Patent ID: 8015081

Claim:
An Internet-based order aggregation management system comprising: an aggregation management database system executing on a computer system, wherein the aggregation management database system is configured to manage activities associated with transfers of items from a plurality of merchants to a plurality of consumers by supporting integrated inventory sharing, predictive ordering consumption forecasting and order aggregation, wherein purchase orders placed by consumers are fulfilled just-in-time from virtual inventory pools of participating merchants coordinated by an integrated inventory sharing system, wherein the virtual inventory pools are supplied just-in-time based upon accurate consumption forecasts generated by a predictive ordering consumption forecasting system and wherein each of the plurality of consumers purchases at least one item designated for physical aggregation from a different one of the plurality of merchants, wherein items designated for physical aggregation, purchased by each consumer, are sent to an identified order aggregation facility proximate the consumer to be physically aggregated in one or more batches in accordance with provided aggregation instructions, wherein each batch of physically aggregated items is transferred from the identified order aggregation facility to the consumer who purchased the items at an identified date and time and wherein the aggregation management database system is configured to store aggregation management data, the aggregation management data comprising: merchant data; purchase order data; aggregation and delivery data; order aggregation facility data; carrier data; and transportation data; an order aggregation web server executing on a computer system, wherein the order aggregation web server is configured to access the aggregation management database system and to execute application programs to manage tasks associated with transfers of items from the plurality of merchants to the plurality of consumers, based at least on the aggregation management data, the application programs comprising: a data entry and retrieval program; a report generation program; an activity scheduling program; and a carrier service request generation program; and a carrier management web server executing on a computer system, wherein the carrier management web server is configured to access the aggregation management database system and to execute application programs to manage tasks associated with the transportation operations of a plurality of carriers used to provide carrier services coordinated by the Internet-based order aggregation management sub-system, based at least on the stored aggregation management data, the application programs comprising: a service request management program; a carrier management program; and a delivery scheduling program.