Patent ID: 7480867

Claim:
A system comprising: a host computer operating software that maintains data associated with shipment items; and a client computer coupled to the host computer via a network, wherein the client computer executes a user interface module that presents a user interface having a single screen that includes at least one activity region having a preference control input and a set of data fields to display at least a portion of the data associated with the shipment items, wherein the set of data fields are associated with the activity region and allow a user to input and edit the data associated with the shipment items, wherein the single screen allows the user to perform an activity related to shipment of the shipment items without requiring the user to interact with a second screen of the user interface, wherein the user interface module presents the activity region of the single screen to display at least one of the set of data fields for performing the shipment activity, wherein, after presenting the activity region and in response to activation of the preference control input by the user, the user interface module presents a preference control window to selectively enable and disable the inclusion of at least one of the set of data fields associated with the presented activity region of the single screen for performing the shipment activity, and wherein the preference control window only allows the user to selectively enable and disable those data fields that: (i) are associated with the presented activity region having the preference control input that was activated, and (ii) are specified by a user-specific profile as available for customization by the user for that activity region.