Centralized system and method for optimally routing and tracking articles

A computer-implemented method for event management, the method comprising:

• collecting event data for a plurality of events at a portable device by accepting information indicative of the occurrence of each event;
• transmitting said event data from said portable device to a local computer server with which the portable device is associated;
• transmitting event data for said plurality of events from said local computer server to a global computer server;
• storing event data for said plurality of events in a database at said global server;
• calculating expected event information based on information in said global database;
• transmitting from said global computer server to said local computer server said expected event information,
• transmitting said from said local computer server to said portable device said expected event information;
• and
• providing said expected event information to a user of said second portable device.

A computer system for optimally routing items of interest from a source through a plurality of processing stations to a destination, the system comprising:

• a global computer server, said global computer including:
• a global database for storing information regarding each item of interest;
• an optimizer for calculating, and periodically recalculating, an optimal route for each item of interest, and for updating routing information in said global database;
• a database for storing route optimization factors for use by said optimizer in said calculation and recalculation of said optimal routes;
• and
• a network interface for intermittently transmiting handling and routing instructions about items of interest to the plurality of processing stations, and intermittently receiving from the plurality of processing stations information regarding the items of interest processed at the processing station.