Patent ID: 8160940

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for making an availability determination regarding a requested ware, the method comprising: identifying, using a computer system, a first request from a customer to a manufacturer to provide a quantity of a ware to the customer at a first date, the manufacturer to provide a first confirmation date for the first request that is either the first date or a later date; recording, in the computer system and in response to the first request, a second request for a critical part of the ware, the second request to be satisfied at a second date selected using the first date, the quantity of the ware to be manufactured by assembling parts in an assemble-to-order process, of which parts at least the critical part is to be manufactured in a make-to-stock process, wherein the first request is a demand against the assemble-to-order process and the second request is a demand against the make-to-stock process; determining, using the computer system, a second confirmation date for the critical part based on the second request; generating, using the computer system, a confirmation for the first request that specifies the first confirmation date for the first request as either the first date or the later date based on the second confirmation date for the critical part; and sending the confirmation to the customer in response to the first request using the computer system.