Computerized inventory redistribution control system

A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

• for each location inventory record of a set of location inventory records,
• calculating a quantity change for an item that changes a current item quantity to a different item quantity for the location inventory record,
• wherein the quantity change for the item is a function of, at least in part, a remaining number of weeks before the item is to sell out at the physical location and a current item quantity of the location inventory record;
• determining:
• (i) a redistribution of the item among the physical locations to affect the quantity change for each location inventory record at a minimum cost, and
• (ii) an overall cost of the redistribution based on the sum of the minimum costs;
• simultaneously and interdependently resolve the quantity changes and the cost of redistribution by determining at least one scaling factor from a set of possible scaling factors that maximizes a total revenue received from sales of the item when the quantity changes for each location inventory record are scaled by the one scaling factor after deducting the cost scaled by the one scaling factor;
• generating an electronic output including a set of transfer instructions to perform the redistribution of the item with transfer quantities of the item to be transferred between the physical locations scaled by the one scaling factor;
• and
• transmitting the set of transfer instructions over a network to a computing device to cause the computing device to generate a pack list of the item with the transfer quantities scaled by the one scaling factor.

A computing system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory operably connected to the processor;
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium operably connected to the processor and storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the computing system to:
• for each location inventory record of a set of location inventory records,
• calculate a quantity change for an item that changes a current item quantity to a different item quantity for the location inventory record using the processor, and
• update the inventory record in memory to store the quantity change,
• wherein the quantity change for the item is a function of, at least in part, a remaining number of weeks before the item is to sell out at the physical location, and a current item quantity of the location inventory record;
• determine a redistribution of the items among the physical locations to affect the quantity change for each location inventory record at a minimum cost by using the processor to retrieve from memory the quantity change and location identifier for each location inventory record and
• writing to the memory:
• (i) the redistribution resulting from providing the location identifiers and quantity changes to a transportation problem solver, and
• (ii) an overall cost of the redistribution based on the sum of the minimum costs;
• wherein the processor simultaneously and interdependently resolves the quantity changes and the cost of redistribution by determining at least one scaling factor from a set of possible scaling factors that satisfies a threshold condition of maximizing a total revenue received from sales of the item when the quantity changes for each location inventory record are scaled by the processor by the one scaling factor after deducting by the processor the cost scaled by the processor by the one scaling factor;
• store the one scaling factor in the memory;
• for the one scaling factor that exists that satisfies the threshold condition:
• generate transfer instructions to perform the redistribution of the item in memory, using the processor to scale by the one scaling factor transfer quantities retrieved from the redistribution in memory;
• and
• transmit, by the processor, the transfer instructions retrieved from memory over a network to a computing device associated with a physical location indicated in the transfer instructions to cause the computing device to operate an automated picking and packing system to retrieve the transfer quantity of the item scaled by the one scaling factor and to print a shipping label to affect the transfer between physical locations.