Warehouse Management System Based on Pick Velocity

• US 20090082902A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Foltz, Christopher T., Ramakrishnan, Sreekanth
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for determining the locations of parts in a warehouse. The method comprises the step of generating for each part an associated designator having first and second components, including the steps of, for each of the parts, (i) determining the first component of the associated designator based on physical dimensions of the part, and (ii) determining the second component of the associated designator based on a pick velocity of the part. These designators are used to identify locations in the warehouse for the parts. In a preferred embodiment, the first components of the designators are used to determine the distances of the identified locations for the parts from an entrance/exit of the warehouse, and the second components of the designators are used to determine the heights of the identified locations for the parts in the warehouse.

Claims

1. A method of determining the locations of parts in a warehouse, comprising the steps of:

generating for each part an associated designator having first and second components, including the steps of;

for each of the parts,

i) determining the first component of the associated designator based on physical dimensions of the part, and

ii) determining due second component of the associated designator based on a pick velocity of the part; and

using the designators to identify locations in the warehouse for the parts.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the warehouse has an enhance/exit, and the using step includes the step of using the first components of the designators to determine the distances of the identified locations for the parts from said entrance/exit.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the using step includes the step of using the second components of the designators to determine the heights of the identified locations for the parts in the warehouse.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pick velocity of each part is based on a daily going rate for said each part.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the pick velocity of each part is determined by dividing the daily going rate for the part by a given quantity.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said givers quantity is based on a defined pick kit size for the part.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the first component of the designator associated with each part includes the step of determining said first component based on the physical density of said each part.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of assigning a space allocation for each part based on a defined peak supply of said each part.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said parts include untested supply parts, and the assigning step includes, the step of assigning the space allocation for each of the untested supply parts based on a peak quantity of said each untested supply part expected to be in the warehouse during a given period.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said parts include tested supply parts, and the assigning step includes the step of assigning the space allocation for each of the tested supply parts based on a peak point of supply for said each tested supply part during a given period.

11. A system for determining the locations of parts in a warehouse, comprising:

a processor generating for each part an associated designator having first and second components by determining for each of the parts, (i) the first component of the associated designator based on physical dimensions of the part, and (ii) determining the second component of the associated designator based on a pick velocity of the part; and

the processor uses the designators to identify locations in the warehouse for the parts.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the warehouse has an entrance/exit, and the processor uses the first components of the designators to determine the distances of the identified locations for the parts from said entrance/exit;

and the processor uses the second components of the designators to determine the heights of the identified locations for the parts in the warehouse.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein:

the pick velocity of each part is determined by dividing a daily going rate for the part by a given quantity; and

the first component of the designator associated with each part is determined based on the physical density of said each part.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processor assigns a space allocation for each part based on a defined peak supply of said each part.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said parts include untested supply parts said tested supply parts, and wherein:

the processor assigns the space allocation for each of the untested supply parts based on a peak quantity of said each untested supply part expected to be in the warehouse during a given period; and

the processor assigns the space allocation for each of the tested supply parts based on a peak point of supply for said each tested supply part during a selected period.

16. A computer program product for determining the locations of parts in a warehouse, comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing tangible instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

generating for each part an associated designator having first and second components, including the steps of;

for each of the parts,

i) determining the first component of the associated designator based on physical dimensions of the part, and

ii) determining the second component of the associated designator based on a pick velocity of the part; and

using the designators to identify locations in the warehouse for the parts.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the warehouse has an entrance/exit, and the using step includes the step of using the first components of the designators to determine the distances of the identified locations for the parts from said entrance/exit, and using the second components of the designators to determine the heights of the identified locations for the parts in the warehouse.

18. A computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the pick velocity of each pail is determined by dividing the daily going rate for the part by a given quantity, and the first component of the designator associated with each part is determined based on the physical density of said each part.

19. A computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said method further comprises the step of assigning a space allocation for each part based on a defined peak supply of said each part.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said parts include untested supply parts and tested supply parts, and the assigning step includes the steps of:

assigning the space allocation for each of the untested supply parts based on a peak quantity of said each untested supply part expected to he in the warehouse during a given period; and

assigning the space allocation for each of the tested supply parts based on a peak point of supply for said each tested supply part during a given period.