Abstract: A method of optimizing a product includes the step of accessing an event record having a summary of a sequence of events that transpired during a preliminary product selection process. The summary includes an identification of the user and a preliminary designation of the product. A user profile associated with the user includes at least one characteristic corresponding to the user. Based on characteristics in the user profile, a formatted display is generated. User response to formatted displays is used to update characteristics in the user profile. An iterative process, in which the updated user profile is used as a basis for generating subsequent formatted displays to which a user responds, repeats until the user indicates that the product is optimized.

Abstract: The system described herein provides for the reusability of customizations to a software product. Once customizations are made to a software product, using the system described herein, if the software product is revised, the customizations made to the software product can be reused with little or no effort. The system described herein also facilitates the process of customizing the software product. In addition, the system described herein allows customizations made to one portion of the software product to be used by other portions of the software product. The system described herein performs its functionality by utilizing various object-oriented techniques. Object-oriented software products typically comprise a hierarchy of classes. For each class within the software product, the system described herein provides a corresponding empty class that is customizable. As such, the system described herein provides a class hierarchy for a software product that is divided into pairs of classes.