Systems and methods for monitoring product recalls

• US 10,192,196 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Millhouse, Andrew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trail, Allyson
• Application Number:
  US15/584,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20180150789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 235383, 705303, 705 35, 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/014 Providing recall services for goods or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to tracking the handling of product recalls by product distribution centers affected by the recalls. In some embodiments, there is provided a system including: a first electronic interface receiving input of recall information; a second electronic interface at a group of product distribution centers receiving notifications of product recalls; a database configured to receive and store the recall information; and a control circuit configured to: create a record for the product recall; determine the distribution centers having products affected by the recall and assign the recall to those affected distribution centers; transmit a notification to each distribution center having products affected by the recall; receive confirmation of receipt of the notification; receive a disposition of an action of the recall from each affected distribution center; and update the database with the disposition by each affected distribution center.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the handling of product recalls by product distribution centers affected by the product recalls, the system comprising:

a plurality of product distribution centers, each product distribution center receiving a plurality of different types of products from vendors;

a central home office in communication with the plurality of product distribution centers;

a first electronic interface at the central home office configured to receive input of recall information from a vendor corresponding to a product recall of a recalled product type;

a subset of the plurality of product distribution centers having the recalled product type;

a second electronic interface at each of the subset of product distribution centers configured to receive notifications of product recalls, each second electronic interface configured to allow access to the recall information by the product distribution centers having the recalled product type;

a recall database configured to receive and store the recall information for the recalled product type and other recall information for other product recalls of other product types;

a control circuit operatively coupled to the recall database and the first and second interfaces, the control circuit configured to;

create a record for the product recall in the recall database;

determine the product distribution centers having the recalled product type and assign the product recall to the subset of product distribution centers;

transmit a notification regarding the product recall to each product distribution center having products affected by the product recall of the subset of product distribution centers;

receive confirmation of receipt of the notification from the product distribution centers having products affected by the product recall;

receive a disposition of an action of the product recall from each of the subset of product distribution centers having the recalled product type; and

update the recall database with the disposition by each of the subset of product distribution centers having the recalled product type;

wherein the first interface is accessible to receive input regarding the product recall from one of a predetermined group of vendors and wherein the other recall information for the other product recalls of the other product types in the recall database is not accessible to the predetermined group of vendors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interface is accessible to receive input regarding the product recall from the central home office and wherein the recall information for each product recall in the recall database is accessible by the central home office.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit recall information inputted by a vendor to the central home office for approval prior to the control circuit transmission of a notification regarding the product recall to each product distribution center having the recalled product type.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the recall information comprises at least one of a subject of the product recall, a recall classification, a reason for the product recall, documents relating to the product recall, and product recall instructions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine the product type affected by the product recall and to record the time of the disposition for the product type of the product recall by each product distribution center having the recalled product type.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the recall database comprises a cloud-based database communicatively coupled to a website server configured to serve as a platform for the input of the recall information and for the input of actions taken by each product distribution center having the recalled product type.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second interface at each product distribution center having the recalled product type is configured to input information regarding actions taken by each product distribution center comprising at least one of the number of product units affected by the product recall, products held and not shipped, inspection status of the products, products removed from inventory, products returned to a vendor for refund or modification, destruction of products, and permitted donation of products or portions thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

receive a product identifier for the recalled product type that is the subject of the product recall;

access at least one inventory database with inventory data for each product distribution center of the predetermined group of product distribution centers; and

search the at least one inventory database for the product identifier to determine the product distribution centers with the recalled product type.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

track the completion of a predetermined group of actions and the disposition status of the actions by the product distribution centers with the recalled product type.

10. A method for tracking the handling of product recalls by product distribution centers affected by the product recalls, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of product distribution centers, each product distribution center receiving a plurality of different types of products from vendors;

providing a central home office in communication with the plurality of product distribution centers;

by a first electronic interface at the central home office, receiving input of recall information corresponding to a product recall of a recalled product type;

by a second electronic interface at each of a subset of product distribution centers, receiving notifications of the product recall;

by the second electronic interface, allowing access to the recall information by the product distribution centers having the recalled product type;

by a recall database, receiving and storing the recall information for the recalled product type and other recall information for other product recalls of other product types;

by a control circuit;

creating a record for the product recall in the recall database;

determining the product distribution centers having the recalled product type and assigning the product recall to the subset of product distribution centers;

transmitting a notification regarding the product recall to each product distribution center of the subset of product distribution centers;

receiving confirmation of receipt of the notification from each of the subset of product distribution centers having the recalled product type;

receiving a disposition of an action of the product recall from each of the subset of product distribution centers having the recalled product type; and

updating the recall database with the disposition by each of the subset of product distribution centers having the recalled product type;

wherein the first interface is accessible to receive input regarding the product recall from one of a predetermined group of vendors and wherein the recall information for other product recalls in the database is not accessible to the predetermined group of vendors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first interface is accessible to receive input regarding the product recall from the central home office and wherein the recall information for each product recall in the recall database is accessible by the central home office.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, by the control circuit, transmitting recall information inputted by a vendor to the central home office for approval prior to the control circuit transmission of a notification regarding the product recall to each product distribution center having the recalled product type.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the recall information comprises at least one of a subject of the product recall, a recall classification, a reason for the product recall, documents relating to the product recall, and product recall instructions.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising, by the control circuit, determining the product type affected by the product recall and recording the time of the disposition for the product type of the product recall by each product distribution center having the recalled product type.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the database comprises a cloud-based database communicatively coupled to a website server configured to serve as a platform for the input of the recall information and for the input of actions taken by each product distribution center having the recalled product type.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein, by the second interface at each product distribution center having the recalled product type, inputting information regarding actions taken by each product distribution center comprising at least one of the number of product units affected by the product recall, products held and not shipped, inspection status of the products, products removed from inventory, products returned to a vendor for refund or modification, destruction of products, and permitted donation of products or portions thereof.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising, by the control circuit:

receiving a product identifier for the recalled product type that is the subject of the product recall;

accessing at least one inventory database with inventory data for each product distribution center of the predetermined group of product distribution centers; and

searching each inventory database for the product identifier to determine the product distribution centers with the recalled product type.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising, by the control circuit:

tracking the completion of a predetermined group of actions and the disposition status of the actions by the product distribution centers with the recalled product type.