Abstract: Container based oversight and management of orders for multi-component, fabricated articles. This is done by entering an order for multi-component, fabricated articles into a database and virtually associating the ordered multi-component, fabricated articles to a virtual shipping container. The virtual shipping container corresponds to a real shipping container. One or more fabricators receive the ordered constituent components and fabricate the constituent components into the ordered multi-component articles, and packs packing the fabricated multi-components articles into the associated real shipping containers. The real shipping containers are then shipped along the distribution chain.

Abstract: Container based oversight and management of orders for multi-component, fabricated articles. This is done by entering an order for multi-component, fabricated articles into a database and virtually associating the ordered multi-component, fabricated articles to a virtual transit container. The virtual transit container corresponds to a real transit container. The orders for the multi-component fabricated articles are either broken up into orders for components and subsequent fabrication, or the entire set of orders is transmitted to a sourcing agent. The sourcing agent virtually associates individual ones of the ordered multi-component, fabricated articles to their constituent components, and the sourcing agent orders the constituent components from one or more individual vendors.