Systems and Methods for Distribution or Delivery of Retail Products

• US 20180150798A1
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W., Mattingly, Todd D.
• Application Number:
  US15/818,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20180150798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for processing shipments at a store such that products are routed to the store floor, another delivery vehicle, a packing or unpacking area, or directly to a customer. In some embodiments, a distribution system includes a delivery database, an order database, sensors configured to identify items as they are unloaded from a shipment, and a control circuit. By one approach, the control circuit creates a routing plan with placement instructions for bundles, containers, and pallets of items in the shipment based on the inventory records and the customer orders in the order database (which can be updated with new orders during transit of the shipment). Further, the control circuit is configured to receive identifying information, via the sensors, for items unloaded and send instructions to an associate unloading the bundle, container, or pallet regarding a placement location for the items.

Claims

1. A retail product distribution system for delivering products comprising:

a delivery database having inventory records associated with shipments to retail facilities;

an order database having a plurality of customer orders saved therein;

one or more sensors configured to identify at least one of bundles, containers, or pallets of items unloaded from the shipments received at the retail facilities;

identification tags associated with at least some of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items that the one or more sensors read during unloading of the associated bundles, containers, or pallets of items; and

a control circuit in communication with the delivery and order databases, the control circuit configured to;

create a routing plan for a particular shipment received at a particular retail facility with placement instructions for each of the bundles, containers, and pallets of items unloaded from the particular shipment based on the inventory records and the plurality of orders in the database;

receive identifying information, via the one or more sensors, for a particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from the particular shipment at the particular retail facility;

send instructions to an associate unloading the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items based on the identification tag associated therewith regarding a placement location for the particular one of the bundles, containers, and pallets of items unloaded from the particular shipment, the placement location being selected from any of the following a floor space of the particular retail facility, a delivery vehicle for shipment to another separate and distinct retail facility, and a packing area; and

update an inventory record of the delivery database regarding a received location of the bundle, container, or pallet of items unloaded from the particular shipment; and

one or more electronic user devices, in communication with the control circuit, configured to be accessible by a user unloading the shipments at the retail facilities, the electronic user devices configured to receive the routing plan from the control circuit and provide instructions to the user regarding the unloading of the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from the shipment according to the routing plan.

2. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 wherein the orders database is updated during transit of the shipment to the retail facility and the control circuit updates the routing plan for the particular shipment during transit or arrival of the shipment at the retail facility.

3. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 further comprising a conveyor configured to receive at least one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items from the shipment and the control circuit is further configured to instruct the associate unloading one of the bundles, containers or pallets of items from the conveyor regarding the placement location for the at least one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items upon removal thereof from the conveyor.

4. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items that are removed from a delivery vehicle are placed into an unpacking area in the retail facility and the control circuit is further configured to update placement location of a particular bundle, container, or pallet of items after arrival thereof in the unpacking area.

5. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to analyze the delivery database and the order database to determine actual demand for a geographic area.

6. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is further configured to analyze the delivery database, the order database, and historical purchasing information to determine forecast demand for a geographic area.

7. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 wherein the order database further includes retail store stock levels indicating stocking needs.

8. The retail product distribution system of claim 1 wherein the packing area is configured for packaging portions of at least one of the bundle, container or pallet of items into containers for shipment to at least one of the separate and distinct retail facilities or another customer.

9. The retail distribution system of claim 1 wherein the placement location further includes a customer service area accessible by a particular customer for fulfillment of a particular order in the order database.

10. The retail distribution system of claim 1 wherein the one or more electronic user devices create an updated routing plan based on movement of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items or updated information in at least one of the delivery database or the order database.

11. A retail product distribution system for managing product distribution comprising:

a shopping user interface configured to receive customer orders;

an order database having a plurality of customer orders saved therein;

a delivery database having inventory records associated with shipments to a retail facility;

one or more sensors configured to identify at least one of bundles, containers, or pallets of items unloaded from the shipments received at the retail facility;

identification tags associated with at least some of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items that the one or more sensors read during unloading of the associated bundles, containers, or pallets of items and upon receipt of information regarding a particular identification tag, the control circuit is further configured to send instructions regarding placement of a particular bundle, container, or pallet of items associated with the particular identification tag; and

a control circuit in communication with the delivery and order databases, the control circuit is configured to;

receive one or more customer orders during transit of a particular shipment from a distribution center;

create a routing plan for the particular shipment in real-time such that the instructions for each of the bundles, containers, and pallets of items unloaded from the particular shipment are set as the particular bundle, container, or pallet of items is unloaded from the shipment;

analyze the delivery database and the order database to determine actual demand for a geographic area or analyze the delivery database, the order database, and historical purchasing information to determine forecast demand for a geographic area and update the routing plan accordingly; and

upon receipt of information regarding a particular identification tag, the control circuit is further configured to send instructions regarding placement of a particular bundle, container, or pallet of items associated with the particular identification tag

upon receipt of the particular shipment at a particular retail facility and receipt of identifying information associated with a particular identification tag, via the one or more sensors, for a particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from the particular shipment at the particular retail facility;

send instructions regarding a placement location of the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items unloaded from the shipment based, at least in part, on an updated order database having received at least one customer order during transport of the particular shipment; and

update the inventory record of the delivery database regarding the placement location of the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items unloaded from the particular shipment.

12. The retail product distribution system of claim 11 further comprising conveyor configured to receive at least one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items from the shipment and the control circuit is further configured to instruct the associate unloading one of the bundles, containers or pallets of items from the conveyor regarding the placement location for the at least one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items removed from the conveyor.

13. The retail product distribution system of claim 11 wherein the placement location of the at least a portion of the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items unloaded form the shipment includes at least one of a floor space of the particular retail facility, a delivery vehicle for shipment to another separate and distinct retail facility, a packing area, and a particular customer for fulfillment of a particular order in the order database.

14. The retail product distribution system of claim 13 wherein at least some of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items that are removed from a delivery vehicle are placed into an unpacking area in the retail facility and the control circuit is further configured to update placement location of a particular bundle, container, or pallet of items after arrival thereof in the unpacking area.

15. The retail product distribution system of claim 11 wherein the order database further includes retail store stock levels indicating stocking needs.

16. A method for distributing retail products, the method comprising:

accessing a database having inventory records associated with shipments to retail facilities and a plurality of customer orders, the shipments having bundles, containers, or pallets of items therein;

creating a routing plan for a particular shipment received or to be received at a particular retail facility with placement instructions for each of the bundles, containers, and pallets of items to be unloaded from the particular shipment based on the inventory records and the plurality of orders in the database;

receiving at least one customer order during transit of the particular shipment and updating the routing plan for the particular shipment in light thereof;

scanning identifying information for a particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from a delivery vehicle;

sending instructions to an associate unloading the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from the delivery vehicle regarding a placement location for the particular one of the bundles, containers or pallets of items being unloaded from the delivery vehicle, the placement location including at least one of a floor space of the particular retail facility, a delivery vehicle for shipment to another separate and distinct retail facility, an unpacking area, and a packing area;

packing shipping containers with products from one or more of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items for shipment to at least one of another retail facility or a customer based on item destinations in the database; and

loading a delivery vehicle with at least some of the packed shipping containers.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising analyzing the database and historical purchasing information to determine forecast demand for a geographic area prior to finalizing the routing plan for the particular shipment.

18. A method for distributing retail products, the method comprising:

accessing a database having inventory records associated with shipments to retail facilities and a plurality of customer orders, the shipments having bundles, containers, or pallets of items therein;

receiving one or more customer orders during transit of a particular shipment to a particular retail facility;

receive identifying information for a particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from a delivery vehicle;

sending instructions to an associate unloading the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items being unloaded from the delivery vehicle regarding a placement location for the particular one of the bundles, containers or pallets of items being unloaded from the delivery vehicle based, in part, on an updated order database having received at least one customer order during transport of the particular shipment; and

updating the inventory records of the database regarding the placement location of the particular one of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items unloaded from the particular shipment; and

packing shipping containers with products from one or more of the bundles, containers, or pallets of items for shipment to at least one of another retail facility or a customer based on item destinations in the database; and

loading a delivery vehicle with at least some of the packed shipping containers.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising creating a routing plan for the particular shipment received with placement instructions for each of the bundles, containers, and pallets of items to be unloaded from the particular shipment based on the inventory records and the plurality of orders in the database.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising analyzing the database and historical purchasing information to determine forecast demand for a geographic area prior to finalizing the routing plan for the particular shipment.