Method and apparatus for optimized shipping strategies accounting for endpoint requirements
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A machine for fulfillment of orders in a distribution center comprising:
- a. a pick face, the pick face adapted to allow products to be taken from the pick face and placed into containers; and
b. a means for determining a plan for placing products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment;
wherein the means for determining the plan for placing products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment operates based on information grouping the products into a plurality of groups which treats a first group from the plurality of groups as an in scope group and a second group from the plurality of groups as an out of scope group.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The cartonization process in a distribution center can be modified to account for factors which influence the efficiency with which the products distributed from the distribution center can be stocked onto store shelves, such as layout (i.e., planogram) information indicating where the various products will actually be located in a store.
22 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A machine for fulfillment of orders in a distribution center comprising:
-
a. a pick face, the pick face adapted to allow products to be taken from the pick face and placed into containers; and b. a means for determining a plan for placing products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment; wherein the means for determining the plan for placing products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment operates based on information grouping the products into a plurality of groups which treats a first group from the plurality of groups as an in scope group and a second group from the plurality of groups as an out of scope group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method comprising:
-
a) receiving a fulfillment order specifying a plurality of products to be used in store replenishment at one or more stores; b) in a computer memory, determining a plan for placing products from the plurality of products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment; and c) outputting instructions to a picking system indicating products to be placed into containers based on the plan; wherein store is defined as an establishment where products are sold. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method, comprising:
-
a) receiving, at a warehouse control computer, a fulfillment order indicating a plurality of products; b) identifying, at the warehouse control computer, a store to which each of the plurality of products is to be shipped; c) determining, at the warehouse control computer, a plan for placing each of the plurality of products into a set of cartons based on layout information stored in a memory accessible by the warehouse control computer for each identified store to which each of the plurality of products is to be shipped; d) generating, at the warehouse control computer, a set of instructions to control an operation of a cartonization system to control which of the plurality of products should be added to each carton of the set of cartons based at least in part on the determined plan; and e) sending the set of instructions from the warehouse control computer to the cartonization system; wherein the memory accessible by the warehouse control computer has stored therein unique layout information for each identified store; and wherein determining, at the warehouse control computer, a plan for placing each of the plurality of products into a set of cartons based on layout information stored in a memory accessible by the warehouse control computer for each identified store to which each of the plurality of products is to be shipped comprises; i) identifying, at the warehouse control computer, a location of each of the plurality of products in each identified store to which each of the plurality of products is to be shipped based on the layout information for each identified store; and ii) assigning each of the plurality of products to the set of cartons in the plan such that locations of products in any one carton of the set of cartons in the plan do not violate an adjacency grouping rule. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method comprising:
-
a) receiving a fulfillment order specifying a plurality of products to be used in store replenishment at one or more stores; b) in a computer memory; i) sorting the plurality of products according to one or more levels in a hierarchy, wherein; A) the hierarchy comprises a plurality of levels; B) a set of the plurality of levels in the hierarchy comprise groups; C) each product from the plurality of products has a position in the hierarchy, the position in the hierarchy indicating that the product is grouped into a set of groups, the set of groups comprising; I) one highest group which is not a subgroup of any other group in the set of groups; and
,II) one or more descendant groups, each of which is a subgroup of another group in the set of groups; the set of groups the product is grouped into indicating how the product will be used in store replenishment; and D) when a product is identified as grouped in an in scope group, the product is sorted according to any levels of the hierarchy which contain a group which is a direct subgroup of the in scope group; and ii) determining a plan for placing products from the plurality of products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment; c) outputting instructions to a picking system indicating products to be placed into containers based on the plan. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
-
21. A method comprising:
-
a) receiving a fulfillment order specifying a plurality of products to be used in store replenishment at one or more stores; b) in a computer memory, determining a plan for placing products from the plurality of products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment, wherein determining the plan for placing products from the plurality of products into containers based on how the products will be used in store replenishment comprises; i) performing one or more determinations taken from a set of determinations consisting of; A) determining whether a combination comprising I) a set of products assigned to a container; and II) a product to be assigned cannot fit in a maximum container size; B) determining whether the product to be assigned is the last product in a boundary group associated with the product to be assigned; C) determining whether the product to be assigned is the last product in a condition group associated with the product to be assigned, and, if the product to be assigned is the last product in the condition group associated with the product to be assigned, whether a condition associated with the condition group is violated by assigning an additional product after the product to be assigned to the container; and ii) if any of the determinations from the set of determinations is true, indicating that no additional products can be assigned to the container; and c) outputting instructions to a picking system indicating products to be placed into containers based on the plan. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
Specification