Matching and cleansing of part data

1. A computer-implemented system for part data matching, the system comprising one or more memory units and one or more processing units collectively operable to:

receive a selection of an input file from a user of the system, the input file being received by the system from an input file originator and comprising part information identifying one or more parts, the part information comprising at least one manufacturer name and at least one part number;

receive a selection of a manufacturer name match template from the user, the manufacturer name match template being stored in association with the system, wherein the manufacturer name match template is configurable by the user to identify one or more matching techniques and to specify the order in which the identified matching techniques are to be applied, the order being specified without deleting any of the identified matching techniques, to match a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts in the input file with a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts identified in one or more sources of parts data that are stored in association with the system;

receive a selection of a manufacturer part number match template from the user, the manufacturer part number match template being stored in association with the system, wherein the manufacturer part number match template is configurable by the user to identify one or more matching techniques and to specify the order in which the identified matching techniques are to be applied, the order being specified without deleting any of the identified matching techniques, to match a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts in the input file with a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data;

use the matching techniques identified in the manufacturer name match template to identify one or more potential matches between a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts in the input file and a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data;

use the matching techniques identified in the manufacturer part number match template to identify one or more potential matches between a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts in the input file and a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data for which a potential manufacturer name match was found;

communicate the potential matches to the user; and

receive a selection of a potential match from the user for one or more parts identified in the input file, the selection of the potential match for a particular part indicating that manufacturer name and manufacturer part number in the input file that are associated with the part are to be used to identify the part.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input file comprises a bill of materials.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input file comprises a parts list.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input file comprises a bill of materials, and wherein the bill of materials comprises an approved supplier list.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sources of parts data that are stored in association with the system are selected from the group consisting of a reference database, a supplier database, a local database, and a history database.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the match templates may be reused for multiple input files.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturer part number match template and the manufacturer name match template are further configurable by the user to identify special characters that need to be removed from part information in the input file before using the matching techniques associated with the particular match template.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturer part number match template and the manufacturer name match template are further configurable by the user to identify a maximum number of potential matches per matching technique to be communicated to the user.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the matching techniques comprise techniques using fuzzy logic.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to:

receive a selection of a manufacturer map, the manufacturer map including one or more mappings of one or more input manufacturer names to manufacturer names in the one or more sources of parts data, the manufacturer map including the manufacturer name match template and using the matching techniques specified in the manufacturer name match template to create the mappings; and

use the manufacturer map to identify one or more potential matches between a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts in the input file and a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the manufacturer map may be reused for multiple input files.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential matches are communicated to the user after each matching technique specified in a match template is attempted.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the potential matches are communicated to the user after all matching techniques specified in a match template have been attempted.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to not attempt to identify potential matches for a part in the input file with a particular matching technique if a part in the one or more sources of parts data having a matching manufacturer name and manufacturer part number is identified using a previous matching technique.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to receive a selection of potential matches for an input file from a plurality of users.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to save the selected potential matches in a revised input file.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to use the revised input file in a material quotation process.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to:

store the selected potential matches in a history database; and

use the history database as a source of parts data.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the components of the system are further operable to store one or more of the potential matches in a staging table for future access by the user.

20. A computer-implemented method for part data matching, the method being performed using a computer system comprising one or more memory units and one or more processing units, the method comprising:

using the computer system, receiving a selection of an input file from a user, the input file being received from an input file originator and comprising part information identifying one or more parts, the part information comprising at least one manufacturer name and at least one part number;

using the computer system, receiving a selection of a manufacturer name match template from the user, the manufacturer name match template being configurable by the user to identify one or more matching techniques and to specify the order in which the identified matching techniques are to be applied, the order being specified without deleting any of the identified matching techniques, to match a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts in the input file with a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts identified in one or more sources of parts data;

using the computer system, receiving a selection of a manufacturer part number match template from the user, the manufacturer part number match template being configurable by the user to identify one or more matching techniques and to specify the order in which the identified matching techniques are to be applied, the order being specified without deleting any of the identified matching techniques, to match a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts in the input file with a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data;

using the computer system, using the matching techniques identified in the manufacturer name match template to identify one or more potential matches between a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts in the input file and a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data;

using the computer system, using the matching techniques identified in the manufacturer part number match template to identify one or more potential matches between a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts in the input file and a manufacturer part number associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data for which a potential manufacturer name match was found;

using the computer system, communicating the potential matches the user; and

using the computer system, receiving a selection of a potential match from the user for one or more parts identified in the input file, the selection of the potential match for a particular part indicating that manufacturer name and manufacturer part number in the input file that are associated with the part are to be used to identify the part.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the input file comprises a bill of materials.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the input file comprises a parts list.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the input file comprises a bill of materials, and wherein the bill of materials comprises an approved supplier list.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the one or more sources of parts data are selected from the group consisting of a reference database, a supplier database, a local database, and a history database.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the match templates may be reused for multiple input files.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the match template and the manufacturer name template are further configurable by the user to identify special characters that need to be removed from part information in the input file before using the matching techniques associated with the particular match template.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the match template and the manufacturer name template are further configurable by the user to identify a maximum number of potential matches per matching technique to be communicated to the user.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the matching techniques comprise techniques using fuzzy logic.

29. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

using the computer system, receiving a selection of a manufacturer map, the manufacturer map including one or more mappings of one or more input manufacturer names to manufacturer names in the one or more sources of parts data, the manufacturer map including the manufacturer name match template and using the matching techniques specified in the manufacturer name match template to create the mappings; and

using the computer system, using the manufacturer map to identify one or more potential matches between a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts in the input file and a manufacturer name associated with one or more parts identified in the one or more sources of parts data.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the manufacturer map may be reused for multiple input files.

31. The method of claim 20 , wherein the potential matches are communicated to the user after each matching technique specified in a match template is attempted.

32. The method of claim 20 , wherein the potential matches are communicated to the user after all matching techniques specified in a match template have been attempted.

33. The method of claim 20 , further comprising not attempting to identify potential matches for a part in the input file with a particular matching technique if a part in the one or more sources of parts data having a matching manufacturer name and manufacturer part number is identified using a previous matching technique.

34. The method of claim 20 , further comprising receiving, using the computer system, a selection of potential matches for an input file from a plurality of users.

35. The method of claim 20 , further comprising saving, using the computer system, the selected potential matches in a revised input file.

36. The method of claim 20 , further comprising using the revised input file in a material quotation process using the computer system.

37. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

using the computer system, storing the selected potential matches in a history database; and

using the computer system, using the history database as a source of parts data.

38. The method of claim 20 , further comprising storing, using the computer system, one or more of the potential matches in a staging table for future access by the user.