Consumer demand-based inventory management system

• US 9,659,275 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Nicholaus Adam, Fletter, Marc Ashley, Jones, Matthew Allen, Shields, Daniel R., Taylor, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US15/096,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20160307148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 235380, 235375, 235487, 235385, 23547201, 23546245
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems of managing products at a retail sales facility include scanning a product in a stocking cart at the retail sales facility using a hand-held electronic device including a processor. At least two of the following three functions may be performed based on the scanning of the product. First, the stocking cart may be audited by comparing scanned data to data contained in an inventory management database. Second, a determination of whether the item is on a pick list may be made, which may include determining a demand for the scanned product to arrive at a decision whether to store the product in the stock room or place it on a shelf on the sales floor. Third, if the item is to be stored in the stock room, a determination of whether identical items are stored in bins in the stock room may be made.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail sales facility, the method comprising:

receiving data from a worker of the retail sales facility scanning at least one product using a hand-held electronic device including a processor, the scanning by the worker occurring in at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area of the retail sales facility to facilitate a determination of whether the at least one product is to be binned into a stock room storage bin or brought onto the sales floor;

obtaining a demand for the at least one product from a time products identical to the at least one product were delivered, the demand corresponding to one or both of (1) a time of delivery of the at least one product to the retail sales facility and (2) a time of the receiving the data step;

estimating whether the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product on to a sales floor of the retail sales facility or binning the at least one product in a stock room storage bin;

outputting, when the demand supports moving the at least one product from the at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area where the at least one product was scanned by the worker to the sales floor, an indication to the worker that there is available sales floor space for the at least one product; and

outputting, when the demand supports binning the at least one product into the stock room storage bin, an indication to the worker that the at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data step further comprises auditing all of the products marked for binning.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating step further comprises obtaining a quantity of products identical to the at least one scanned product delivered at a last delivery, a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product binned in the stock room storage bin after the last delivery, and a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product being marked for binning in the stock room storage bin after placement of the products identical to the at least one scanned product on the sales floor of the retail sales facility.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating step further comprises obtaining a quantity of products identical to the at least one scanned product delivered at a last delivery, a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product binned in the stock room storage bin after the last delivery, and a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product being marked for binning in the stock room storage bin after placement of the products identical to the at least one scanned product on the sales floor of the retail sales facility, and a quantity of the products identical to the scanned product sold since the last delivery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating step further comprises calculating a quantity of products identical to the at least one scanned product delivered at a last delivery, a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product removed from the bin since the last delivery, and a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product being marked for binning in the stock room storage bin after placement of the products identical to the at least one scanned product on the sales floor of the retail sales facility.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting, when the demand supports moving the at least one product to the sales floor, the indication step further comprises producing one of an audible alert and a visually displayed message at the hand-held electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the outputting, when the demand supports moving the at least one product to the sales floor, the indication step further comprises generating an automatic pick for the at least one scanned product in response to the at least one scanned product not being removed from a binning area of the stock room in response to the audible alert.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring whether the at least one scanned product was removed from the binning area of the stock room in response to the audible alert or the visually displayed message, generating a data point indicating that the at least one scanned product was not removed from the binning area of the stock room in response to the audible alert, and creating a report including a plurality of the data points over a predetermined period of the monitoring.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting, when the demand supports binning the at least one scanned product, the indication step further comprises marking the at least one scanned product as being binned in an inventory management database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the demand for the at least one product step includes analyzing the scanning of the at least one product at one or both of the hand-held electronic device and a server in communication with the hand held electronic device.

11. An apparatus for evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail sales facility, the apparatus comprising:

a reader configured to scan at least one product at the retail sales facility; and

a control unit including a processor and configured to;

receive data from a scan of the at least one product by a worker in at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area at the retail sales facility using a hand-held electronic device including a processor to facilitate a determination of whether the at least one product is to be binned into a stock room storage bin or brought onto the sales floor;

obtain a demand for the at least one product from a time products identical to the scanned at least one product were delivered, the demand corresponding to one or both of (1) a time of delivery of the at least one product to the retail sales facility and (2) a time of the receiving the data step;

estimate whether the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product on to a sales floor of the retail sales facility or binning the at least one product in a stock room storage bin;

output, when the demand supports moving the at least one product from the at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area where the at least one product was scanned by the worker to the sales floor, an indication to the worker that there is available sales floor space for the at least one product; and

output, when the demand supports binning the at least one product into the stock room storage bin, an indication to the worker that the at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to audit all of the products marked for binning.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to estimate the demand by obtaining a quantity of products identical to the at least one scanned product delivered at a last delivery, a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product binned in the stock room storage bin after the last delivery, and a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product being marked for binning in the stock room storage bin after placement of the products identical to the at least one scanned product on the sales floor of the retail sales facility.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to estimate the demand by obtaining a quantity of products identical to the at least one scanned product delivered at a last delivery, a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product binned in the stock room storage bin after the last delivery, and a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product being marked for binning in the stock room storage bin after placement of the products identical to the at least one scanned product on the sales floor of the retail sales facility, and a quantity of the products identical to the scanned product sold since the last delivery.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to estimate the demand by obtaining a quantity of products identical to the at least one scanned product delivered at a last delivery, a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product removed from the bin since the last delivery, and a quantity of the products identical to the at least one scanned product being marked for binning in the stock room storage bin after placement of the products identical to the at least one scanned product on the sales floor of the retail sales facility.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to generate one of an audible alert and a visually displayed message at the hand-held electronic device in response to a determination that space is presently available for the at least one scanned product on the product shelf located on the sales floor of the retail sales facility.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to generate an automatic pick for the at least one scanned product in response to the at least one scanned product not being removed from a binning area of the stock room in response to the audible alert.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to monitor whether the at least one scanned product was removed from the binning area of the stock room in response to the audible alert or the visually displayed message, generate a data point indicating that the at least one scanned product was not removed from the binning area of the stock room in response to the audible alert, and create a report including a plurality of the data points over a predetermined period of the monitoring.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to mark the at least one scanned product as being binned in an inventory database.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to analyze the scan of the at least one product at one or both of the hand-held electronic device and a server in communication with the hand held electronic device.

21. An apparatus for evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail sales facility, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data from a worker of the retail sales facility scanning at least one product using a hand-held electronic device including a processor, the scanning by the worker occurring in at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area of the retail sales facility to facilitate a determination of whether the at least one product is to be binned into a stock room storage bin or brought onto the sales floor;

means for obtaining a demand for the at least one product from a time products identical to the at least one product were delivered, the demand corresponding to one or both of (1) a time of delivery of the at least one product to the retail sales facility and (2) a time of the receiving the data step;

means for estimating whether the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product on to a sales floor of the retail sales facility or binning the at least one product in a stock room storage bin;

means for outputting, when the demand supports moving the at least one product from the at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area where the at least one product was scanned by the worker to the sales floor, an indication to the worker that there is available sales floor space for the at least one product; and

means for outputting, when the demand supports binning the at least one product into the stock room storage bin, an indication to the worker that the at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin.

22. A method of evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail sales facility, the method comprising:

receiving data from a worker of the retail sales facility scanning at least one product using a hand-held electronic device including a processor, the scanning by the worker occurring in at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area of the retail sales facility to facilitate a determination of whether the at least one product is to be binned into a stock room storage bin or brought onto the sales floor;

obtaining a demand for the at least one product from a time products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility to a time of the receiving the data step;

estimating whether the demand for the at least one product indicates that space is available for the at least one product on a shelf of a sales floor of the retail sales facility or supports binning the at least one product in a stock room storage bin;

outputting, when the demand supports moving the at least one product from the at least one of a stock room and a product unloading area where the at least one product was scanned by the worker to a shelf on the sales floor, an audible alert to the worker that the shelf on the sales floor of the retail sales facility has space for the at least one product; and

outputting, when the demand supports binning the at least one product into the stock room storage bin, an audible alert to the worker that the at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin.