Overstock inventory management at retail sales facilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9858547-B2
Application number	US-201615203482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2016
Priority date	Aug 4, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems of sorting products at a retail sales facility include receiving identifying information associated with a product at the retail sales facility using an inventory management electronic device, obtaining a demand for the product from a time products identical to the product were delivered to the retail sales facility, calculating whether the demand for the product supports moving the product onto a sales floor of the retail sales facility or storing the product in a stock room of the retail sales facility, determining a characteristic for the product, and outputting, when the demand supports storing the product in the stock room, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility that the product is to be stored in the stock room at a location selected based on the determined characteristic for the product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of sorting products at a retail sales facility, the method comprising:
receiving identifying information associated with at least one product at the retail sales facility using an inventory management electronic device including a processor;
obtaining, using the inventory management electronic device, a demand for the at least one product from a time products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility;
calculating, using the inventory management electronic device, whether the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product onto a sales floor of the retail sales facility or storing the at least one product in a stock room of the retail sales facility;
determining, using the inventory management electronic device, a characteristic for the at least one product; and
outputting, using the inventory management electronic device, when the demand supports storing the at least one product in the stock room, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility that the at least one product is to be stored in the stock room at a location selected based on the determined characteristic for the at least one product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step further includes identifying the at least one product via a fixed position scanner without requiring the worker at the retail sales facility to scan the at least one product or manually input information regarding the at least one product.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining step further comprises determining a number of the products identical to the at least one product sold at the retail sales facility from the time the products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product on to the sales floor of the retail sales facility in response to a calculation that the number of the products identical to the at least one product delivered to the retail sales facility is less than the number of the products identical to the at least one product sold from the time the products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the demand for the at least one product supports storing the at least one product in the stock room in response to a calculation that the number of the products identical to the at least one product delivered to the retail sales facility is greater than the number of the products identical to the at least one product sold from the time the products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the characteristic step further comprises determining an item category for the at least one product.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the outputting step further comprises determining at least one storage bin in the stock room containing items having an identical item category to the at least one product, and indicating to the worker that the at least one product is to be binned in the storage bin containing the items having the identical item category to the at least one product.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the characteristic step further comprises associating the at least one product with a product department at the retail sales location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the outputting step further comprises determining an area in the stock room containing items associated with the product department associated with the at least one product, and indicating to the worker that the at least one product is to be stored in the area in the stock room containing the items associated with the product department associated with the at least one product.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically generating a pick for the at least one product stored in the selected location of the stock room in response to a determination that the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product from the stock room on to the sales floor of the retail sales facility.

11. A system for sorting products at a retail sales facility, the system comprising:
a database including identifying information associated with at least one product at the retail sales facility; and
an electronic device including a control circuit having a processor in communication with the database and configured to:
receive the identifying information associated with at least one product at the retail sales facility;
obtain a demand for the at least one product from a time products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility;
calculate whether the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product onto a sales floor of the retail sales facility or storing the at least one product in a stock room of the retail sales facility;
determine a characteristic for the at least one product; and
output, when the demand supports storing the at least one product in the stock room, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility that the at least one product is to be stored in the stock room at a location selected based on the determined characteristic for the at least one product.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is a fixed position scanner configured to receive data identifying the at least one product at the retail sales facility without requiring the worker at the retail sales facility to scan the at least one product or manually input information regarding the at least one product.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is configured to determine a number of the products identical to the at least one product sold at the retail sales facility from the time the products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is configured to determine that the demand for the at least one product supports moving the at least one product on to the sales floor of the retail sales facility in response to a calculation that the number of the products identical to the at least one product delivered to the retail sales facility is less than the number of the products identical to the at least one product sold from the time the products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is configured to determine that the demand for the at least one product supports storing the at least one product in the stock room in response to a calculation that the number of the products identical to the at least one product delivered to the retail sales facility is greater than the number of the products identical to the at least one product sold from the time the products identical to the at least one product were delivered to the retail sales facility.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is configured to determine an item category for the at least one product.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic device is configured to determine at least one storage bin in the stock room containing items having an identical item category to the at least one product, and indicate to the worker that the at least one product is to be binned in the storage bin c

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Jones Matthew A
• Jones Nicholaus A
• Taylor Robert J
• Fletter Marc A
• Shields Daniel R

Classifications

• G06K7/10009

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title

• G06K19/06028

  using bar codes · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

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

• G06Q10/08726 Primary

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

• G06Q10/08741

  by picking of items from inventory for fulfillment · CPC title