Systems to fulfill a picked sales order and related methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018300798-A1
Application number	US-201715588363-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 17, 2017
Publication date	Oct 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some embodiments include a system. The system can include one or more processors and one or more non-transitory memory storage devices storing computer instructions configured to run on the processor(s) and perform acts including: receiving a request for a picked sales order; estimating an estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the good(s) of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer, wherein estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the good(s) of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer comprises evaluating whether the picked sales order is able to be batched in a picked sales order batch using a k-means clustering to minimize a pick walk of the picked sales order batch; determining a receivable clock time at which to promise the good(s) for receipt by the customer; and communicating the receivable clock time to the customer. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 ) A system comprising:
one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory memory storage devices storing computer instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform acts comprising:
receiving a request for a picked sales order, wherein the picked sales order is associated with a customer, the picked sales order comprises one or more goods, and the one or more goods are being offered for sale;
estimating an estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer, wherein estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer comprises evaluating whether the picked sales order is able to be batched in a picked sales order batch using a k-means clustering to minimize a pick walk of the picked sales order batch;
determining a receivable clock time at which to promise the one or more goods for receipt by the customer, wherein determining the receivable clock time at which to promise the one or more goods for receipt by the customer comprises:
identifying a current clock time;
identifying a first available clock time of one or more predetermined clock times, wherein a difference of the first available clock time and the current clock time is greater than the estimated fulfillment time interval, and the first available clock time occurs after the current clock time and is nearest to the current clock time; and
assigning the first available clock time as the receivable clock time; and

communicating the receivable clock time to the customer.

2 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer further comprises:
evaluating a quantity of the one or more goods.

3 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer further comprises:
evaluating one or more good types of the one or more goods.

4 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer further comprises:
evaluating a quantity of aisle switches associated with picking the one or more goods.

5 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer further comprises:
evaluating an availability of one or more pickers to pick the one or more goods.

6 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
the request for the picked sales order comprises a conveyance type of the picked sales order; and
estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer further comprises:
evaluating the conveyance type of the picked sales order.

7 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
estimating the estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer comprises:
evaluating whether one or more previously promised picked sales orders have been canceled.

8 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more predetermined clock times comprise (i) one or more clock hours or (ii) one or more clock half-hours.

9 ) The system of claim 1 wherein:
the acts further comprise:
after communicating the receivable clock time to the customer, receiving an acceptance of the receivable clock time.

10 ) A method comprising:
executing one or more first computer instructions configured to receive a request for a picked sales order, wherein the picked sales order is associated with a customer, the picked sales order comprises one or more goods, and the one or more goods are being offered for sale; executing one or more second computer instructions configured to estimate an estimated fulfillment time interval to make ready the one or more goods of the picked sales order for receipt by the customer, wherein executing the one or more second computer instructions comprises executing one or more third computer instructions configured to evaluate whether the picked sales order is able to be batched in a picked sales order batch using a k-means clustering to minimize a pick walk of the picked sales order batch; executing one or more fourth computer instructions configured to determine a receivable clock time at which to promise the one or more goods for receipt by the customer, wherein executing the one or more fourth computer instructions comprises:
executing one or more fifth computer instructions configured to identify a current clock time;
executing one or more sixth computer instructions configured to identify a first available clock time of one or more predetermined clock times, wherein a difference of the first available clock time and the current clock time is greater than the estimated fulfillment time interval, and the first available clock time occurs after the current clock time and is nearest to the current clock time; and
executing one or more seventh computer instructions configured to assign the first available clock time as the receivable clock time; and
executing one or more eighth computer instructions configured to communicate the receivable clock time to the customer; wherein:
the one or more first computer instructions, the one or more second computer instructions, the one or more third computer instructions, and the one or more eighth computer instructions are configured to run at one or more processors and configured to be stored at one or more non-transitory memory storage devices.

11 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
executing the one or more third computer instructions further comprises:
executing one or more ninth computer instructions configured to evaluate a quantity of the one or more goods.

12 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
executing the one or more third computer instructions further comprises:
executing one or more ninth computer instructions configured to evaluate one or more good types of the one or more goods.

13 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
executing the one or more third computer instructions further comprises:
executing one or more ninth computer instructions configured to evaluate a quantity of aisle switches associated with picking the one or more goods.

14 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
executing the one or more third computer instructions further comprises:
executing one or more ninth computer instructions configured to evaluate an availability of one or more pickers to pick the one or more goods.

15 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
the request for the picked sales order comprises a conveyance type of the picked sales order; and
executing the one or more third computer instructions further comprises:
executing one or more ninth computer instructions configured to evaluate the conveyance type of the picked sales order.

16 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
executing the one or more third computer instructions comprises:
executing one or more ninth computer instructions configured to evaluate whether one or more previously promised picked sales orders have been canceled.

17 ) The method of claim 10 wherein:
the one or more predetermined clock times comprise (i) one or more clock

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Rajkhowa Pratosh Deepak
• Shendre Ameya Ajay
• Raichur Rajoli Pavan Kumar
• Gupta Shekhar
• Krishnan Vidyanand

Classifications

• G06Q30/0635 Primary

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title