Patent ID: 7738994

Claim:
A method for tracking an item through an item delivery system, the item delivery system comprising a plurality of plants adapted to process the item and perform item handling functions, the method comprising: placing a first tracking indicia on the item at a first plant, the first tracking indicia containing information related to the first plant; reading the first tracking indicia on the item at the first plant; entering information obtained from reading the first tracking indicia into a management system, the management system having a plurality of management sub-systems separate from the plants, the management sub-systems performing management functions different from the item handling functions; sending information obtained from reading the first tracking indicia at the first plant to at least a first management sub-system; transporting the item to a second plant; removing the first tracking indicia from the item at the second plant; inserting the first tracking indicia removed from the item into an indicia reading device at the second plant; reading the first tracking indicia inserted into the indicia reading device; sending information read from the first tracking indicia by the indicia reading device at the second plant to at least a second management sub-system; analyzing the information obtained from reading the first tracking indicia at at least one of the first plant and the second plant; verifying routing information of the item while the item is being processed at the second plant, based on the analyzing; placing a second tracking indicia on the item at the second plant, the second tracking indicia containing updated routing information, at least a portion of the updated routing information being related to the second plant and being different from the information contained in the first tracking indicia; and routing the item having the second tracking indicia within the item delivery system according to the updated routing information.