Patent ID: 7813974

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: obtaining package data including a destination identifier and one or more item identifiers from packages processed within a distribution system; detecting, by one or more computers, duplicate shipments of items to customers, wherein each shipment comprises one or more packages to be shipped to a particular customer at a particular shipping address, wherein each package includes one or more items ordered by a respective customer, and wherein said detecting duplicate shipments comprises: analyzing the obtained package data in accordance with an analysis interval, wherein said analyzing comprises, for each destination-identifier/item-identifier combination in each package processed during a most recent analysis interval: counting the number of occurrences of the destination-identifier/item-identifier combination in all packages processed during a window, wherein the window includes at least the most recent analysis interval; and increasing a duplicate shipment count for the most recent analysis interval in response to determining that the number of occurrences of the destination-identifier/item-identifier combination in the packages processed during the window is greater than a specified number; comparing the duplicate shipment count for the most recent analysis interval to a specified threshold to determine if the duplicate shipment count for the most recent analysis interval exceeds the specified threshold; and raising an alarm in response to determining that the duplicate shipment count for the most recent analysis interval exceeds the specified threshold, wherein said alarm indicates that at least one duplicate shipment of items has been detected in the most recent analysis interval.