Patent ID: 8666846

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for identifying a length of time required to fulfill an order including multiple items, comprising: using one or more computers to perform: receiving a request for a length of time required to fulfill a portion of an order that includes items of a group comprising a plurality of items of the order to be shipped in a single shipment from a facility; for each item of the group, determining a preparation time needed to prepare the item for shipment; wherein, at a time of said determining, at least one item of the group is in a physical inventory at the facility and at least one item of the group is not in the physical inventory at the facility; wherein for each at least one item of the group in the physical inventory at the facility, the preparation time is determined based on an amount of time expected to be needed to prepare the item for shipment from the facility; wherein for each at least one item of the group not in physical inventory at the facility, the preparation time is dynamically determined in response to said receiving the request, wherein: the dynamic determination is based on a determined amount of time expected to be needed to obtain the item into the physical inventory and an amount of time expected to be needed to prepare the item for shipment from the facility, and the dynamic determination is dependent upon records indicating one or more outstanding restocking orders for the at least one item or upon indications of the inventory in the at least one item of particular suppliers; determining a length of time required to fulfill the portion of the order that includes the items of said group, wherein the determined length of time is the longest preparation time of the preparation times determined for the items of the group; and reporting the length of time required to fulfill the portion of the order that includes the items of the group.