Mothod and system for order fulfullment in a distribution center
AssigneeIpVenture, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Henry Waddington, Patricia C. Grewell, Peter Ham, Boris Klots
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Order allocation techniques that reduce the number of stops that a container makes in the process of fulfilling a customer order is disclosed. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by first identifying a pod that stocks the largest number of different items in a customer order. Then, a second pod is identified that stocks the largest number of remaining items in the customer order. Ultimately, all items in the customer order are assigned a pod. The collection of pods defines a container path through the distribution center.
Claims19
A system for a distribution center with a plurality of sites, each site having a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, the system comprising:
- a management system configured to (a) receive and analyze a customer order indicating a plurality of items, with quantities for each item;
- (b) identify a first site with the highest number of items in the order available from the first site;
- (c) determine the items remaining in the order after removing those items identified as being available from the first site;
- (d) thereafter identify another site with the highest number of the items remaining in the order available from the another site;
- and (e) determine the items remaining in the order, if any, after removing those items previously identified;
- and
- a controller configured to control a plurality of conveyors in the distribution center to route the identified items for fulfilling the customer order,
- wherein at least one item is stored at more than one site in the distribution center,
- wherein at least one site includes a carousel with a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, and
- wherein at least one other site includes mechanical storage mechanisms to store bulkier and heavier items than items stored in the carousel.
A computer-implemented method to manage a distribution center with a plurality of sites, each site having a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, the method comprising:
- receiving and analyzing a customer order indicating a plurality of items, with quantities for each item;
- identifying a first site with the highest number of items in the order available from the first site;
- determining the items remaining in the order after removing those items identified as being available from the first site;
- thereafter identifying another site with the highest number of the items remaining in the order available from the another site;
- determining the items remaining in the order, if any, after removing those items previously identified;
- controlling a plurality of conveyors in the distribution center to route the identified items for fulfilling the customer order,
- wherein at least one item is stored at more than one site in the distribution center,
- wherein at least one site includes a carousel with a collection of storage areas to store a plurality of items, and
- wherein at least one other site includes mechanical storage mechanisms to store bulkier and heavier items than items stored in the carousel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.