Computer-based system and method for arranging items on a pallet

• US 7,657,467 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kroger Company
• Original Assignee: Kroger Company
• Inventors: Herndon, Dennis, Doughtery, Kevin, Deganis, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iwarere; Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US11/241,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/26, 414/273
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for arranging items on a pallet is provided. The method comprises the steps of: identifying one or more items for inclusion on the pallet; retrieving the one or more items from a storage location; and arranging the one or more items on the pallet according to a build strategy, where the build strategy includes aisle position information within a store.

Claims

1. A method for arranging items on a pallet comprising the steps of:

(a) determining items to be replenished in a store using an inventory system, the inventory system communicating the items to be replenished to an order generating system comprising an order generating application running on an application server;

(b) generating an order using the order generating system, the order including the items to be replenished determined in step (a);

(c) identifying one or more items for inclusion on the pallet using the order generated in step (b);

(d) retrieving the one or more items from a storage location;

(e) retrieving store location information from a database for each of the items identified in step (c), the store location information included with the order where the store location information is different from the storage location and includes aisle position information for a store remote from the storage location, the aisle position information providing an indication of where the associated items are to be placed for consumer purchase upon arrival at the store after being removed from the storage location, the aisle position information indicating a position on an aisle the items are to be placed in addition to indicating the aisle itself; and

(f) arranging the one or more items on the pallet according to a build strategy, where the build strategy includes the aisle position information within the store,

wherein step (b) further comprises the step of making one or more adjustments to the order information to substitute one item for a different item after the order information is generated, wherein the order adjustment associates the aisle position information for the one item with the different item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aisle position information includes a side indicator selected from the group consisting of left side and right side.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aisle position information includes a spot indicator selected from the group consisting of front, middle and back.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the build strategy further includes order type information and item characteristic information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the order type information is selected from the group consisting of normal, end cap, handbill and distribution.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the item characteristic information is selected from the group consisting of causticity, crushability, size, shape and weight.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching a tracking device to the pallet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tracking device is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching a label to the pallet, where the label includes aisle position information for the one or more items arranged on the pallet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the aisle position information is retrieved from a planogram of the store.

11. A method for arranging items on a pallet comprising the steps of:

receiving an order for a store, where the order includes one or more items;

retrieving store location information from a planogram saved in memory for the one or more items in the order, the store location information providing an indication of where the associated item is to be placed for consumer purchase upon arrival at the store after being removed from the storage location, the store location information indicating a position on an aisle the items are to be placed in addition to indicating the aisle itself;

retrieving the one or more items from a storage location;

arranging the one or more items on a pallet according to the store location information, where the store location information includes aisle position information; and

transporting the pallet including the one or more items to the aisle within the store associated with the store location information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the order is automatically generated by the store based upon tracked inventory.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of attaching a label to the pallet, where the label includes aisle position information for the one or more items arranged on the pallet.

14. A computer-based system for arranging items on a pallet comprising:

an order generating application located on a store level application server that generates order information for the store, where the order information includes one or more items and aisle position information for the one or more items, the aisle position information providing an indication of where the associated items are to be placed for consumer purchase upon arrival at the store after being removed from the storage location;

an order adjustment application located on an enterprise level application server that makes one or more adjustments to the order information to substitute one item for a different item after the order information is generated, wherein the order adjustment application associates the aisle position information for the one item with the different item;

a pallet build application located on a warehouse level application server that arranges the one or more items on a pallet using the aisle position information; and

a warehouse inventory application located on an enterprise level application server for communicating the order information to the pallet build application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the aisle position information includes a spot indicator selected from the group consisting of front, middle and back.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the order information further includes end cap information.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more adjustments includes adding distribution items to the order information.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more adjustments includes adding handbill items to the order information.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more adjustments includes applying substitutions for out of stock items.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the pallet build application further utilizes order type information and item characteristic information.