System for selecting optical fiber reels from inventory to fill an order

Abstract

An optical fiber inventory selection system selects optical fibers from inventory for use in a communication network. In one embodiment, the system includes a vendor computer system that executes code that performs a number of steps. Initially, the system accesses a plurality of optical parameters for each of a plurality of optical fiber reels that are located in inventory. Next, a customer order is received that includes customer requirements for at least a portion of the plurality of optical parameters and a total optical fiber length, and may include requirements for sets of reels, blocks of sets, and batches of blocks. Then, two optical parameters are selected from the plurality of optical parameters that are included in the customer requirements. Next, a number of the optical fiber reels are combined into optical fiber reel pairs that meet the customer requirements for the selected two optical parameters. Finally, an appropriate number of the optical fiber reels are selected to meet the customer requirements for the total optical fiber length of the set. After selecting reels to make sets to the necessary requirements, the system may be used to select sets to make blocks and to select blocks to make batches of blocks.