Patent ID: 6937992

Claim:
A method of optimizing a shipment of merchandise, the shipment being to a first receiver maintaining a first inventory of merchandise at a first receiver location and to a second receiver maintaining a second inventory of merchandise at a second receiver location, the shipment of merchandise being from a first shipper located at a first source location and from a second shipper located at a second source location, said method comprising the steps of: determining the limits of the merchandise required to be maintained for the first inventory according to one or more first metrics in response to first data received from the first receiver; determining the limits of the merchandise required to be maintained for the second inventory according to one or more second metrics in response to second data received from the second receiver; and optimizing the shipment of merchandise by determining one or more maximum loads of one or more transport vehicles at least in part by calculating an amount of merchandise for shipment from the first and second shippers by the one or more transport vehicles from the first and second sources to the first and second receivers that reduces logistics costs and that results in shipment of merchandise within the limits of merchandise required to be maintained for the first inventory and within the limits of merchandise required to be maintained for the second inventory according to an algorithm employing at least the one or more first metrics, the one or more second metrics, the first data and the second data; and wherein the steps are implemented by a combination of computer hardware and computer software.