Patent ID: 6324522
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A process for distributing items, including the steps of:(a) providing a plurality of vendors for selling an item;(b) providing an information network by which information about the respective quantity and price of said item each of said vendors has for sale can be shared among vendors, said information network including a Depot portion that includes an Inventory Network function;(c) merging said information with information that has previously been sent to the information network;(d) establishing an agreement among said vendors in which each of said vendors agrees to sell to any other of said vendors up to said respective quantity of said item at said respective price;(e) selecting to utilize the Inventory Network function;(f) viewing a list of networks available to the particular user displayed by said information network;(g) selecting an information network to utilize;(h) selecting a child component that is a sub-component of an assembly; and(i) calculating the maximum number of said assemblies that could be built if said child component were the critical constraint.