System for managing customer orders and method of implementation

A system for processing customer orders in a computer-based data processing system having a plurality of data processing devices electrically connected to communicate with each other, comprising:

• means for receiving customer orders, said customer order receiving means including a plurality of customer order input terminals;
• means for processing customer orders connected to said customer order receiving means and including an interface module accessed through a customer order input terminal, said interface module for coordinating access to a plurality of database modules and for controlling interaction between a user and said plurality of database modules, said customer order processing means further including means for generating a customer order in response to data inputs from the user through said plurality of customer order input terminals and data from said plurality of database modules;
• means for automatically checking inventory for availability of inventory in response to customer orders including a plurality of inventory control input terminals for inputting inventory data and an inventory database module for storing the inventory data, said inventory checking means being connected to be accessible through a customer order input terminal;
• means communicatively connected to said customer order processing means, for controlling retrieval of goods from inventory to create loads including an inventory storage location database module providing data on inventory location, and a plurality of inventory data output terminals for outputting location data for retrieval of selected goods;
• means communicatively connected to said customer order processing means, for building loads for shipment from the retrieved selected goods including means for determining placement of the retrieved selected goods in at least one load in response to data on the retrieved selected goods;
• and
• means communicatively connected to said load building means for scheduling loads to customers, said load scheduling means having a shipment database module and means for determining shipment of loads based on data from said load building means and said shipment database module, wherein said plurality of database modules include said inventory database module, said inventory storage location database module, and said shipment database module.