Patent ID: 7890389

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of releasing stock requests to a warehouse, the method comprising: generating, using a processor and a memory, (i) a first condition record reflecting a first predetermined set of conditions to be met by attributes of a stock request and (ii) a second condition record reflecting a second predetermined set of conditions to be met by attributes of the stock request, the first condition record being associated with a first particular wave template and the second condition record being associated with a second particular wave template; receiving, using the processor and the memory, at least one stock request including one or more attributes about a stock item; determining, using the processor and the memory, whether the attributes of each said received stock request meet the conditions of said first condition record; determining, using the processor and the memory, whether the attributes of each said received stock request meet the conditions of said second condition record; assigning, using the processor and the memory, a selected wave template, comprising: assigning, using the processor and the memory, the first particular wave template to each stock request if a determination is made that the stock request does meet the first condition record and does not meet the second condition record; assigning, using the processor and the memory, the second particular wave template to each stock request if a determination is made that the stock request does meet the second condition record and does not meet the first condition record; determining, using the processor and the memory, an optimal wave template to assign to each stock request if a determination is made that the stock request does meet the first condition record and the second condition record, the optimal wave template being either the first particular wave template or the second particular wave template; and assigning, using the processor and the memory, the optimal wave template to each stock request if the optimal wave template is determined; creating, using the processor and the memory, a wave object based on each said stock request associated with the selected wave template; adding, using the processor and the memory, the at least one stock request to the wave object; determining, using the processor and the memory, whether the wave object should be released; determining, using the processor and the memory, whether a wave status reflects that the wave object is released; monitoring, using the processor and the memory, activity of the wave object based on determination of whether the wave object is released; and releasing, using the processor and the memory, the wave object to the warehouse for fulfillment of each said stock request associated with the wave object, wherein the selected wave template is not assigned if a determination is made that the stock request does not meet the first condition record and the second condition record.