Systems and methods for real-time order delay management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018315003-A1
Application number	US-201715582319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

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 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 from a plurality customers, each order of the plurality of orders comprising one or more items for sale at a store; and
for each order of the plurality of orders from each customer of the plurality of customers:
determining an order completion time based on at least one of: (1) availabilities of one or more associates of the store to collect the one or more items of the order at the store or (2) a dynamic pick time estimation for the order;
coordinating displaying the order completion time on an electronic device of the customer;
assigning the order to one associate of the one or more associates of the store for collection of the one or more items of the order at the store; and
automatically updating, in real-time, the order completion time based on at least one of: (1) automatically reassigning the order to a different associate of the one or more associates or (2) the one associate of the one or more associates becoming available earlier than previously estimated when determining the order completion time for the order.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the plurality of orders from the plurality 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 order to the one associate of the one or more associates comprises:
assigning the first order to a first associate of the one or more 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 associates of the store for collection of the one or more second items at the store;
the one or more non-transitory storage modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform an act of automatically reassigning the second order to the first associate if 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 order completion time comprises automatically updating, in real-time, a second order completion time for the second order based on reassigning 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 modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform an act of, for each order of the plurality of orders, automatically reassigning the order to the different associate if the one associate is delayed or unavailable for collection of the order; and automatically updating, in real-time, the order completion time comprises, for each order of the plurality of orders, automatically updating, in real-time, the order completion time based on reassigning the order to the different associate.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-transitory storage modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform an act of automatically transmitting, to the customer, a message comprising the order completion time as updated.

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

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more non-transitory storage modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform an act of, for each order of the plurality of orders:
determining a picking start time and a picking end time based on (1) the availabilities of the one or more associates of the store to collect the one or more items of the order at the store or (2) the dynamic pick time estimation for the order; and
automatically updating, in real-time, the order completion time comprises, for each order of the plurality of orders, automatically adjusting the picking start time and the picking end time based on (1) reassigning the order to the different associate of the one or more associates or (2) the one associate of the one or more associates becoming available earlier than previously estimated when determining the order completion time for the order.

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

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the plurality of orders from the plurality customers comprises:
receiving, from a first electronic device of a first customer, a first order for pickup of 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 for pickup of one or more second items for sale at the store;
assigning the order to the one associate of the one or more associates comprises:
assigning the first order to a first associate of the one or more 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 associates of the store for collection of the one or more second items at the store;
the one or more non-transitory storage modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform an act of automatically reassigning the second order to the first associate if the first associate becomes available for collection of the one or more second items before the second associate; automatically updating, in real-time, the order completion time further comprises automatically updating, in real-time, a second order completion time for the second order based on reassigning the second order from the second associate to the first associate; the one or more non-transitory storage modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06Q30/0635

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• 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