US Patent 7092896 Interface for merchandise promotion optimization

A method for providing interface to an apparatus for optimizing a promotion plan for merchandising products, including utilizing a computer-based scenario/results processor within an optimization server to present a sequence of data entry templates to a user, whereby the user specifies an optimization scenario, the optimization server optimizing the promotion plan according to modeled market for the products and calculated demand chain costs for the products, where the calculated demand chain costs include fixed and variable costs for the products; and generating a plurality of optimization results templates and proving these templates to the user, wherein optimum promotion events and optimum supplier offers are presented.