Inventory replication based upon order fulfillment rates
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for managing an on-line store, including distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center that has a plurality of storage areas, the method comprising:
- determining, by a computing device, how rapidly a product is consumed based on order information of a plurality of customers over a period of time to assist with distributing the product in one or more of the storage areas in the distribution center;
allowing a customer to access information regarding the product via a computer interface of the on-line store;
receiving a current order from the customer via the computer interface, wherein the current order having an order status;
providing to the customer an order history of the customer via the computer interface from a database accessible by the computer-interface, in view of a request from the customer;
allowing the customer to access at least one attribute of the order status of the customer'"'"'s current order via the computer interface of the on-line store, the order status depending on a status of at least one product in the distribution center;
allowing a representative of the on-line store to access the customer'"'"'s order history from a database accessible by a customer relationship management system; and
allowing the representative to enter information related to the customer to the database accessible by the customer relationship management system, andwherein information from the database accessible by the computer interface and information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system are transmitted to a data warehouse system.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A load balancing technology segregates various inventory types (e.g., potatoes vs. milk, vs. pretzels, vs. tissue paper, etc.) based upon how frequently they are ordered in a distribution center. Inventory types that are ordered at the slowest rate are not “replicated” over multiple pods in the distribution center. Rather, they are constrained to reside at a single pod within the distribution center. Items that are ordered somewhat more frequently than those in the slowest group are replicated in multiple pods across the distribution center. In other words, these items are separately stocked at locations on more than one pod in the distribution center. This means that a container passing through the distribution center can obtain each of the items in the second group of item types at multiple pods in the distribution center. Thus, these items do not create a bottleneck in the order fulfillment process. Inventory types in a third group, the fastest movers, are segregated from items in the first two groups. They are stored in a separate type of pod that fulfills orders even faster than the other type of pods.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for managing an on-line store, including distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center that has a plurality of storage areas, the method comprising:
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determining, by a computing device, how rapidly a product is consumed based on order information of a plurality of customers over a period of time to assist with distributing the product in one or more of the storage areas in the distribution center; allowing a customer to access information regarding the product via a computer interface of the on-line store; receiving a current order from the customer via the computer interface, wherein the current order having an order status; providing to the customer an order history of the customer via the computer interface from a database accessible by the computer-interface, in view of a request from the customer; allowing the customer to access at least one attribute of the order status of the customer'"'"'s current order via the computer interface of the on-line store, the order status depending on a status of at least one product in the distribution center; allowing a representative of the on-line store to access the customer'"'"'s order history from a database accessible by a customer relationship management system; and allowing the representative to enter information related to the customer to the database accessible by the customer relationship management system, and wherein information from the database accessible by the computer interface and information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system are transmitted to a data warehouse system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer-readable medium containing instruction for controlling a computer system to manage an on-line store, including distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center that has a plurality of storage areas, by a method comprising:
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determining how rapidly a product is consumed based on order information of a plurality of customers over a period of time to assist with distributing the product in one or more of the storage areas in the distribution center; allowing a customer to access information regarding the product via a computer interface of the on-line store; receiving a current order from the customer via the computer interface, wherein the current order having an order status; providing to the customer an order history of the customer via the computer interface from a database accessible by the computer-interface, in view of a request from the customer; allowing the customer to access at least one attribute of the order status of the customer'"'"'s current order via the computer interface of the on-line store, the order status depending on a status of at least one product in the distribution center; allowing a representative of the on-line store to access the customer'"'"'s order history from a database accessible by a customer relationship management system; and allowing the representative to enter information related to the customer to the database accessible by the customer relationship management system, and wherein information from the database accessible by the computer interface and information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system are transmitted to a data warehouse system.
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21. A method of distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center, the method comprising:
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for each type of inventory to be distributed by the method, determining how rapidly that type of inventory is consumed; identifying a first group of inventory types that are relatively slower moving types of inventory and distributing the inventory types from the first group over multiple pods in a distribution center without replicating a given inventory type in more than one pod; and identifying a second group of inventory types that are relatively faster moving types of inventory and replicating inventory types from the second group at multiple pods.
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Specification