System and method for controlling inventory depletion by offering different prices to different customers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019122176-A1
Application number	US-201816167900-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Oct 24, 2017
Publication date	Apr 25, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with controlling inventory depletion by offering different prices to different customers are described. In one embodiment, a method includes establishing first and second allocations of fulfillment centers to different geographic regions during a markdown phase. Different price schedules are determined for the orders to be fulfilled during the markdown phase based on the first and second allocations. A predicted profit is generated for the orders fulfilled under each of the different price schedules. A price schedule corresponding to the first allocation is selected as resulting in a greater predicted profit than another one of the different price schedules. A sale terminal is controlled to enact the selected price schedule during the markdown phase to cause fulfillment of the incoming orders according to the first allocation of the fulfillment centers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least a processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to:
establish, by at least the processor, (i) a first allocation of fulfillment centers to fulfill orders for a product to be delivered to different geographic regions during a markdown phase, and (ii) a second allocation of the fulfillment centers to fulfill the orders for the product to be delivered to the different geographic regions during the markdown phase, wherein the first allocation is different from the second allocation; determine, by at least the processor, different price schedules for the orders to be fulfilled during the markdown phase based on the first allocation and the second allocation; generate, by at least the processor, a predicted profit from the orders fulfilled under each of the different price schedules; select, by at least the processor, a price schedule corresponding to the first allocation as resulting in a greater predicted profit than another one of the different price schedules; and control, by at least the processor, operation of a sale terminal to enact the selected price schedule for incoming orders placed during the markdown phase and cause fulfillment of the incoming orders according to the first allocation of the fulfillment centers.

2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least the processor, cause the computing system to:
receive price sensitivity information for customers located within the different geographic regions; and receive shipping charges for delivery of the product to the different geographic regions, wherein
the different price schedules are established based, at least in part, on the received price sensitivity information or the received shipping charges.

3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least the processor, cause the computing system to limit the received shipping charges to charges that are to be incurred by a vendor of the product.

4 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the price sensitivity information is based on historical spending data of customers within the different geographic regions.

5 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least the processor, cause the computing system to:
receive inventory information indicative of a quantity of the product in stock at each of the fulfillment centers, wherein
the first allocation and the second allocation of the of the fulfillment centers to the different geographic regions are established based, at least in part, on the received inventory information.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the selected price schedule for the first allocation of the fulfillment centers includes a shipping charge for fulfilling an order from a first fulfillment center that is greater than an alternate shipping charge for fulfilling the order from a second fulfillment center.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least the processor, cause the computing system to:
modify the selected price schedule based on the received inventory information to control operation of the sale terminal in a manner that promotes balanced depletion of the quantity of the product in stock across each of the fulfillment centers.

8 . A computing system, comprising:
at least one processor connect to at least one memory; and an analysis module stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and including instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the processor to: establish: (i) a first allocation of fulfillment centers to fulfill orders for a product to be delivered to different geographic regions during a markdown phase, and (ii) a second allocation of the fulfillment centers to fulfill the orders for the product to be delivered to the different geographic regions during the markdown phase, wherein the first allocation is different from the second allocation; determine different price schedules for the orders to be fulfilled during the markdown phase based on the first allocation and the second allocation; generate a predicted profit from the orders fulfilled under each of the different price schedules; select a price schedule corresponding to the first allocation as resulting in a greater predicted profit than another one of the different price schedules; and control operation of a sale terminal to enact the selected price schedule for incoming orders placed during the markdown phase and cause fulfillment of the incoming orders according to the first allocation of the fulfillment centers.

9 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the analysis module further includes instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the processor to:
receive price sensitivity information for customers located within the different geographic regions; and receive shipping charges for delivery of the product to the different geographic regions, wherein
the different price schedules are established based, at least in part, on the received price sensitivity information or the received shipping charges.

10 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the analysis module further includes instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the processor to limit the received shipping charges to charges that are to be incurred by a vendor of the product.

11 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the price sensitivity information is based on historical spending data of customers within the different geographic regions.

12 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the analysis module further includes instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the processor to:
receive inventory information indicative of a quantity of the product in stock at each of the fulfillment centers, wherein
the first allocation and the second allocation of the of the fulfillment centers to the different geographic regions are established based, at least in part, on the received inventory information.

13 . The computing system of claim 12 , wherein the selected price schedule for the first allocation of the fulfillment centers includes a shipping charge for fulfilling an order from a first fulfillment center that is greater than an alternate shipping charge for fulfilling the order from a second fulfillment center.

14 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the analysis module further includes instructions that when executed by at least the processor cause the processor to:
modify the selected price schedule based on the received inventory information to control operation of the sale terminal in a manner that promotes balanced depletion of the quantity of the product in stock across each of the fulfillment centers.

15 . A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
establishing: (i) a first allocation of fulfillment centers to fulfill orders for a product to be delivered to different geographic regions during a markdown phase, and (ii) a second allocation of the fulfillment centers to fulfill the orders for the product to be delivered to the different geographic regions during the markdown phase, wherein the first allocation is different from the second allocation; determining different

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Wu su-ming
• Vakhutinsky Andrew

Classifications

• G06Q10/08345 Primary

  Pricing · CPC title

• G06Q30/0223

  based on inventory · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

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

• G06Q30/0205

  based on location or geographical consideration · CPC title

• G06Q30/0206

  Price or cost determination based on market factors · CPC title