Mothod and system for order fulfullment in a distribution center

• US 20090222129A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: Boris Klots, Patricia C. Grewell, Peter Ham, William Henry Waddington
• Inventors: Klots, Boris, Ham, Peter, Grewell, Patricia C., Waddington, William Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Order allocation techniques that reduce the number of stops that a container makes in the process of fulfilling a customer order is disclosed. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by first identifying a pod that stocks the largest number of different items in a customer order. Then, a second pod is identified that stocks the largest number of remaining items in the customer order. Ultimately, all items in the customer order are assigned a pod. The collection of pods defines a container path through the distribution center.

Claims

1. A system for a distribution center with a plurality of sites, each site having a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, the system comprising:

a management system configured to (a) receive and analyze a customer order indicating a plurality of items, with quantities for each item;

(b) identify a first site with the highest number of items in the order available from the first site;

(c) determine the items remaining in the order after removing those items identified as being available from the first site;

(d) thereafter identify another site with the highest number of the items remaining in the order available from the another site; and

(e) determine the items remaining in the order, if any, after removing those items previously identified; and

a controller configured to control a plurality of conveyors in the distribution center to route the identified items for fulfilling the customer order,

wherein at least one item is stored at more than one site in the distribution center,

wherein at least one site includes a carousel with a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, and

wherein at least one other site includes mechanical storage mechanisms to store bulkier and heavier items than items stored in the carousel.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to identify any sites that collectively provide the items remaining in the order after removing all the items previously identified as being available from the plurality of sites.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to repeat the operations (d) and (e) once after the operation (e).

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to repeat the operations (d) and (e) a plurality of times, after the operation (e).

5. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein the management system is further configured to identify any sites that collectively provide the items remaining in the order after removing all the items identified as being available from the plurality of sites.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to provide an indication as to the location in the first site of an item identified in the first site, so as to help manually retrieve the identified item from the first site for fulfilling the order.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the indication is provided audibly to a person to manually retrieve the identified item.

8. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the indication is provided visually to a person to manually retrieve the identified item.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to use information from a handheld computing device via a wireless interface, with the handheld computing device being used by a person regarding movement of an identified item in the distribution center.

10. A system as recited in claim 9,

wherein the handheld computing device includes a scanner, and

wherein a person uses the scanner to scan information regarding the identified item.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the handheld computing device communicates via the wireless interface with another computing device regarding movement of the identified item in the distribution center.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the management system is further configured to determine a route for a container to follow, with the route including a stop at the first site to have an identified item at the first site picked and placed into the container to fulfill the order.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the system is configured to direct a person to manually pick the identified item to be placed into the container for fulfilling the order.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the system is configured to have the container loaded onto a truck for delivering the order to the customer.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the management system is further configured to alter the route in view of a problem detected in the distribution center while the container is on its way to the site.

16. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the carousel.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to use a scanner for routing an identified item through the distribution center for fulfilling the order.

18. A system as recited in claim 1,

wherein the system receives a plurality of orders to be fulfilled, each indicating a plurality of items, with quantities for each item, and

wherein the management system is configured to analyze the plurality of orders received at least based on items in a plurality of sites in the distribution center to determine a plurality of routes through the distribution center to fulfill the plurality of orders.

19. A computer-implemented method to manage a distribution center with a plurality of sites, each site having a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, the method comprising:

receiving and analyzing a customer order indicating a plurality of items, with quantities for each item;

identifying a first site with the highest number of items in the order available from the first site;

determining the items remaining in the order after removing those items identified as being available from the first site;

thereafter identifying another site with the highest number of the items remaining in the order available from the another site;

determining the items remaining in the order, if any, after removing those items previously identified;

controlling a plurality of conveyors in the distribution center to route the identified items for fulfilling the customer order,

wherein at least one item is stored at more than one site in the distribution center,

wherein at least one site includes a carousel with a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, and

wherein at least one other site includes mechanical storage mechanisms to store bulkier and heavier items than items stored in the carousel.