Patent ID: 7840429

Claim:
A system for optimizing the shipment of merchandise, said system including: a first receiver maintaining a first inventory of merchandise at a first receiver location, wherein a first inventory determination determines the limits of 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; a second receiver maintaining a second inventory of merchandise at a second receiver location, wherein a second inventory determination determines the limits of 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; a first shipper located at a first source location; a second shipper located at a second source location; and computer hardware, computer software stored on a computer and operating on a computer or a combination of computer hardware and computer software stored on a computer and operating on a computer determining the shipment of merchandise, wherein the shipment is from said first shipper and from said second shipper to said first receiver and to said second receiver, wherein the shipment of said merchandise is optimized 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.