Patent ID: 8260647

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing delivery routes comprising: identifying, by a delivery system computer in conjunction with a first database of the delivery system computer, a plurality of routes for delivering articles within a delivery unit, each route comprising segments having delivery points; identifying, by the delivery system computer in conjunction with a second database of the delivery system computer, a quantity of articles to be delivered along each route; identifying, by the delivery system computer in conjunction with a third database of the delivery system computer, estimated times for completing the segments of the identified routes, wherein the estimated times for completing the segments of the identified routes are determined based on the quantity of articles to be delivered at the delivery points of the segments; identifying, by the delivery system computer in conjunction with a fourth database of the delivery system computer, carriers assigned and assignable to at least a portion of said plurality of identified routes, the availability of said carriers, and a workload capacity for each carrier, the workload capacity including a total number of available work hours for that carrier; generating, by the delivery system computer, selective data from said first, second, third, and fourth databases for display in a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to receive an assignment to a particular route for at least one carrier; determining, by the delivery system computer, that the at least one carrier does not have a full days work for a particular day; and assigning, by the delivery system computer, the at least one carrier to a segment of another route of said plurality of identified routes, wherein the another route differs from the particular route, it is determined that a carrier assigned to the another route for the particular day is unavailable to complete the segment of the another route, and the at least one carrier is assigned a delivery schedule for the segment of the another route reflecting a delivery schedule associated with the segment of the another route.