Ecommerce order optimization tool

Abstract

An ecommerce cost optimization system includes: a display including information identifying an item; a quantity selection tool; a delivery location selection tool; an optimized offer presentation tool that provides at least one optimized option through the display component, wherein the at least one optimized option is optimized based on the selected quantity and the selected delivery location; and an order placement tool to place an order from amongst the options provided by the optimized offer presentation tool. A method of providing optimized offer for non-stock item transactions through an ecommerce application includes receiving a user selection including a selected quantity of the item and a selected delivery location and determining an optimized offer based on analysis of the possible combinations of a production schedule and a delivery schedule for the selected quantity and delivery location.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An ecommerce cost optimization system comprising:
 one or more computers configured with:   a display component for displaying information identifying an item;   a quantity selection tool responsive to a user input to select a quantity of the item;   a delivery location selection tool responsive to a user input to set at least one delivery location for the selected quantity of the item;   an optimized offer presentation tool responsive to the quantity selection tool and the delivery location selection tool, that, automatically in response to the selected quantity of the item to the selected delivery location, provides at least one price optimized option through the display component, wherein the at least one price optimized option is automatically selected from at least two combinations of one or more production schedules and one or more delivery options, wherein each of the combinations meets the selected quantity of the item to the selected delivery location; and   an order placement tool responsive to a user input to place an order from amongst the at least one price optimized option provided by the optimized offer presentation tool.   
     
     
         2 . The ecommerce cost optimization system of  claim 1  wherein the optimized offer presentation tool provides at least one price optimized option for each a plurality of delivery dates. 
     
     
         3 . The ecommerce cost optimization system of  claim 1  further including an alternative offer presentation tool that provides, through the display component, at least one alternative option to the at least one price optimized option and further wherein the order placement tool is responsive to a user input to place an order from amongst the at least one price optimized option and the at least one alternative option. 
     
     
         4 . The ecommerce cost optimization system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one alternative option includes an alternative option based on an increase in quantity compared to the selected quantity. 
     
     
         5 . The ecommerce cost optimization system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one alternative option includes an alternative option based on a later delivery date than the selected delivery date. 
     
     
         6 . A method of providing an optimized offer for non-stock item transactions through an ecommerce application embodied in a computer-readable medium capable of execution by a computer, including the steps of:
 providing an order placement mechanism including a quantity selection tool, a delivery location selection tool, and an order placement tool;   receiving a user selection including a selected quantity of an item to at least one selected delivery location;   automatically in response to receiving the selected quantity of the item to the at least one selected delivery location, determining, by an optimized offer presentation tool, a price optimized offer based on analysis of the possible combinations of a production schedule and a delivery schedule for the selected quantity of the item to the at least one selected delivery location; and   providing the user with at least one price optimized offer based on the selected quantity of the item to the at least one selected delivery location.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein at least one price optimized offer is provided for each of a plurality of delivery dates. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  further including the step of providing at least one alternative option to the at least one price optimized offer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the at least one alternative option is based on an increase in quantity compared to the selected quantity. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the at least one alternative option is based on a later delivery date compared to the selected delivery date. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  further including the step of receiving a user selected order from amongst the at least one price optimized offer and the at least one alternative option.