Systems and methods for real-time order delay management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10846645-B2
Application number	US-201715582319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving a plurality of orders for items for sale at a store, determining a picking start time, a picking end time, and an order completion time for each order based on at least one of: (1) availabilities of one or more associates of the store to collect the items of the order at the store or (2) a dynamic pick time estimation for the order, assigning the order to a first associate of the store for collection of the items of the order at the store, and automatically adjusting, in real-time, the picking start time and the picking end time without adjusting the order completion time for each order.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
receiving a plurality of orders from a plurality of customers, each respective order of the plurality of orders comprising one or more respective items for sale at a store; and
for each respective order of the plurality of orders from each respective customer of the plurality of customers:
determining a respective order completion time for each respective associate of one or more respective associates of the store based on at least one of:
(1) respective availabilities of the one or more respective associates of the store to collect the one or more respective items of the respective order at the store; and
(2) a respective dynamic pick time estimation for the respective order as determined by a regression analysis performed on respective historical picking data for available associates of the one or more respective associates;

causing an electronic device of the respective customer to display the respective order completion time;
assigning the respective order to one associate of the one or more respective associates of the store for collection of the one or more respective items of the respective order at the store; and
automatically updating, in real-time, the respective order completion time based on at least one of:
(1) automatically reassigning the respective order to a different associate of the one or more respective associates; or
(2) the one associate of the one or more respective associates becoming available earlier than previously estimated when determining the respective order completion time for the respective order.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the plurality of orders from the plurality of customers comprises:
receiving, from a first electronic device of a first customer, a first order comprising one or more first items for sale at the store; and
receiving, from a second electronic device of a second customer and after the first order is received, a second order comprising one or more second items for sale at the store;

assigning the respective order to the one associate of the one or more respective associates comprises:
assigning the first order to a first associate of the one or more respective associates of the store for collection of the one or more first items at the store; and
assigning the second order to a second associate of the one or more respective associates of the store for collection of the one or more second items at the store;

the one or more non-transitory storage devices storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
automatically reassigning the second order to the first associate when the first associate becomes available for collection of the one or more second items before the second associate; and

automatically updating, in real-time, the respective order completion time comprises automatically updating, in real-time, a second order completion time for the second order based on the automatic reassigning of the second order from the second associate to the first associate.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more non-transitory storage devices storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
for each respective order of the plurality of orders, automatically reassigning the respective order to one or more respective different associates when the one associate is delayed or unavailable for collection of the respective order; and

automatically updating, in real-time, the respective order completion time comprises, for each respective order of the plurality of orders, automatically updating, in real-time, the respective order completion time based on the automatic reassigning of the respective order to the one or more respective different associates.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-transitory storage devices storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
automatically transmitting, to the electronic device of the respective customer, a message comprising the respective order completion time, as updated.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the plurality of orders from the plurality of customers comprises receiving the plurality of orders for delivery of the one or more respective items of each respective order of the plurality of orders to the plurality of customers;
determining the respective order completion time comprises, for each respective order of the plurality of orders, determining the respective order completion time based on:
(1) the respective dynamic pick time estimation, as determined, for the respective order; and
(2) a respective distance of the respective customer from the store; and

the store comprises a brick and mortar store.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the plurality of orders from the plurality of customers comprises receiving the plurality of orders for pickup of the one or more respective items of each respective order of the plurality of orders by the plurality of customers at the store;
determining the respective order completion time comprises, for each respective order of the plurality of orders, determining the respective order completion time based on:
(1) the respective availabilities of the one or more respective associates of the store to collect the one or more respective items of the respective order at the store; and
(2) the respective dynamic pick time estimation, as determined, for the respective order; and

the store comprises a brick and mortar store.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more non-transitory storage devices storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
for each respective order of the plurality of orders, determining a respective picking start time and a respective picking end time based on:
(1) the respective availabilities of the one or more respective associates of the store to collect the one or more respective items of the respective order at the store; or
(2) the respective dynamic pick time estimation, as determined, for the respective order; and

automatically updating, in real-time, the respective order completion time comprises, for each respective order of the plurality of orders, automatically adjusting the respective picking start time and the respective picking end time based on:
(1) the automatic reassigning of the respective order to the different associate of the one or more respective associates; or
(2) the one associate of the one or more respective associates becoming available earlier than previously estimated when determining the respective order completion time for the respective order.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-transitory storage devices storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
for each respective order of the plurality of orders, transmitting the respective order to an associate electronic device of the one associate of the one or more respective associates.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the regression analysis comprises:
determining, using the respective historical picking data for available associates of the one or more respective associates:
respective coefficients of each respective independent variable effecting the respective order completion time;
a constant applicable to the respective historical picking data of ea

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc
• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Smith Austin Lee
• Krishnan Vidyanand
• Ebener Michael Gilbert
• Rajkhowa Pratosh Deepak
• Katz Arnon

Classifications

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/06312

  Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title