Defect management database for managing manufacturing quality information

Abstract

A manufacturing quality information database structure is useful for tracking quality information relating to a manufacturing process. Accurate tracking of symptoms, defects, and actions (repairs) is achieved through data associations between symptom data entities, defect data entities, and action data entities. Further associations between symptom and symptom category data entities; defect and defect category data entities; and action and action category data entities may be used to increase the data tracking capabilities of the database. Moreover, manufacturing processes and process steps may be tracked by process and process step data entities that may also be associated with the symptom, defect and action data entities. Still further, a variety of different modules and module types may be tracked by including an item data entity that identifies each module.