Object oriented framework mechanism for fulfillment requirements

Abstract

An object oriented framework mechanism for fulfillment requirements management provides an infrastructure that embodies the steps necessary to manage and coordinate information throughout a given fulfillment requirements process, such as coordinating product information from the marketing of products to the ordering of products to the production of products. Certain core functions are provided by the framework, which interact with extensible functions provided by the framework consumer. The architecture of the framework allows a user to determine the conditions and parameters that apply to the specific environment while allowing a programmer to interact with the framework with an interface that is consistent regardless of the specific combination of parameters specified in the fulfillment requirements manager. The extensible functions allow new fulfillment requirements environments to be easily implemented using the framework. The framework thus allows a common programming interface for fulfillment requirements managers implemented using the framework, which may be easily customized to include new or changed parameters. The framework greatly simplifies the programmer's job of developing an end-to-end system by providing a common programming interface, and by providing established classes that may be easily extended to implement the desired fulfillment requirements environment.