Automatic ordering of products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019012721-A1
Application number	US-201715641935-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 5, 2017
Priority date	Jul 5, 2017
Publication date	Jan 10, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for automatic ordering of products comprises a receiver to receive stock parameters including a number of products sold till a point in time, an expiration duration for usage of products, or a number of products available in an inventory at the time. The system also includes a stock analyzer to determine a stock-out probability factor based on the number of products sold and estimated short term sales, determine a disposal probability factor based on the number of products sold, the expiration duration and estimated long term sales, ascertain a risk balance factor indicative of a ratio of the disposal probability factor to the stock-out probability factor, determine a number of products to replenish the inventory, based on the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, and the risk balance factor, and place a purchase order to a vendor for acquiring the number of products for replenishing the inventory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for automatic ordering of products, the system comprising:
a receiver to receive stock parameters, wherein the stock parameters include information identifying at least one of:
a number of products sold till a point in time,
an expiration duration for usage of products, or
a number of products available in an inventory at the point in time;
a stock analyzer in communication with the receiver to:
determine a stock-out probability factor, the stock-out probability factor:
indicative of a probability of selling out the number of products available in the inventory, and
based on the number of products sold and estimated short term sales;

determine a disposal probability factor, the disposal probability factor:
indicative of a probability of an event where the products are to be disposed after the expiration duration is over, and
based on the number of products sold, the expiration duration, and estimated long term sales;

ascertain a risk balance factor indicative of a ratio of the disposal probability factor to the stock-out probability factor;
determine a number of products to replenish the inventory, based on the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, and the risk balance factor; and
issue a purchase order to a vendor,
the vendor for providing the number of products for replenishing the inventory; and

a learner in communication with the receiver and the stock analyzer to:
store, over a predetermined period of time, details pertaining to the number of products sold, the expiration duration, the number of products available in the inventory, the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, the risk balance factor, the number of products to replenish the inventory, and the placing of the purchase order; and
forward the details for placing a new purchase order to acquire a number of products for replenishing the inventory at a subsequent point in time.

2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a stock detector in communication with the receiver to:
detect the number of products sold till the point in time and the number of products available in the inventory at the point in time; and
forward information identifying the number of the products sold and the number of products available in the inventory to the receiver.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the stock detector includes at least one of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, a video surveillance device, or a sensor.

4 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a report generator to generate a report pertaining to the placing of the purchase order, wherein the report includes information identifying at least one of the number of products sold, the expiration duration, the number of products available in the inventory, the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, the risk balance factor, and the number of products to replenish the inventory.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stock analyzer is to estimate the short-term sales of the product, based on historical details pertaining to the order.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the stock analyzer is to estimate the short-term sales by computing a sales probability distribution pattern between a next order and a next-to-next order.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stock analyzer is to estimate the long-term sales of the product, based on historical details pertaining to the order and details pertaining to the product.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the stock analyzer is to estimate the long-term sales by computing a sales probability distribution pattern between a next order and the expiration duration of the product.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the products include perishable products, medicines, and seasonal products.

10 . A system for automatic ordering of products, the system comprising:
a receiver to receive stock parameters, wherein the stock parameters include information identifying at least one of:
a number of products sold till a point in time,
an expiration duration for usage of products, or
a number of products available in an inventory at the point in time; and
a stock analyzer in communication with the receiver to:
determine a stock-out probability factor, the stock-out probability factor:
indicative of a probability of selling out the number of products available in the inventory, and
based on the number of products sold and estimated short term sales;

determine a disposal probability factor, the disposal probability factor:
indicative of a probability of an event where the products are to be disposed after the expiration duration is over, and
based on the number of products sold, the expiration duration, and estimated long term sales;

ascertain a risk balance factor indicative of a ratio of the disposal probability factor to the stock-out probability factor;
determine a number of products to replenish the inventory, based on the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, and the risk balance factor; and
issue a purchase order to a vendor,
the vendor for providing the number of products for replenishing the inventory.

11 . The system of claim 10 further comprising a stock detector in communication with the receiver to:
detect the number of products sold till the point in time and the number of products available in the inventory at the point in time; and
forward information identifying the number of the products sold and the number of products available in the inventory to the receiver.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the stock detector includes at least one of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, a video surveillance device, or a sensor.

13 . The system of claim 10 further comprising a learner in communication with the receiver and the stock analyzer to:
store, over a predetermined period of time, details pertaining to the number of products sold, the expiration duration, the number of products available in the inventory, the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, the risk balance factor, the number of products to replenish the inventory, and the placing of the purchase order; and
forward the details to the stock analyzer for placing a new purchase order to acquire a number of products for replenishing the inventory at a subsequent time point.

14 . The system of claim 10 further comprising:
a report generator to generate a report pertaining to the placing of the purchase order, wherein the report includes information identifying at least one of the number of products sold, the expiration duration, the number of products available in the inventory, the stock-out probability factor, the disposal probability factor, the risk balance factor, and the number of products to replenish the inventory.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the stock analyzer to estimate the short-term sales of the product, based on historical details pertaining to the order.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the stock analyzer to estimate the long-term sales of the product, based on historical details pertaining to the order and details pertaining to the product.

17 . A computer-implemented method, for automatic ordering of products, executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:
receiving stock parameters, wherein the stock parameters include information identifying at least one of a number of products sold till a point in time, an expiration duration for usage of products,

Assignees

• Accenture Global Solutions Ltd

Inventors

• Fujita Yukihisa
• Sasaki Takahiro
• Kudo Takuya
• Cornett Kana
• Yotsuyanagi Akira
• Haraguchi Takaaki

Classifications

• G06Q10/087

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

• G06K7/10297

  arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635 Primary

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title

• G06Q10/08776

  by management of storage life of perishable or hazardous products · CPC title

• G06Q10/08726

  for replenishment processing, procedures, or recommendations using forecasting or optimisation · CPC title