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Dynamically determining actual delivery information for orders based on actual order fulfillment plans

  • US 7,747,543 B1
  • Filed: 09/27/2001
  • Issued: 06/29/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

  • receiving from a customer of an item ordering service an indication of one or more items without receiving a request from the customer to initiate an ordering process to order the one or more items; and

    before receiving the request from the customer to initiate the ordering process for the one or more items,automatically determining multiple geographically distributed item distribution centers that are maintained by the item ordering service and that are each available as an alternative to supply the items to the customer if an order is received from the customer for the items, each of the determined item distribution centers having distinct current inventory that includes the items, the automatic determining of the multiple geographically distributed item distribution centers being performed by one or more programmed computer systems of the item ordering service;

    in response to the received indication from the customer of the one or more items, automatically determining multiple distinct alternative fulfillment plans for supplying the items to the customer that are each associated with one of the determined item distribution centers such that each of the determined item distribution centers has at least one associated fulfillment plan, each fulfillment plan indicating that the items are to be shipped from the item distribution center associated with the fulfillment plan and indicating a manner of shipping the items from the associated item distribution center to the customer and indicating information about processing that would take place at the associated item distribution center as part of the fulfillment plan to prepare the items for the shipping to the customer, the automatic determining of the multiple distinct alternative fulfillment plans being performed by the one or more programmed computer systems of the item ordering service;

    for each of multiple of the determined distinct fulfillment plans, determining a cost of use for that fulfillment plan if the items are supplied using that fulfillment plan, and determining an actual delivery date for that fulfillment plan on which the customer will receive the items if the items are supplied using that fulfillment plan, the determined actual delivery date being based at least in part on the indicated manner of shipping the items for that fulfillment plan and being based at least in part on the indicated information about the processing that would take place at the associated item distribution center for that fulfillment plan, the determining of the cost of use and the determining of the actual delivery date being performed by the one or more programmed computer systems of the item ordering service; and

    providing to the customer an indication of each of multiple of the determined fulfillment plans as options for supplying the items to the customer, each indication of a determined fulfillment plan option including the determined cost of use and the determined actual delivery date for that determined fulfillment plan option; and

    after an indication from the customer to use a selected one of the indicated determined fulfillment plan options as part of an order for the items, initiating fulfillment of the order for the items using the selected fulfillment plan,so that the customer will receive options for how an order is to be fulfilled and will receive accurate delivery date information for the order prior to order placement.

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