Patent ID: 7885865

Claim:
A method for arranging a collection of electronic planogram files, wherein said collection of electronic files is illustrative of the arrangements of items on portions of store shelves, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of the electronic planogram files including a first set of electronic files and a second set of electronic files, the first set of electronic files containing a graphical depiction and a textual description of an arrangement of a plurality of items on at least a portion of a store shelf, the second set of electronic files containing only text characters and identifying a minimum number of stock units for each of the plurality of items; b) storing the first set of electronic files in a storage medium on an enterprise level system and transmitting the second set of electronic files to a division level system; c) creating a collection file for storage of identification information for at least one of the first and second sets of electronic files; d) obtaining identification information for at least one electronic file from the storage medium on the enterprise level system or the storage medium on the division level system; e) storing said identification information for at least one of the obtained electronic files in the collection file; and f) providing an inventory system comprising a scanner, and importing into the inventory system from the second set of electronic files the minimum number of stock units for each of the plurality of items, wherein the inventory system: obtains an actual number of units for each of the plurality of items; compares the actual number of units to the minimum number of stock units for each of the plurality of items; and generates a stock order for the order amount when the actual number of units is less than the minimum number of stock units for at least one of the plurality of items.