Abstract: A system and method for processing product movement requests including orders and returns while maintaining a real-time accounting of product locations includes a network, a first communication link connecting a first location to the network, a second communication link connecting a second location to the network, and an information manager coupled to the network. The information manager includes a database of product information. The information manager responds to a product order from the first location by sending an order acknowledgement confirmation message over the network to the first location, causing the second location to send an order acknowledgement card and the ordered product to the first location, and updating the database to indicate that the ordered product was received by the first location upon return receipt of the order acknowledgement card.

Abstract: A program for processing contacts from consumers includes a plurality of software routines activated in a sequence corresponding to common steps performed when processing a contact, including an identification routine for generating an identification screen to enable an operator to input information identifying a consumer contacting the operator to communicate an issue, a look-up routine for searching a database containing a plurality of issue histories to identify an issue history associated with the consumer, and a subject routine for generating a subject screen to enable the operator to input information relating to the issue. A product routine is also included that generates an issue summary containing the issue information for storage in the database as part of the issue history associated with the consumer. The program also includes an activity routine for generating an activity screen to enable the operator to input information describing an activity to address the issue.