Patent ID: 8560461

Claim:
A computing system, comprising: one or more computers; wherein the one or more computers are configured to implement: a data store storing packaging-related information; and a shipment splitting analyzer configured to: receive data identifying a group of items to be shipped to a same destination from a materials handling facility, wherein the data comprises two or more unique item identifiers and a respective quantity of items associated with each unique item identifier, and wherein at least two items in the group of items have different sizes or shapes; compare one or more of a number of unique item identifiers in the data identifying the group of items or a number of items in the group of items to a respective pre-determined threshold condition; in response to the comparison resulting in meeting the pre-determined threshold condition: attempt to split the group of items into two or more shipment sets, wherein to attempt to split the group of items into two or more shipment sets, the shipment splitting analyzer is configured to: access a portion of the packaging-related information in the data store; attempt to divide the group of items into two or more shipment sets dependent, at least in part, on the accessed packaging-related information; and provide data identifying each of one or more shipment sets to the materials handling facility dependent on results of said attempt to divide the group of items, wherein each shipment set comprises items to be packaged together for shipment in a respective container; wherein said providing is performed prior to the group of items being sorted for shipping; and in response to the comparison resulting in not meeting the pre-determined threshold condition: refrain from attempting to split the group of items into two or more shipment sets; and provide data to the materials handling facility identifying the group of items as a single shipment set.