Order allocation to minimize container stops in a distribution center

• US 7,139,637 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JUNE RAY LIMITED
• Original Assignee: Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (Kaiser Permanente Inc.)
• Inventors: Ham, Peter, Klots, Boris, Waddington, William Henry, Grewell, Patricia C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US09/568,571
• Time in Patent Office: 2,386 Days
• Field of Search: 700/216, 700/217
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An order allocation algorithm maximizes throughput by reducing the number of stops that a container makes in the process of fulfilling a customer order. 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 computer-implemented method of fulfilling a customer order in a distribution center having a plurality of pods for storing a plurality of items, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, a customer order designating items and quantities;

identifying, by the computer analyzing the customer order, a first pod among the plurality of the pods which has the highest number of items designated by the customer order;

identifying, by the computer, all of the items designated by the customer order that are in the first pod;

for the items remaining in the customer order after subtracting those identified as being in the first pod, if there are such items,

identifying, by the computer analyzing the customer order, a second pod among the plurality of the pods which has the highest number of the items remaining in the customer order; and

identifying, by the computer, all of the items remaining in the customer order that are in the second pod,

wherein to fulfill a next customer order, a pod different from the first and the second pods can be identified;

wherein the method further comprises retrieving at least one item identified from one of the pods depending on the time the item arrived in the distribution center,

wherein the distribution center has a plurality of ambiences, each of which having its own collection of pods;

wherein the customer order is divided into at least a first group of items stocked in a first ambient and a second group of items stocked in a second ambient; and

wherein the first pod and the second pod are in the first ambient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for the items remaining in the customer order excluding those identified in the first and second pods, identifying, by the computer, a third pod among the plurality of the pods which has the third highest number of the items remaining in the customer order, through analyzing the customer order, and identifying, by the computer, all of the items remaining in the customer order that are in the third pod.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before identifying the first and second pods, identifying, by the computer, available items in the distribution center for fulfilling the customer order.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second ambiences is a refrigeration ambient or a freezing ambient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer order is fulfilled by stopping at least one container at, at least the first pod and the second pod, with the identified items picked and placed into the container.

6. A computer readable medium on which is provided a computer code for fulfilling a customer order in a distribution center having a plurality of pods for storing a plurality of items, the computer code comprising:

instructions for receiving a customer order designating items and quantities;

instructions for identifying a first pod among the plurality of the pods which has the highest number of items designated by the customer order, through analyzing the customer order;

instructions for identifying all of the items designated by the customer order that are in the first pod;

instructions for identifying a second pod among the plurality of the pods which has the highest number of items designated by the customer order for items remaining in the customer order subtracting those identified in the first pod, if there are such items, through analyzing the customer order; and

instructions for identifying all of such items remaining in the customer order that are in the second pod;

wherein to fulfill the next customer order, a pod different from the first and the second pods can be identified;

wherein the computer code further comprising instructions for retrieving at least one item identified from one of the pods depending on the time the item arrived in the distribution center;

wherein the distribution center has a plurality of ambiences, each of which having its own collection of pods;

wherein the customer order is divided into at least a first group of items stocked in a first ambient and a second group of items stocked in a second ambient; and

wherein the first pod and the second pod are in the first ambient.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

instructions for having the items identified in the first pod retrieved; and

instructions for, after having the items from the first pod retrieved, having the items identified in the second pod retrieved, if the second pod has been identified.

8. A computer-implemented method of fulfilling a customer order in a distribution center that stores a plurality of items, with the center having a plurality of sites designated for picking up the items, the method comprising:

receiving a customer order, the customer order designating a plurality of items with the corresponding quantity for each item;

analyzing the plurality of items with the corresponding quantities in the customer order;

selecting, based on the analysis, a first site among the plurality of sites, with the first site having the largest number of items in the customer order;

identifying items in the customer order that are in the first site;

subtracting items allocated in the first site from the customer order to generate the remaining items in the customer order; and

if there is at least one remaining item,

analyzing the remaining items with the corresponding quantities to select a second site that has the largest number of remaining items; and

identifying the remaining items that are in the second site,

wherein to fulfill a next customer order, a site different from the first site and the second site can be selected; and

wherein the method further comprises transmitting information to a computing device for providing 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;

wherein the distribution center has at least two major sites, each of which having its own collection of sites;

wherein the customer order is divided into at least a first group of items stocked in a first major site and a second group of items stocked in a second major site; and

wherein the first site and the second site are in the first major site.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

subtracting items allocated in the second site from the remaining items in the customer order to generate additional remaining items in the customer order; and

if there is at least one additional remaining item,

analyzing the additional remaining items with the corresponding quantities to select a third site that has the largest number of additional remaining items; and

identifying the additional remaining items that are in the third site.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising, before selecting the first and second sites, determining items available in the distribution center for fulfilling the customer order.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second major sites is a refrigeration major site or a frozen major site.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the customer order is fulfilled by having at least a container stopped at the first site with the items identified at the first site picked and placed into the container.

13. A computer-implemented method of fulfilling a customer order in a distribution center that stores a plurality of items, with the center having a plurality of sites designated for picking up the items, the method comprising:

receiving a customer order, the customer order designating a plurality of items with the corresponding quantity for each item;

analyzing the plurality of items with the corresponding quantities in the customer order;

selecting, based on the analysis, a first site among the plurality of sites, with the first site having the largest number of items in the customer order;

identifying items in the customer order that are in the first site;

subtracting items allocated in the first site from the customer order to generate the remaining items in the customer order; and

if there is at least one remaining item,

analyzing the remaining items with the corresponding quantities to select a second site that has the largest number of remaining items; and

identifying the remaining items that are in the second site,

wherein to fulfill a next customer order, a site different from the first site and the second site can be selected;

wherein the method further comprises transmitting information to a computing device for providing 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; and

wherein the distribution center has at least a refrigeration site and a frozen site.