Patent ID: 7979359

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: using one or more computers to perform: determining an item group comprising a plurality of items to be shipped from a single materials handling facility to a same destination, the item group picked from inventory of the materials handling facility, the materials handling facility configured to perform a sortless process that includes preparing distinct shipments that each include a distinct shipping container containing a distinct item of the item group such that each distinct shipping container contains no more than one item from inventory of the materials handling facility, wherein each item of said item group has a default non-sortable status that indicates that item by default is to be processed by the sortless process of the materials handling facility; determining whether a sortation process is to be applied to at least a subset of the item group based on an evaluation of multiple projected measures of shipping container utilization for different combinations of shipping containers, each combination configured to collectively hold all items of the item group, wherein said sortation process comprises a process for sorting at least two items of said subset together for consolidated shipment from the materials handling facility in a same shipping container; in response to said evaluation resulting in a determination that a projected measure of shipping container utilization for one of said combinations that utilizes shipment consolidation according to said sortation process is greater than a requisite threshold of shipping container utilization, generating one or more instructions for handling said plurality of items such that said sortation process is applied at said materials handling facility to said at least a subset of the item group.