot accurately reflect individual assets as they become more unique over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the asset representation into two segments: a master data record that defines the product type and characteristics, and an individual object record that captures the unique identifiers and specific attributes of each asset instance. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simple master data structure while accurately representing individual asset uniqueness through the individual object layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an individual object record as an intermediary between the master data and the specific asset instances. This intermediary layer contains the unique identifiers (such as serial numbers, vehicle identification numbers) and connects the generic product definition to the specific asset, enabling accurate tracking of individual assets without complicating the master data structure.
2Ease of operation
If CRM systems focus on customer relationships, then customer management is improved, but tracking individual assets with long lifespans and high values becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the CRM functionality into two independent but connected parts: customer relationship management operations and individual asset tracking operations. The individual object record serves as a dedicated tracking mechanism for assets, maintaining unique identifiers and configuration data throughout the asset's lifecycle, while customer relationships are managed separately through standard CRM records.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the individual object record as an intermediary that links customer transactions to specific assets. This intermediary maintains the unique identification and configuration information for assets throughout their lifecycle, enabling reliable tracking of high-value assets with long lifespans while preserving the customer-centric focus of the CRM system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple records are used to represent the same service or asset across different systems, then system flexibility is improved, but data consistency maintenance becomes increasingly complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the representation of services and assets into a unified individual object record structure. Instead of maintaining separate records across different systems, the individual object record serves as a single source of truth that can be referenced by multiple CRM records and external systems, thereby maintaining data consistency while preserving system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the individual object record as a central intermediary that all systems reference for asset and service information. This intermediary maintains a single consistent representation of each asset, and other systems interact with it through standardized interfaces, reducing the complexity of maintaining data consistency across multiple systems while preserving the ability to adapt to different business requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool and graphical user interface (GUI) may be provided for a customer relationship management (CRM) system that enables a user to create, maintain, display and use individual object (iObject) data that relates to a unique asset in a family of assets. A tool or GUI for maintaining information that relates to individual objects may be referred to herein as an “individual object workbench” (workbench). In general, a workbench may include a selection area for selecting an individual object to be defined, and a definition area in which a user may define information to be associated with the selected individual object. Each individual object may be associated with a unique identifier (e.g., a particular car is associated with a vehicle identification number) as a consistent identifier of an individual asset throughout that asset's lifecycle, which may span multiple owners, for example.