Apparatus and method for handling goods

An information processing apparatus, comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• determine an inventory order to be processed,
• select an operator station where the inventory order will be fulfilled, a rack that includes an item required to fulfill the inventory order, and a vehicle to transport the rack to the operator station,
• transmit at least a portion of a transportation path to the selected vehicle,
• monitor locations of the selected vehicle along the transportation path based on marker information received for each marker of a plurality of markers that is detected by the selected vehicle, wherein the plurality of markers are located at predetermined positions, and
• transfer control of movement of the vehicle to the operator station when the vehicle is in a station queue of the operator station, wherein
• an end point of the transportation path is the operator station.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program that when executed by a computer in an information processing apparatus, causes the computer to execute a method of fulfilling an inventory order, the method comprising:

• determining the inventory order to be processed;
• selecting an operator station where the inventory order will be fulfilled, a rack that includes an item required to fulfill the inventory order, and a vehicle to transport the rack to the operator station;
• transmitting at least a portion of a transportation path to the selected vehicle;
• monitoring locations of the selected vehicle along the transportation path based on marker information received for each marker of a plurality of markers that is detected by the selected vehicle, wherein the plurality of markers are located at predetermined positions;
• and
• transferring control of movement of the vehicle to the operator station when the vehicle is in the station queue, wherein
• an end point of the transportation path is the operator station.