Extended manufacturing environment

A system for providing information over the Internet to a customer about a contract manufacturer's progress on an order submitted on-line by the customer, the customer located remote from the contract manufacturer, the system comprising:

• a manufacturing interface module configured to
• receive over the Internet and automatically process a request for information about an order for two or more products, the order including customer-specified parameters associated with the two or more products, and
• receive over the Internet a request to change the order;
• a database in communication with the manufacturing interface module;
• a scanner in communication with a first work station in a manufacturing process, the scanner configured to automatically:
• scan a product as it moves to or from the first workstation;
• and
• provide an exact location in real-time of the product in the manufacturing process to the database;
• and
• upload, in real-time, the exact location of the product to the database;
• a communication interface module configured to provide the customer with the real-time status of the in-process order, the status including the number of products at the first workstation and one or more of:
• the number of products at a second workstation, the number of ordered products being made, already made, being tested, held for delivery, and delivered:
• and
• a simulation module configured to be triggered by the customer to
• run a simulation to determine at least one impact of making the requested change to the in-process order, and
• automatically return to the customer the at least one impact of making the requested change to the in-process order.

An apparatus for providing information over the Internet to a customer about a contract manufacturer's progress on an order submitted on-line by the customer, the customer located remote from the contract manufacturer, the apparatus comprising:

• memory storing one or more computer programs;
• and
• a processor in communication with the memory, the processor for executing the one or more programs to thereby cause the apparatus to:
• receive a request for information about the order, the order being for two or more products, the order including customer-specified parameters associated with the two or more products;
• in response to the received request, cause a scanner to scan a product as it moves to or from a first workstation in a manufacturing process and provide an exact location in real-time of the product in the manufacturing process to a database;
• and
• before the contract manufacturer completes the manufacturing of the two or more products, provide the customer with the real-time status of the in-process order, the status including the number of products at the first workstation and one or more of:
• the number of products at a second workstation, the number of ordered products being made, already made, being tested, held for delivery, and delivered;
• receive a request to change the in-process order;
• run a simulation triggered by the customer to determine at least one impact at the manufacturer of the change request;
• and
• automatically return to the customer the at least one impact of making the requested change to the in-process order.