Directed defective item repair system and methods

The field of the present invention is the repair of a defective item where the item is directed through the repair process by a system. In the present invention, a manufacturing execution system controls and tracks an item through a sequence of workcenters that implement a process. A route defines the sequence of work centers for the process without repairing a defective item. An item is tested at a test workcenter and fails. A defect symptom describes the defect. A quality information screen collects quality information for the defect and presents a list of repair workcenters. Based on the defect symptom description, a repair workcenter is selected. The manufacturing execution system suspends the route and directs the item to the repair workcenter. The item is repaired at the repair workcenter and the quality information screen presents a list of workcenters including the test workcenter. If the repair of the item is complete, the test workcenter is selected. The manufacturing execution system directs the item to the test workcenter. The test workcenter tests the item. When the item passes the test, the route is resumed and the item is directed to the workcenter in the route after the test workcenter. If the repair is not complete, the repair workcenter selects the workcenter to continue the repair and the manufacturing execution system directs the item to the selected workcenter.