Patent ID: 7702544

Claim:
A method for increasing efficiency in constructing individual products of a particular product type, wherein each individual product has an associated specification set, said method comprising the steps of: constructing a plurality of build ahead configurations (BACs), wherein each constructed BAC comprises an incomplete individual product of said particular type, and has an associated BAC specification set, and at least one of said constructed BACs is different from another of said constructed BACs; receiving, an order for an individual product of said particular product type, at a time after said BACs have been constructed, wherein the order has an ordered product specification set that defines each specification in the specification set for said ordered individual product; calculating, by a computer, a metric for each constructed BAC, wherein the metric for a given constructed BAC represents the amount of effort required to modify the given constructed BAC so that the modified BAC will conform to all of the specifications in the ordered product specification set of said ordered individual product; calculating, by the computer, said metric for the given constructed BAC by comparing respective specifications in the ordered product specification set with the specifications in the BAC specification set of the given constructed BAC; and using said calculated metrics to select one of said constructed BACs for modification, in order to provide said ordered individual product.