Patent ID: 8359244

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for operating an apparel production business, said method comprising: generating a display comprising choices about a plurality of garment attributes for a client in one or more front-end windows and accepting selections regarding those choices from said client in said one or more front-end windows, each of said garment attributes being identified by a task code; processing said selections within a central operation center with one or more processors, simulating the appearance of a specified garment that reflects said selections and generating a display comprising a simulated garment to said client on one of said front-end windows and, after said client confirms said selections, requesting proposals from a plurality of garment producers for production of said specified garment; accepting from a garment producer in one or more back-end windows a proposal to produce said specified garment; authorizing said garment producer to produce said specified garment in accordance with said proposal; maintaining a master schedule that reflects the production of said specified garment; and maintaining a database containing information on the capacity of said plurality of garment producers to produce garments having at least some of said plurality of garment attributes.