Proactive Monitoring and Intervention Capabilities in a Package Delivery System

• US 20090281929A1
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service of America (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ellingwood, Guy, Sebusch, Erik Paul, Boitet, Val Corday
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and method for proactively monitoring the status of packages shipped by a package delivery carrier including intervening when certain conditions arise. The system identifies certain packages are requiring proactive monitoring and intervention, and monitors a variety of conditions, including system-wide impacts and package-level specific impacts, which may necessitate intervention by carrier personnel. Intervention may include various exception handling actions, including upgrading the level of service, stabilizing the temperature of the package, inspecting damage to the package. The carrier may notify the consignee or consignor of such detected conditions and may then communicate with appropriate individuals involved with the package delivery to ascertain the most appropriate action necessary. The system facilitates communicating such information to appropriate carrier personnel. The system may also maintain a real-time case log regarding the package, which can be accessed by service representative, package handling personnel, and said appropriate individuals.

Claims

1. A method of managing the delivery of a package, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a carrier package level detail (PLD) information from a consignor comprising both consignor address information and consignee address information from a consignor, said PLD information including a proactive intervention indication;

allocating a package tracking number to the package;

receiving the package by the carrier;

processing the package in a carrier sorting facility by reading machine readable indicia indicating the package tracking number;

recording the location, date, time and package tracking number in a PLD database storing the PLD information from the consignor;

recording an indication associated with the package in the PLD database indicating a potentially service impacting condition;

receiving a request at a processor for retrieving a case log wherein the case log is identified using the package tracking number;

retrieving the case log comprising information describing the potentially service impacting condition associated with the delivery of the package;

presenting text to a user representing the location, date, time, package tracking number and information describing the potentially service impacting condition associated with the delivery of the package; and

recording text input from the user indicating requested intervention associated with the package in the case log.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of recording an indication associated with the package in the PLD database indicating a potentially service impacting condition comprises the steps of;

receiving an indication of a delay associated with a vehicle conveying the package;

identifying a plurality of package tracking numbers associated with a plurality of packages conveyed by the vehicle;

ascertaining the package tracking number is among one of the plurality of tracking numbers; and

recording an indication associated with the package in the PLD database indicating a potentially service impacting condition.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a customer profile associated the package;

retrieving an electronic address of a customer contact for purposes of receiving communication regarding notification of the potentially service impacting condition; and

transmitting an electronic message using the electronic address indicating the potentially service impacting condition, said electronic message including the package tracking number and at least either a telephone number or a web-site address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording text input from the user indicating requested intervention associated with the package in the case log is text provided by a customer service representative at a computer.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of;

processing the package in a second carrier sorting facility by reading machine readable indicia indicating the package tracking number;

accessing the PLD database by using the package tracking number to retrieve a package level detail record, said record storing the indication indicating the potentially service impacting condition; and

providing an audible or visual alert to a sorting person handling the package at the second carrier sorting facility indicating an exception condition associated with the handling of the package.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

recording information in the case log comprising action taken by the carrier at the second carrier sorting facility regarding the package.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the potentially service impacting condition is an indication pertaining to the temperature of the package.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording text input from the user indicating requested intervention associated with the package in the case log pertains to temperature stabilization for the package.

9. A method of managing the delivery of a package, comprising the steps of:

recording an indication associated with the package in a package level detail (PLD) database indicating a potentially service impacting condition, the potentially service impacting condition being a condition that can potentially adversely impact delivery of the package;

monitoring the PLD database via at least one computer to determine whether the indication has been recorded in the PLD database;

in response to detecting that the indication has been recorded in the PLD database;

(A) identifying a package level tracking number associated with the package;

(B) retrieving a customer profile associated with the tracking number, wherein the customer profile contains contact information for a user;

(C) sending the user an electronic message to a user address based on the contact information contained in the customer profile, wherein the electronic message is adapted to notify the user of the potentially service impacting condition;

(D) recording the time of the notification of the electronic message in a log associated with the package tracking number;

(E) receiving input from the user regarding an action to be taken with respect to the package in light of the potentially service impacting condition; and

(F) recording information in the log associated with the package, wherein the information indicates the action to be taken with respect to the package; and

in response to the package being scanned at a sorting facility;

(A) issuing an exception alert via the at least one computing device notifying personnel handling the package at the sorting facility of an exception associated with the handling of the package;

(B) accessing the log; and

(C) providing information based on the log to the personnel handling the package indicating the action to be taken with respect to the package, wherein,

the personnel handling the package perform the action indicated with respect to the package.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the action to be taken with respect to the package pertains to temperature stabilization of the package.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of providing the information indicating the action to be taken with respect to the package to the personnel further comprises:

receiving a request from the personnel for the log identified by the tracking number; and

providing information from the log to the personnel handling the package, wherein the information is provided by the personnel handling the package using a computer to access the log.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

receiving shipping information pertaining to the package, the shipping indication including an indication of proactive intervention.

13. (canceled)

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of sending the user a second electronic message at the user address, wherein the information included in the electronic message includes information regarding the action taken with respect to the package by the carrier.

15. A system for proactively monitoring and intervening in the delivery of a package for a customer comprising:

a proactive monitoring and intervention (“

PR”

) database storing

     1) a customer profile that is associated with the customer and comprises customer contact information including a name and contact address, the customer profile further including information regarding actions to be taken in response to a predefined potentially service impacting condition associated with delivery of the package occurring, and

     2) at least one log associated with the package, the log including information regarding status and actions taken in conjunction with the package as a result of the predefined potentially service impacting condition associated with the delivery of the package occurring;

a package level detail (“

PLD”

) database comprising a tracking number of the package, the said PLD database further storing an indication that the potentially service impacting condition has occurred;

a processor in communication with the PLD database and the PR database, the processor configured to;

identify the package in the PLD database and detect the presence of the indication that the potentially service impacting condition has occurred; and

in response to detecting the presence of indication that the potentially service impacting condition has occurred;

(A) send the customer an electronic message to a customer address listed in the customer contact information stored in the PR database that the potentially service impacting condition has occurred;

(B) retrieve the customer profile associated with the package;

(C) record in the log information related to the potentially service impacting condition; and

(D) initiate an electronic notification to personnel handling the package; and

a customer service representative workstation in communication with the processor and operated by the personnel handling the package, the workstation initiating a request to retrieve the customer profile and the log associated with the package after receiving the electronic notification, wherein the personnel handling the package;

(A) access the information regarding the actions to be taken in response to the predefined condition associated with delivery of the package having occurred; and

(B) record in the log the actions taken in conjunction with the package as a result of the predefined potentially service impacting condition having occurred.