Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An automated pricing system for calculating pricing for items and item orders has, a sever node connected to a data network for serving pricing information; a pricing application running on the server node for calculating the pricing information served; and a data repository accessible to the server node for storing at least one pricing data model and rules for manipulating the model. The server node receives requests for pricing, accesses rules created for pricing factors used in at least one pricing sequence to price an item or items of the request and uses the pricing application to calculate the correct pricing results including order sub totals and order total amounts for the request based on sorting and/or conflict resolution of the rules accessed for each factor.