Patent ID: 6882892

Claim:
A software system embodied on a computer system for specifying design of at least two links in a packaging chain for a product, the software system comprising: a first software module for specifying design of a first link in the packaging chain according to a first set of design criteria, a second software module independent of the function of the first software module for specifying design of a second link in the packaging chain according to a second set of design criteria, the first set of design criteria and said second set of design criteria being different from one another, the first and second software modules having a first module parameter and a second module parameter respectively, each of the first and second module parameters having a limit which should not normally be breached, conversion means interconnecting the first software module and the second software module to enable data representing the design of the first or second link in the packaging chain to be recognized in the other of the software modules, and feedback means to provide feedback when the design specified for the first link by the first software module will breach the limit of the second module parameter or when the design specified for the second link by the second software module will breach the limit of the first module parameter.