Patent ID: 7721212

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of configuring an electronic model of a warehouse or production system, which electronic model is used in managing or controlling physical operations of the warehouse or production system by a computing system, the method comprising: receiving, in a computer system, multiple alternative configuration data sets for a stored electronic model for use in managing or controlling physical operations of a warehouse or production system, each of the alternative configuration data sets including predefined configuration parameters tailored for a respective one of alternative industries to configure the electronic model to manage or control the warehouse or production system for that industry; presenting identifiers for the multiple alternative configuration data sets in an industry selection view on the display device for user selection; receiving, in the computer system, the user selection of one of the multiple industries; presenting, on a display device of the computing system, a first set of multiple different visual representations each corresponding to an alternative aspect of the selected configuration data set, wherein each such visual representation of the first set depicts a different one of multiple different warehouse or production system functions associated with the selected industry; receiving, at the computing system, a user selection of one of the presented visual representations, and electronically configuring the stored electronic model of the warehouse or production system in computer memory to include the function depicted in the selected representation of the first set; presenting, on the display device of the computing system, a second set of multiple different visual representations, wherein each such visual representation of the second set depicts both a) the selected warehouse or production system function, and b) a different one of multiple different additional features of the selected warehouse or production system function; and receiving, at the computing system, a user selection of one of the presented second set of visual representations, and electronically configuring the stored electronic model of the warehouse or production system in computer memory to include the additional feature depicted in the selected representation of the second set.