SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERPETUAL INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

• US 20180268364A1
• Filed: 03/09/2018
• Published: 09/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Bryan, Greg A., Brooks, Cristy C., Brightwell, David B., Enssle, Benjamin D., Jones, Matthew A., Eaton, Jesse L.
• Granted Patent: US 11,055,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

A perpetual inventory (PI) value associated with the selected product and a last PI adjustment time that indicates when the retail store last adjusted the PI value are received. The PI value of the selected product is compared to the back room quantity value of the selected product, and a second time when the back room quantity value becomes greater than the PI value for the selected product is determined. An adjustment to the PI of the selected product is blocked when an indication of upcoming inventory adjustment for the selected product is received. An adjustment to the PI value of the selected product is also blocked when the PI adjustment time is after the second time. When the back room quantity value is greater than the PI value and the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the PI value is adjusted to be the back room quantity value.

Claims

1. A system that is configured to manage perpetual inventory (PI) values of products in a back room or other area of a retail store, the back room not being accessible to the general public, the system comprising:

one or more sensors disposed at a back room of a retail store, the sensors being configured to obtain scans of products in the back room;

a transceiver circuit disposed at the retail store, the transceiver configured to transmit the scans;

a network that is coupled to the transceiver circuit;

an interface disposed at a central location that is coupled to the network and configured to receive the scans;

a database disposed at the central location that stores a perpetual inventory (PI) value for the selected product, the scans, and a last PI adjustment time, the last PI adjustment time indicating when the PI value was last adjusted;

a control circuit disposed at the central location and coupled to the interface and the database, the control circuit configured to;

obtain the PI value and the last PI adjustment time from the database;

obtain the scans and analyze the scans to determine a back room quantity value for a selected product in the back room;

compare the PI value of the selected product to the back room quantity value of the selected product, and determine a second time when the back room quantity value becomes greater than the PI value for the selected product;

block an adjustment to the PI of the selected product when an indication of upcoming inventory adjustment for the selected product has been received at the interface;

block the adjustment to the PI value of the selected product when the last PI adjustment time is after the second time;

when the back room quantity value is greater than the PI value and the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, adjust the PI value to be the back room quantity value, and transmit the adjusted PI value to the retail store via the interface and network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to block the adjustment when adjustments to the selected product have been blocked at other retail stores.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein when the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the control circuit sends a message to send at least some of the selected product to a distribution center or another retail store.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein when the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the control circuit sends an alert message to a store employee.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail store sends a plurality of data records including PI values and back room quantity value of products.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control circuit only processes the records after a predetermined number of records is received.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the number changes over time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the number is fixed.

9. A method for managing perpetual inventory (PI) values of products in a back room or other area of a retail store, the back room not being accessible to the general public, the method comprising:

obtaining product scans of products by one or more sensors at a retail store, the products being disposed at a back room of the retail store;

transmit the scans from the retail store to a central location via a network;

at the central location, storing in a database a perpetual inventory (PI) value for a selected product, the scans, and a last PI adjustment time, the last PI adjustment time indicating when the PI value was last adjusted;

at a control circuit at the central location;

obtaining the PI value and the last PI adjustment time from the database,

obtaining the scans and analyze the scans to determine a back room quantity value for a selected product in the back room;

comparing the PI value of the selected product to the back room quantity value of the selected product, and determine a second time when the back room quantity value becomes greater than the PI value for the selected product;

blocking an adjustment to the PI of the selected product when an indication of upcoming inventory adjustment for the selected product has been received at the interface;

blocking the adjustment to the PI value of the selected product when the last PI adjustment time is after the second time;

when the back room quantity value is greater than the PI value and the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, adjusting the PI value to be the back room quantity value, and transmit the adjusted PI value to the retail store via the interface and network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising blocking an adjustment to the PI of the selected product when the PI adjustments have been blocked at other retail stores.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein when the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the control circuit sends a message to send at least some of the selected product to a distribution center or another retail store.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein when the adjustment to the PI value is unblocked, the control circuit sends an alert message to a store employee.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the retail store sends a plurality of data records including PI values and back room quantity value of products.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the control circuit only processes the records after a predetermined number of records is received.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the number changes over time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the number is fixed.