System and method for continuous delivery schedule including automated customer notification

A delivery scheduling and updating system comprising:

• a delivery scheduling computer electronically maintaining real-time delivery schedule information and transmitting the real-time delivery schedule information to a delivery employee, the delivery scheduling computer further transmitting a selected portion of the delivery schedule information to a remote customer, the selected portion of the delivery schedule information notifying the customer of a scheduled delivery;
• an employee computer accessible to the delivery employee for receiving the real-time delivery schedule information from the delivery scheduling computer and for transmitting a delivery completion message to the delivery scheduling computer upon completion of the scheduled delivery, the delivery completion message including an actual delivery time;
• and
• a user computer accessible to the remote customer for receiving the selected portion of the delivery schedule information from the delivery scheduling computer;
• a set of user application modules associated with the delivery scheduling computer and the user computer for allowing the customer to view the selected portion of the delivery schedule information and enter a delivery change request, wherein the delivery scheduling computer automatically recomputes a delivery sequence based on the delivery change request and transmits the recomputed delivery sequence to the employee computer, the delivery employee delivering the goods according to the recomputed delivery sequence.

A delivery notification computer in a computer network enabling communication with a remote customer and a remote delivery employee, the delivery notification computer comprising:

• a memory for storing real-time delivery schedule information;
• a processor coupled to the memory for creating and updating the real-time delivery schedule information;
• a network connection coupled to the processor for transmitting a selected portion of the delivery schedule information to the remote customer and for receiving a delivery change request from the customer;
• a set of user application modules for allowing the customer to view the selected portion of the delivery schedule information and enter the delivery change request;
• means for automatically recomputing a delivery sequence based on the delivery change request;
• and
• means for transmitting the recomputed delivery sequence to a delivery employee, the delivery employee delivering the goods according to the recomputed delivery sequence.

A delivery notification computer in a computer network enabling communication with a remote customer, the delivery notification computer comprising:

• a memory for storing real-time delivery schedule information;
• a network connection coupled to the memory for transmitting the real-time delivery schedule information to a delivery employee and a selected portion of the delivery schedule information to a remote customer, the selected portion of the delivery schedule information notifying the customer of a scheduled delivery, the network connection further receiving a delivery completion message from the delivery employee upon completion of the scheduled delivery, the delivery completion message including an actual delivery time, and the network connection further receiving a user-entered delivery change request;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and the network connection for creating the real-time delivery schedule information and updating portions of the delivery schedule information based on the actual delivery time, the processor further automatically recomputing a delivery sequence based on the delivery change request and transmitting the recomputed delivery sequence to a delivery employee computer, the delivery employee delivering the goods according to the recomputed delivery sequence.

A delivery notification computer in a computer network enabling communication with a remote customer and a remote delivery employee, the delivery notification computer comprising:

• means for creating delivery schedule information for a plurality of deliveries;
• means for updating the delivery schedule information for real-time maintenance of the delivery schedule information;
• means for transmitting a selected portion of the delivery schedule information to a remote customer, the selected portion of the delivery schedule information notifying the customer of a scheduled delivery;
• means for receiving a delivery change request from the customer for modifying the delivery schedule information;
• means for automatically recomputing a delivery sequence based on the delivery change request;
• and
• means for transmitting the recomputed delivery sequence to a delivery employee, the delivery employee delivering the goods according to the recomputed delivery sequence.

A computerized delivery scheduling and updating method comprising:

• creating a delivery schedule for a plurality of deliveries;
• updating the delivery schedule for real-time maintenance of the delivery schedule;
• transmitting a selected portion of the delivery schedule to a remote customer, the selected portion of the delivery schedule notifying the customer of a scheduled delivery;
• receiving over a computer connection a delivery change request from the customer;
• modifying the delivery schedule based on the delivery change request;
• automatically recomputing a delivery sequence based on the delivery change request;
• and
• transmitting the recomputed delivery sequence to a delivery employee, the delivery employee delivering the goods according to the recomputed delivery sequence.