Systems and methods of managing perpetual inventory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11645639-B2
Application number	US-202117349196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2021
Priority date	Jan 4, 2017
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to monitor and adjust perpetual inventory (PI). Some embodiments comprise multiple point of sale (POS) systems; an inventory system and a perpetual inventory (PI) engine control circuit that receives inventory information and is configured to identify the occurrence of a plurality of different events each associated with a different product at a shopping facility and corresponding to a potential inconsistency in a determined inventory count; and for each of the events: identify a first set of inventory evaluation rules; apply the first set of inventory evaluation rules to determine a type of inventory count error; determine an inventory adjustment action to be implemented based on the first product and the determined error type; and cause the inventory adjustment action to be implemented in substantially real-time to adjust the determined inventory count of the first product at the first shopping facility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A perpetual inventory (PI) control system, comprising:
at least one inventory system communicatively coupled with multiple point-of-sale (POS) systems at a first retail facility of multiple retail facilities;
a perpetual inventory (PI) engine control circuit communicatively coupled with the inventory system, and wherein the PI engine control circuit is configured to:
access inventory information from the inventory system;
identify an occurrence of a plurality of different events each associated with a different product available at the first retail facility, and each event corresponds to a potential inaccuracy in an inventory count of the corresponding product; and for each of the events: identify a type of inventory count error relative to a first product at the first retail facility; identify a first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules based on the type of inventory count error at the first retail facility, and apply the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules to determine an inventory adjustment action to be implemented; and cause the inventory adjustment action to be implemented in substantially real-time to adjust the inventory count of the first product at the first retail facility; and
push inventory adjustment information to multiple different inventory storage devices without a request from an external device.

2. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit is further configured to:
identify, dependent on the event, a second set of at least one inventory evaluation rules from multiple sets of inventory evaluation rules and apply the second set of at least one inventory evaluation rules to determine the type of inventory count error relative to the first product at the first retail facility.

3. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit is further configured to:
evaluate over time multiple different inventory adjustment actions implemented based on an application of the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules applied in determining a respective one of the multiple different inventory adjustment actions that was implemented; and
modify at least a first inventory evaluation rule of the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules based on changes in sales resulting from the multiple different adjustment actions.

4. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit in determining the inventory adjustment action selects the inventory adjustment action based on a previous inventory adjustment action implemented relative to the first product at the first retail facility.

5. The PI control system of claim 4 , wherein the PI engine control circuit in causing the inventory adjustment action to be implemented maintains over time, during which multiple different ordered shipments of the first product are received at the first retail facility, actual inventory counts of the first product at the first retail facility within threshold margins of inventory errors defined by a difference between the actual inventory count of the first product at the first retail facility and determined inventory counts of the first product over time.

6. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit is further configured to modify, relative to at least the first product and based on results from the PI engine control circuit applying the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules, one or more inventory evaluation rules of a second set of inventory evaluation rules that were previously applied relative to the first product.

7. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit is further configured to determine a second product is subject to the type of inventory count error determined to be relevant to the first product, and apply the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules relative to the second product while applying at least one different parameter, than a parameter applied while applying the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules relative to the first product, to identify a second inventory adjustment action to be implemented based on the second product.

8. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit, in determining the inventory adjustment action to be implemented, is configured to determine the adjustment action to maintain the inventory count within boundaries of threshold margins of inventory errors corresponding to the first product while not attempting to determine an actual inventory count of the first product.

9. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit, in pushing the inventory adjustment information to the multiple different inventory storage devices, is configured to push the inventory adjustment information without a request from the inventory storage devices, wherein each of the inventory storage devices is accessible by at least one of multiple remote processing systems providing the multiple remote processing systems with substantially real time access to the inventory adjustment information.

10. The PI control system of claim 1 , wherein the PI engine control circuit, in pushing the inventory adjustment information to the multiple different inventory storage devices, is configured to push the inventory adjustment information without receiving a confirmation of transmission from the multiple inventory storage devices, wherein each of the inventory storage devices is accessible by at least one of multiple remote processing systems providing the multiple remote processing systems with substantially real time access to the inventory adjustment information.

11. A method of monitoring and adjusting perpetual inventory (PI), comprising:
identifying an occurrence of a plurality of different events each associated with a different product available at a first retail facility of multiple different retail facilities, wherein each event corresponds to a potential inaccuracy in an inventory count of the corresponding product; and
for each of the events:
identifying a type of inventory count error relative to a first product at the first retail facility;
identifying a first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules based on the type of inventory count error;
applying the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules and determining an inventory adjustment action to be implemented; and
causing the inventory adjustment action to be implemented in substantially real-time to adjust the inventory count of the first product at the first retail facility; and

pushing inventory adjustment information to multiple different inventory storage devices without a request from an external device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
identifying, dependent on the event, a second set of at least one inventory evaluation rules from multiple sets of inventory evaluation rules and applying the second set of at least one inventory evaluation rules to determine the type of inventory count error relative the first product at the first retail facility.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
evaluating over time multiple different inventory adjustment actions implemented based on an application of the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules applied in determining a respective one of the multiple different inventory adjustment actions that was implemented, and relative to changes in sales resulting from the multiple different adjustment actions; and
modifying at a first inventory evaluation rule of the first set of at least one inventory evaluation rules bas

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Brooks Cristy C
• Enssle Benjamin D
• Brightwell David B
• Shields Daniel R
• Bryan Greg A
• Jones Matthew A

Classifications

• G06Q20/202

  Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR · CPC title

• G06Q20/203 Primary

  Inventory monitoring · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G06Q10/0875

  Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials · CPC title