Apparatus and method for transportation and upselling of product

• US 8,744,865 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bettes, Richard B., Jaffe, Stephen E., Sanderfur, Bret R., Trevathan, Matthew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, George
• Application Number:
  US11/614,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,721 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705 711- 742, 705400-412
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data

Abstract

A system and method for using product profiling to maximize load capacity of a vehicle. The method comprises defining product profiles and retrieving product information associated with the product profiles. The method further includes performing cubing operations for products associated with the product information. The system includes components to perform the method steps.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining product profiles;

retrieving product information associated with the product profiles, wherein the product information is retrieved as percentages or other statistical information;

summing the percentages of the products,

wherein the summing is calculated by;

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting a proportionality of the products.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the correcting of the proportionality of the products is calculated by:

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cubing method is performed after the correcting of the proportionality of the products.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations include a determination as to whether at least one of a weight limit and volume limit has been exceeded.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the weight limit is exceed certain product is removed until the weight limit is not exceeded.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the certain product is removed based on its ranking.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving product information from past shipments.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determination of whether retrieved products are in inventory or currently being manufactured, wherein when the products are in inventory or currently being manufactured, the product remains on the list for future shipment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

when the product is not in inventory or currently being manufactured, a determination is made as to whether there is a replacement product or another product,

when there is a replacement product, the replacement product is placed on the list;

when there is no replacement product, the another product is placed on the list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining product profiles are based on rules.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rules are descriptors or criteria used for the retrieval of the product information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, as products are purchased, storing a list of the products to be shipped in a profiling system with the other statistical information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the other statistical information includes at least one of a vehicle type ID identifying the vehicle in which the products are to be shipped, a date the products were ordered, the products in the vehicle, a maximum volume and weight for the vehicle, a number of times the vehicle with the products has been purchased, and a customer that purchased the products to be shipped in the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the product profiles include at least one of seasonal product adjustments, customer profiling, historical profiles of product inventories, profitability of products, top selling products and ordering profiles.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a summary of the products which match the product profiles, the summary includes the other statistical information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are implemented in web based transactions or other real time transactions.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving product information includes sorting the product information by a ranking.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a break point to eliminate a skewed proportion of the products.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider under a subscription and/or fee agreement and/or based on advertising content to one or more third parties.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains and supports a computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations create a best fit of the products in a vehicle.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations maximize a load capacity of a vehicle and further comprise determining a remaining available space in the vehicle, and

wherein the method further comprises:

adding one of the products to the vehicle based on the cubing operations;

determining if the one of the products fits in the vehicle; and

if the one of the products does not fit in the vehicle, finding a next smallest product of the products to add to the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations take into account:

volume of the products;

dimensions of the products;

mass of the products; and

weight to volume ratio of the products.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations include a weight cubing estimation and a volume cubing estimation.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a break point that designates that any product having a profitability of less than a predefined limit is excluded from shipment.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a list of the products to be shipped in a profiling system with the other statistical information, wherein the other statistical information comprises:

a vehicle type ID identifying a vehicle in which the products are to be shipped;

the products in the vehicle; and

a maximum volume and weight for the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a break point that designates that any product having a profitability of less than a predefined limit is excluded from shipment;

storing a list of the products to be shipped in a profiling system with the other statistical information, wherein the other statistical information comprises;

a vehicle type ID identifying a vehicle in which the products are to be shipped;

the products in the vehicle; and

a maximum volume and weight for the vehicle, wherein;

the cubing operations do one of;

create a best fit of the products in the vehicle, and maximize a load capacity of the vehicle;

the cubing operations take into account;

volume of the products;

dimensions of the products;

mass of the products; and

weight to volume ratio of the products;

the cubing operations include a weight cubing estimation and a volume cubing estimation; and

the cubing operations comprise determining a remaining available space in the vehicle;

adding one of the products to the vehicle based on the cubing operations;

determining if the one of the products fits in the vehicle; and

if the one of the products does not fit in the vehicle, finding a next smallest product of the products to add to the vehicle.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

locating top selling products; and

retrieving the product information based on the top selling products and the product profiles.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting the products associated with the product information by at least one of a proportional volume, a proportional weight, and a proportional number of a product, to other products.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations comprise a weight cubing estimation calculated by:

determining a total weight to fill for the products based on a total weight capacity of a vehicle and a percentage of the vehicle to fill; and

determining a number of the products to fill based on the total weight to fill for the products and a weight of the products.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubing operations comprise a volume cubing estimation calculated by:

determining a total volume to fill for the products based on a total volume capacity of a vehicle and a percentage of the vehicle to fill; and

determining a number of the products to fill based on the total volume to fill for the products and a volume of the products.