Patent Document ID: 10083471
Application ID: 14883313
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A storage device storing a computer program executable by a processor to perform a method comprising: selecting a plurality of features to include within a predictive build of a computing system, the predictive build being an anticipated final build of the computing system prior to receiving a firm customer order for the computing system in accordance with which an actual final build of the computing system is then built; wherein selecting the features from a plurality of potential features based on a classification of each potential feature that was included in a past customer order of the computing system, wherein the classification of each potential feature, as a given potential feature, corresponds to a marginal cost of including the given potential feature within the predictive build of the computing system; and a distribution of each potential feature, as the given potential feature, within past customer orders of the computing system, the distribution indicating how often the given potential feature was present within the past customer orders; wherein each potential feature, as the given potential feature, is classified within one of a plurality of tiers ordered from a highest marginal cost tier to a lowest marginal cost tier, and selecting the features from the potential features comprises: selecting any potential feature that is classified within the highest marginal cost tier, up to a predetermined maximum number of the features; estimating a marginal cost of first building the predictive build and then modifying the predictive build to realize the actual final build, as compared to building the actual final build without first building the predictive build and then modifying predictive build to realize the actual final build, based on the features selected; responsive to determining that the marginal cost is less than a predetermined acceptable marginal cost limit, indicating that the predictive build should be built prior to receiving the firm customer order, and causing the computing system to be built in accordance with the predictive build thereof prior to receiving the firm customer order; and responsive to determining that the marginal cost is greater than the predetermined acceptable marginal cost limit, indicating that the predictive build should not be built prior to receiving the firm customer order, and causing the computing system to be built in accordance with the predictive build thereof after receiving the firm customer order, wherein estimating the marginal cost comprises adding together a marginal cost value for each feature to realize the marginal cost of first building the predictive build and then modifying the predictive build to realize the actual final build, wherein the computing system is built in accordance with the predictive build, and thereafter tested and shipped to a customer.