Consumer demand-based inventory management system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail facility or displayed on a sales floor of the retail sales facility, the apparatus comprising:
- a reader configured to scan the products at the retail sales facility; and
a control unit including a processor and configured to;
receive data, from a scan of at least one product marked for binning into a stock room storage bin, by a worker at the retail sales facility using a hand-held electronic device including a processor to facilitate a determination of whether at least one product is to be binned into the stock room storage bin or displayed on the sales floor;
obtain a number of products identical to the scanned at least one product delivered to the retail facility in a last delivery;
obtain a number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned in the stock room of the retail sales facility since the last delivery;
obtain a number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning in the stock room;
obtain a demand for the products identical to the scanned at least one product since the last delivery;
output, when a difference between the number of products identical to the scanned at least one product last delivered to the retail facility and a sum of the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned since the last delivery and the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning into the stock room storage bin, is smaller than the demand, an indication to the worker that there is available sales floor space for the scanned at least one product to be displayed; and
output, when a difference between the number of products identical to the scanned at least one product last delivered to the retail facility and a sum of the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned since the last delivery and the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning into the stock room storage bin, is greater than the demand, an indication to the worker that the scanned at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail facility or displayed on a sales floor of the retail sales facility, the apparatus comprising:
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a reader configured to scan the products at the retail sales facility; and a control unit including a processor and configured to; receive data, from a scan of at least one product marked for binning into a stock room storage bin, by a worker at the retail sales facility using a hand-held electronic device including a processor to facilitate a determination of whether at least one product is to be binned into the stock room storage bin or displayed on the sales floor; obtain a number of products identical to the scanned at least one product delivered to the retail facility in a last delivery; obtain a number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned in the stock room of the retail sales facility since the last delivery; obtain a number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning in the stock room; obtain a demand for the products identical to the scanned at least one product since the last delivery; output, when a difference between the number of products identical to the scanned at least one product last delivered to the retail facility and a sum of the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned since the last delivery and the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning into the stock room storage bin, is smaller than the demand, an indication to the worker that there is available sales floor space for the scanned at least one product to be displayed; and output, when a difference between the number of products identical to the scanned at least one product last delivered to the retail facility and a sum of the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned since the last delivery and the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning into the stock room storage bin, is greater than the demand, an indication to the worker that the scanned at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for evaluating whether products are to be binned into stock room bins at a retail facility or displayed on a sales floor of the retail sales facility, the method comprising:
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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 occurring when the worker is binning the at least one product; obtaining a number of products identical to the scanned at least one product delivered to the retail facility in a last delivery; obtaining a number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned in the stock room of the retail sales facility since the last delivery; obtaining a number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning in the stock room; obtaining a demand for the products identical to the scanned at least one product since the last delivery; outputting, when a difference between the number of products identical to the scanned at least one product last delivered to the retail facility and a sum of the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned since the last delivery and the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning into the stock room storage bin, is smaller than the demand, an indication to the worker that there is available sales floor space for the scanned at least one product to be displayed; and outputting, when a difference between the number of products identical to the scanned at least one product last delivered to the retail facility and a sum of the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that were binned since the last delivery and the number of the products identical to the scanned at least one product that are marked for binning into the stock room storage bin, is greater than the demand, an indication to the worker that the scanned at least one product is to be binned in the stock room storage bin. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification