19. An automated shopping method for automated management of a process in which a user places an order for at least one provider, a degree of matching between each order-provider pairing is computed, and a score is reported to at least the user and optionally to at least one provider, the automated shopping method comprising: providing (a) at least one processor to receive and process information including at least one of (i) user information from at least one user including information that specifies provider criteria and order information that specifies order criteria for that particular order, (ii) provider information, and (iii) third party information; (b) at least one data storage device that communicates with the at least one processor, that includes at least one database, and that receives and stores the information in the at least one database; and (c) a knowledge base that is stored in a data storage device which may be said at least one data storage device, and that contains information on which to base requests for information by the automated shopping method; receiving information (a) from the user including information that specifies provider criteria and order information that specifies order criteria for that particular order, and (b) from the at least one provider; creating at least one virtual provider with program code within the at least one processor by pairing provider information of a particular provider with order information of a particular order to create an informational pair, and storing the at least one virtual provider within the at least one database; determining a score that reflects a degree of matching for each respective informational pair using a scoring system that resides in program code within the at least one processor, and that compares the provider information of a particular provider and the order information of a particular order within each respective informational pair in at least one step; and tracking each order-provider pairing through multiple steps using a management system that resides in program code within the at least one processor, and that uses sequencing to specify contents of each step of the multiple steps, the contents at least including instructions to at least one of (a) the user regarding the input of user information, (b) the provider regarding the input of provider information, and (c) third parties regarding the input of information.
19. An automated shopping method for automated management of a process in which a user places an order for at least one provider, a degree of matching between each order-provider pairing is computed, and a score is reported to at least the user and optionally to at least one provider, the automated shopping method comprising: providing (a) at least one processor to receive and process information including at least one of (i) user information from at least one user including information that specifies provider criteria and order information that specifies order criteria for that particular order, (ii) provider information, and (iii) third party information; (b) at least one data storage device that communicates with the at least one processor, that includes at least one database, and that receives and stores the information in the at least one database; and (c) a knowledge base that is stored in a data storage device which may be said at least one data storage device, and that contains information on which to base requests for information by the automated shopping method; receiving information (a) from the user including information that specifies provider criteria and order information that specifies order criteria for that particular order, and (b) from the at least one provider; creating at least one virtual provider with program code within the at least one processor by pairing provider information of a particular provider with order information of a particular order to create an informational pair, and storing the at least one virtual provider within the at least one database; determining a score that reflects a degree of matching for each respective informational pair using a scoring system that resides in program code within the at least one processor, and that compares the provider information of a particular provider and the order information of a particular order within each respective informational pair in at least one step; and tracking each order-provider pairing through multiple steps using a management system that resides in program code within the at least one processor, and that uses sequencing to specify contents of each step of the multiple steps, the contents at least including instructions to at least one of (a) the user regarding the input of user information, (b) the provider regarding the input of provider information, and (c) third parties regarding the input of information. 20. The automated shopping method of claim 19 , wherein the management system used in tracking determines default content for tracking one or more step of the multiple steps.