Patent Document ID: 9870584
Application ID: 13414415
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for improving a web-based inventory control system to automatically and more accurately predict a next order of a customer for replenishing supplies, the method comprising: (a) receiving, by a server via a network interface and configured to execute a web-based inventory control system comprising an inventory control module, identification of a number of procedures of a customer forecasted for a predetermined time period until a next order date, each of the number of procedures using one or more items to perform the procedures; (b) establishing, by the web-based inventory control system, a usage factor and a waste factor for the procedure, the usage factor established using a quantity of the one or more items purchased over a previous predetermined time period, the waste factor and the number of procedures performed over the previous predetermined time period, wherein the waste factor is established using a beginning inventory quantity over the previous predetermined time period, an ending inventory quantity over the previous predetermined time period, the number of procedures performed over the previous predetermined time period and number of one or more items used to perform the number of procedures over the previous predetermined time period; (c) identifying, via an inventory control module of the web-based inventory control system, one or more items for the procedure; (d) receiving, by the inventory control module of the web-based inventory control system via the network interface, a current inventory level of the customer for each of the one or more items; (e) determining, automatically by an automatic order calculator of the web-based inventory control system, a customer order identifying an estimated amount of the one or more items to order for the predetermined time period based on the identification of the number of procedures of the customer forecasted for the predetermined time period, the current inventory level, the usage factor for the previous predetermined time period and the waste factor for the previous predetermined time period; (f) presenting, by the automatic order calculator via a web based interface of the web-based inventory control system and responsive to the determination, an automatic order placement screen with an order form automatically populated with the customer order based on the determination; and (g) placing, by the automatic order calculator, the customer order responsive to receiving a submission of the order form via the automatic order placement screen, the server responsive to placing the customer order, revises and stores values for the current inventory level of the customer for use in processing a next order.