Patent ID: 7370005

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of effecting electronic commerce of an on-line store, including distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center that has a plurality of storage areas, the method comprising: determining, by a computing device, how rapidly a product is consumed based on order information of a plurality of customers over a period of time; determining, by a management system of the distribution center, whether the product is to be stored in one storage area or is to be stored in more than one storage area of the distribution center based on how rapidly the product is consumed; allowing a customer to access an order history of the customer and information regarding the product via a computer interface of the on-line store; allowing the customer to place a current order via the computer interface, the current order having an order status; allowing the customer to access at least one attribute of the order status of the customer's current order via the computer interface of the on-line store, wherein at least one product in the distribution center has a status, and the order status accessible depends on the status of the at least one product in the distribution center; and generating a report regarding the status of at least one attribute of the distribution center, wherein the order history is accessed from a database of the computer-interface of the on-line store, where information regarding the current order is stored, wherein information regarding the movement of products in the distribution center is stored in a database of the management system of the distribution center, wherein information from the database of the computer-interface and information regarding the movement of products from the database of the management system of the distribution center are periodically transmitted to a data warehouse system, and wherein the data warehouse system analyzes information received to generate the report.