US 12,632,823 B2 · Order fulfillment station operation timer and indicator

Abstract

A time tracking and indicator system and method are provided for tracking and indicating initialization-to-completion times for order fulfilment operations, such as order packaging and shipping operations. The system includes a put-wall with multiple order storage locations and indicators at each of the storage locations. The indicators are independently addressable by a computer and may include color changeable lights and/or alphanumeric displays. The method and system provide visual prompts to an operator of the put-wall to indicate multiple statuses for an order at a particular storage location. Prompts include indications that (i) an order is ready to be attended to, (ii) an operation time limit has been exceeded, and (iii) that an operation for that location is exceedingly overdue. Time limits and prompts may be preset by a user or may be automatically set and adjusted by the computer based on historic operation completion times.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A time tracking and indicator system for tracking and indicating initialization-to-completion times for order fulfilment operations by human operators, said system comprising:

a put-wall comprising a plurality of order storage locations;
an indicator disposed proximate each of said plurality of storage locations, each of said indicators comprising a light source;
and
a computer in communication with said put-wall and said indicators and configured to track a time period defined between (i) when an order at a corresponding storage location is ready to be retrieved and (ii) either chosen from (a) when an operator retrieves the order from said storage location and acknowledges retrieval of the order or (b) an operation time limit defined by a predetermined amount of time allotted to the operator for completing the order retrieval operation;
said computer configured to illuminate said light source at a particular storage location when said operation time limit is exceeded prior to the operator retrieving and acknowledging retrieval of the order from the storage location.

2 more elements

A time tracking and indicator system for tracking and indicating initialization-to-completion times for order fulfilment operations by human operators, said system comprising:

a work station comprising a plurality of order storage locations;
an indicator disposed proximate each of said plurality of storage locations, each of said indicators comprising a light source;
and
a computer in communication with said work station and said indicators and configured to track a time period at each of said storage locations defined between (i) when an order at a particular one of said storage locations is ready to be retrieved and (ii) either chosen from (a) when an operator retrieves the order from said particular storage location and retrieval of the order is confirmed or (b) an operation time limit defined by a predetermined amount of time allotted to the operator for completing retrieval of the order;
said computer configured to illuminate said light source at the particular storage location when said operation time limit is exceeded prior to the operator retrieving the order and retrieval of the order from the particular storage location is confirmed.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Order fulfillment station operation timer and indicator

Life of this patent

Order fulfillment station operation timer and indicator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13