Patent ID: 8380585

Claim:
An automated method of managing a supply chain, comprising: transmitting a purchase order for a plurality of electronic devices to a manufacturer computer associated with a manufacturer, wherein the purchase order specifies a requested range of electronic serial numbers to be assigned to the plurality of electronic devices; uploading, by the manufacturer computer, a data file to a supply chain database, wherein the data file identifies the plurality of electronic devices associated with the purchase order and a range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices; comparing, by a telecommunications service provider computer associated with a telecommunications service provider that is purchasing the electronic devices from the manufacturer, the range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices to the requested range of electronic serial numbers specified in the purchase order; when the range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices does not correlate to the requested range of electronic serial numbers specified in the purchase order, transmitting, by the telecommunications service provider computer, a message to the manufacturer computer indicating that the range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices does not correlate to the requested range of electronic serial numbers specified in the purchase order; when the range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices correlates to the requested range of electronic serial numbers specified in the purchase order, transmitting, by the telecommunications service provider computer, a message to the manufacturer computer indicating that the range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices correlates to the requested range of electronic serial numbers specified in the purchase order; and based on the manufacturer computer receiving the message indicating that the range of electronic serial numbers assigned to the plurality of electronic devices correlates to the requested range of electronic serial numbers specified in the purchase order, shipping the plurality of electronic devices.