METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES AND PRODUCT MIXES TO INCREASE PROFITABILITY IN COMPLEX COMPUTER AIDED PRICING OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

摘要

A software application for creating, monitoring, and optimizing deals calculated by an automated pricing system for calculating pricing for items and item orders has a graphical user interface for accessing and directing the application; a set of advisory factors having rules and attributes associated thereto; a set of related calculating sequences for calculating results using at least one of the advisory factors in sequence; and at least one ranking factor for optimizing results returned by the set of calculating sequences. A user operating through the graphical user interface initiates a set of calculation sequences related by factor to one or more possible options associated with a deal, the calculation sequences cooperating to return a list of data structures for user consideration, the list of data structures ranked according to one or more goal-based attributes.