Order splitting method and device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an order diversion method, which includes: in the first stage, outputting the orders associated with the first item to a preset diversion area for item picking, and outputting the orders associated with other items to a designated workstation for item picking; and in the second stage after the first stage, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders. The present disclosure also discloses an order diversion device, a computer system, and a computer-readable storage medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of information processing, and more particularly, to an order diversion method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the development of industrial automation and related technologies, in order to improve the efficiency of warehousing operations and reduce labor costs, various automation devices have been introduced into the warehousing operation environment to implement fully automated unmanned or semi-automated warehousing systems.

[0003] For example, in order to improve the warehousing storage efficiency and the warehousing outbound efficiency, and at the same time reduce the long-term operation cost, multi-layer shuttle car systems have been increasingly introduced into the warehousing operation environment. The advantages of the multi-layer shuttle car system lie in high storage density, high outbound efficiency, stability and reliability, etc. In an automated warehouse with goods-to-person based on the multi-layer shuttle car system, the bins stored on the multi-layer shelves are first transported to the conveyor line by the shuttle car and the elevator after being located for outbound, and then the conveyor line automatically transports the bins to the corresponding workstations for picking of goods. After picking is completed, the bins are transported back to the storage locations on the shelves via the conveyor line, the elevator and the shuttle car for storage.

[0004] However, in the process of implementing the concept of the present disclosure, the inventors found that: although the multi-layer shuttle car system has the characteristics of high efficiency and stability, as an automated mechanical device, it also has limitations. One of the deficiencies is that the flexibility and agility of the multi-layer shuttle car system are relatively low, and it is difficult to adjust and expand the system production capacity when the production capacity demand exceeds the system production capacity in a short time. This is particularly obvious when the order volume increases sharply. The multi-layer shuttle car system is difficult to respond to a sudden increase in production capacity demand, which may lead to a reduction in the order fulfillment speed, thereby reducing the customer experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present disclosure provides an order diversion method and apparatus that can dynamically adjust the order diversion strategy in response to a sudden increase in the order quantity within a short time.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides an order diversion method, including: in a first stage, outputting orders associated with a first item to a preset diversion area for picking of the item, and outputting orders associated with other items to a designated workstation for picking of the items; and in a second stage after the above first stage, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the above designated workstation and the item inventory in the above preset diversion area and the backlogged orders.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above-mentioned second stage, at every preset time period, based on at least one of the current picking efficiency of the above-mentioned designated workstation and the inventory of goods in the above-mentioned preset diversion area and the backlogged orders, it is determined whether to adjust the order diversion plan.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on at least one of the current picking efficiency of the above-mentioned designated workstation and the inventory of goods in the above-mentioned preset diversion area and the backlogged orders, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan includes: if the above-mentioned inventory of goods can satisfy all the orders associated with the above-mentioned first goods in the above-mentioned backlogged orders, then in the above-mentioned second stage, continue to use the order diversion plan used in the above-mentioned first stage.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it further includes: if the above-mentioned inventory of goods cannot satisfy all the orders associated with the above-mentioned first goods in the above-mentioned backlogged orders, then replenish the goods warehouse in the above-mentioned preset diversion area and continue to use the order diversion plan used in the above-mentioned first stage in the above-mentioned second stage.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it further includes: if the above-mentioned inventory of goods cannot satisfy all the orders associated with the above-mentioned first goods in the above-mentioned backlogged orders, calculate the current production capacity C of the above-mentioned designated workstation according to the above-mentioned picking efficiency e ; calculate the quantity Q of goods to be picked currently according to the above-mentioned backlogged orders; if Q ≤ C e then in the above-mentioned second stage, adjust the order diversion plan as follows: according to the above-mentioned inventory of goods, output some of the above-mentioned all orders to the above-mentioned preset diversion area for goods picking; output the remaining orders other than the above-mentioned some orders in the above-mentioned all orders to the above-mentioned designated workstation for goods picking; and continue to output the orders associated with other goods to the above-mentioned designated workstation for goods picking.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on at least one of the current picking efficiency of the above-mentioned designated workstation and the inventory of goods in the above-mentioned preset diversion area and the backlogged orders, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan includes: calculate the current production capacity C of the above-mentioned designated workstation according to the above-mentioned picking efficiency e ; calculate the quantity Q of goods to be picked currently according to the above-mentioned backlogged orders; and if Q ≤ C e then in the above-mentioned second stage, continue to use the order diversion plan used in the above-mentioned first stage.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it further includes: if Q > C e, then in the second stage described above, the order diversion plan is adjusted as follows: Output the orders associated with the first item above to the preset diversion area for item picking; Screen out the second item from the other items above; Also output the orders associated with the second item above to the preset diversion area for item picking; Output the orders associated with the remaining items to the designated workstation above for item picking.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the screening out of the second item from the other items above includes: Based on the difference between the item quantity Q and the production capacity C above e , calculate the quantity D of items to be diverted; Determine all item types covered in the backlogged orders above and the demand for each type of item; Determine the other item types and the demand for each type of item other than the first item covered in all orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders above; Based on the quantity D of items to be diverted and the determined item types and the demand for each type of item, screen out the second item from the other items above.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it further includes: Determining the first item above, and the determining of the first item above includes: Estimating the picking efficiency of the designated workstation above; Based on the estimated value of the picking efficiency of the designated workstation above, calculate the estimated production capacity C of the designated workstation in the second stage above; Estimating the sales volume of each type of item in the second stage above; And according to the estimated production capacity C and the estimated sales volume of each type of item above, determine the first item from each type of item above, so that the estimated sales volume Q of the first item in the second stage above < C×β, where β≥1.

[0015] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an order diversion device, including: A diversion module, configured to output, in a first stage, orders associated with a first item to a preset diversion area for item picking, and output orders associated with other items to a designated workstation for item picking; And an adjustment module, configured to determine whether to adjust the order diversion plan in a second stage after the first stage above, according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation above and the item inventory in the preset diversion area above and the backlogged orders.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, including: One or more processors; A memory, configured to store one or more programs, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to implement the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium, storing computer-executable instructions, and the instructions are used to implement the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure when executed.

[0018] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer program, which includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed, are used to implement the method of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, in the first stage (such as before a product promotion), the first goods (including one or more categories of goods) are transported to a preset diversion area in advance, and the orders associated with the first goods are output to the preset diversion area for goods picking. At the same time, the orders associated with other goods are output to a designated workstation for goods picking. In the second stage (such as during the product promotion), the order diversion plan is dynamically adjusted according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the inventory of goods in the preset diversion area, as well as the backlogged orders in the order pool. Therefore, at least partially, the technical problem that it is difficult for a multi-shuttle system in the related art to respond to a sudden increase in production capacity is overcome. Furthermore, it is possible to avoid, as much as possible, the reduction in order fulfillment speed caused by the difficulty in responding to a sudden increase in production capacity, thereby improving the customer experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Through the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become clearer. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Schematically shows the system architecture to which the order diversion method and device of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied;

[0022] Figure 2 Schematically shows the flowchart of the order diversion method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 Schematically shows the time slot setting of the order diversion process according to the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4 Schematically shows the block diagram of the order diversion device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0025] Figure 5 Schematically shows the block diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing the order diversion method and device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the following detailed description, for the sake of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, evidently, one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0027] The terms used herein are merely for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The terms "comprising", "including", etc. used herein indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0028] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly rigid manner.

[0029] In cases where expressions similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." are used, generally, it should be interpreted according to the meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art (for example, "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having only A, only B, only C, having A and B, having A and C, having B and C, and / or having A, B, and C, etc.).

[0030] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an order diversion method and an order diversion device capable of applying this method. The method includes, in a first stage, outputting orders associated with a first item to a preset diversion area for item picking, and outputting orders associated with other items to a designated workstation for item picking; and in a second stage after the first stage, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan based on at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders.

[0031] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be elaborated in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0032] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Schematically shows a system architecture to which the order diversion method and device of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied. It should be noted that, Figure 1A and Figure 1BThe illustration is only an example of the system architecture to which the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied, to help those skilled in the art understand the technical content of the present disclosure, but it does not mean that the embodiments of the present disclosure cannot be used in other devices, systems, environments or scenarios.

[0033] As Figure 1A shown, the system architecture 100A according to this embodiment may include a warehousing operation environment 101, a goods warehouse 102, workstations 103, and a diversion area 104.

[0034] Among them, the workstations 103 may include multiple workstations, such as workstations 1 to n, where n is an integer and n≥1. The workstations 103 are used to receive orders and bins, and the staff (including natural persons and robots) pick goods at the workstations 103 based on each received order.

[0035] In an e-commerce scenario, the warehousing operation environment 101 may be a warehousing operation environment applying a multi-level shuttle car system. In the goods-to-person automated warehouse based on the multi-level shuttle car system, the bins stored on the multi-level shelves are transported to the conveyor line by the shuttle car and the elevator after being located for outbound, and the conveyor line then automatically transports the bins to the corresponding workstations for goods picking. After picking, they are transported back to the storage locations on the shelves via the conveyor line, elevator, and shuttle car for storage.

[0036] In addition, in order to relieve the goods picking pressure at the workstations 103, the multi-level shuttle car system provided in the warehousing operation environment 101 may also distribute the bins located for outbound to the goods warehouse 102 in real time or in advance based on the order diversion strategy to support goods picking in the diversion area 104. The diversion area 104 can especially undertake the goods picking business of orders that suddenly increase in a short period of time.

[0037] As Figure 1B shown, similar to the system architecture 100A as Figure 1A shown, the system architecture 100B only includes the warehousing operation environment 101, the workstations 103, and the diversion area 104, and does not include the goods warehouse 102. In this case, the multi-level shuttle car system provided in the warehousing operation environment 101 may also directly distribute the bins located for outbound to the diversion area 104 for goods picking in real time or in advance based on the order diversion strategy.

[0038] It should be understood that Figure 1A and Figure 1B the number of workstations and diversion areas in Figure 1A and the number of goods warehouses in

[0039] are only illustrative. According to the implementation requirements, there can be any number of workstations, diversion areas, and goods warehouses, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.It should be noted that the order splitting method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can generally be executed by a server or a server cluster. Correspondingly, the order splitting device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can generally be set in a server or a server cluster. Alternatively, the order splitting method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be executed by a terminal device or a terminal device cluster. Correspondingly, the order splitting device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can also be set in a terminal device or a terminal device cluster.

[0040] Figure 2 Schematically shows a flowchart of an order splitting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] As Figure 2 shown, the method may include operations S201 to S203.

[0042] Among them, in the first stage (such as before a product promotion), operations S201 to S202 are executed; in the second stage (such as during a product promotion), operation S203 is executed. Among them, the second stage is a time stage after the first stage.

[0043] In operation S201, in the first stage, orders associated with the first item are output to a preset splitting area for item picking.

[0044] In operation S202, in the first stage, orders associated with other items are output to a designated workstation for item picking.

[0045] In operation S203, from the start to the end of the second stage, according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the inventory of items in the preset splitting area and the backlogged orders, it is determined whether to adjust the order splitting plan.

[0046] Specifically, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on historical sales data in the past, products (the first items) ranked among the top N (N≥1 and N is an integer) in terms of popularity can be selected, and all or part of the inventory of these products can be transferred to a preset splitting area in advance before the promotion activity (the first stage), and at the same time, orders associated with these products are output to the splitting area for item picking. At the same time, before the promotion activity starts, orders associated with other products except these products are output to a designated workstation for item picking. In this way, during the promotion period (the second stage), the order splitting plan used before the promotion activity (the first stage) can be continued to split subsequent generated orders, thereby breaking through the production capacity limitation caused by the difficulty in expanding the existing number of workstations.

[0047] However, since the currently selected best-selling products (the first goods) are the best-selling products in a certain past period selected based on historical sales data, there may be a discrepancy with the actual best-selling products generated during this promotion. Based on this, if the order diversion scheme used before the start of the promotion (the first stage) is simply continued during the promotion period (the second stage), the following problems may occur: Although historical sales data can generally reflect the product sales situation, this static selection mode is relatively inflexible. There are often situations where the diverted order volume fails to meet expectations (because it is impossible to know in advance the actual order placement situation of customers during the promotion period, and it must be somewhat different from the historical situation. In addition, different promotion activities may use different product promotion strategies, and products that were unsalable in the past may suddenly become best-selling due to changes in promotion strategies, making it difficult to accurately estimate the sales volume of products). As a result, there may be a shortage of production capacity in the multi-shuttle system or the workstations. Or, there may be an excessive diverted order volume, resulting in the underutilization of the production capacity of the multi-shuttle system, and instead, redundant labor costs are added to the diversion area.

[0048] In view of this, in the second stage, the embodiments of the present disclosure can dynamically adjust the order diversion scheme according to the actual situation of the promotion.

[0049] Specifically, in one embodiment, it is possible to determine whether to adjust the order diversion scheme based on the current picking efficiency of the designated workstations (exemplarily, all workstations that can be opened), the inventory of goods in the diversion area, and the backlogged orders in the order pool. Or, it is possible to determine whether to adjust the order diversion scheme based on the current picking efficiency of the designated workstations and the backlogged orders in the order pool. Or, it is possible to determine whether to adjust the order diversion scheme based on the inventory of goods in the diversion area and the backlogged orders in the order pool.

[0050] Through the embodiments of the present disclosure, a dynamic order diversion scheme is provided. On the one hand, it can dynamically adjust the diverted goods and diverted orders according to the actual order placement situation in the second stage, making the diversion more accurate. On the other hand, it can try to consider the outbound and inbound capabilities (its own production capacity) of the multi-shuttle system itself, and transfer some best-selling products to the diversion area in advance. Thus, it is possible to reduce the production capacity consumption brought to the multi-shuttle system due to the diversion of goods and orders in the second stage.

[0051] As an optional embodiment, in the second stage (such as during the promotion), it is possible to determine whether to adjust the order diversion scheme every preset time period (such as every 5 minutes) based on at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstations and the inventory of goods in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders in the order pool.

[0052] Exemplarily, such as Figure 3As shown, in the second stage (such as during a promotion), real-time monitoring can be carried out, and the dynamic order diversion scheme adjustment process is triggered every 5 minutes.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, by dynamically adjusting the order diversion scheme, the production capacity of the multi-shuttle system can be saved more precisely. Overall, it can ensure more efficient production during the promotion period, and at the same time, it can save the cost consumption caused by excessive diversion.

[0054] As an optional embodiment, operation S203 may include: if the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area can meet all the orders related to the first good in the current backlogged orders in the order pool, then continue to use the order diversion scheme used in the first stage in the second stage. That is, in the second stage, continue to output the orders related to the first good to the preset diversion area for goods picking, and at the same time, continue to output the orders related to other goods to the designated workstations for goods picking.

[0055] Specifically, the current backlogged orders in the order pool and the current inventory of goods in the diversion area can be checked. If the current inventory of goods in the diversion area can fully meet the demand for the first good in the current backlogged orders, then all the orders related to the first good can be diverted to the diversion area for goods picking, and the remaining orders continue to be allocated to the workstations in the multi-shuttle system for waiting for production. Further, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orders in the order pool and the inventory of goods in the diversion area can also be updated in real time to facilitate subsequent dynamic adjustment of the order diversion scheme.

[0056] Further, as another optional embodiment, the method may further include: if the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area cannot meet all the orders related to the first good in the backlogged orders, then replenish the goods warehouse in the preset diversion area and continue to use the order diversion scheme used in the first stage in the second stage.

[0057] That is, in the case where the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area cannot meet all the orders related to the first good in the backlogged orders in the order pool, one implementation is to continue to use the order diversion scheme used in the first stage in the second stage, but it is necessary to replenish the goods warehouse in the preset diversion area.

[0058] Exemplarily, referring back Figure 1A , a certain quantity of the first good can be transported from the warehousing operation environment 101 to the goods warehouse 102. Or, referring back Figure 1B , a certain quantity of the first good can be transported from the warehousing operation environment 101 to the diversion area 104 until the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area can meet all the orders related to the first good in the backlogged orders.

[0059] In addition, when the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area cannot meet all the orders associated with the first good in the backlogged orders, another implementation is to dynamically adjust the order diversion plan.

[0060] Specifically, as an optional embodiment, the method may further include: if the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area cannot meet all the orders associated with the first good in the backlogged orders in the order pool, the following operations may be performed.

[0061] Calculate the current production capacity C of the designated workstation according to the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation e .

[0062] Calculate the current quantity Q of goods to be picked according to the current backlogged orders in the order pool.

[0063] If Q ≤ C e , then in the second stage, adjust the order diversion plan according to the following process: according to the current inventory of goods in the preset diversion area, output some of the orders associated with the first good in the current backlogged orders to the preset diversion area for goods picking; output the remaining orders other than the aforementioned partial orders in all the orders associated with the first good in the current backlogged orders to the designated workstation for goods picking; at the same time, continue to output the orders associated with other goods to the designated workstation for goods picking.

[0064] Exemplarily, the current interval duration T from the end time of production can be viewed e (such as the current interval duration from the end time of the promotion event), and according to the average unit time picking efficiency E of each workstation (such as pieces per day, other metrics such as order volume can also be used here, but need to correspond to the estimated product situation below), and the number of workstations N enabled during the promotion period, calculate the production capacity C of the multi-shuttle system in the remaining time as e = E·N·T e . At the same time, the total number of pieces of goods covered by the current backlogged orders in the order pool can also be viewed and recorded as Q. If Q ≤ C at this time e , it indicates that the production capacity of the multi-shuttle system is relatively sufficient at this time. In this case, during the promotion period (the second stage), there is no need to newly select goods and bins for diversion, and production can continue normally according to the previous order diversion plan.

[0065] It should be understood that the order diversion plan provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used for order diversion in the commodity promotion scenario. In addition, it can also be used for order diversion in other scenarios, such as the order diversion scenario set artificially.

[0066] It should also be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, for the sake of simplicity, it can be considered that there is only one wave throughout the day (this usually also conforms to the characteristics of wave setting during promotions). If there are multiple waves during promotions or usually, then the production capacity judgment and order diversion here (in this embodiment) and below (in other embodiments) need to perform corresponding order diversion adjustments for each wave separately according to the logic here (in this embodiment).

[0067] As an alternative embodiment, operation S203 may include the following operations.

[0068] Calculate the current production capacity C of the designated workstation according to the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation e .

[0069] Calculate the quantity Q of goods to be picked currently according to the orders backlogged in the order pool.

[0070] If Q ≤ C e , then continue to use the order diversion plan used in the first stage in the second stage.

[0071] Exemplarily, the remaining time interval T from the current time to the end of production can be checked e (such as the remaining time interval from the current time to the end of the promotion event), and according to the average unit time picking efficiency E of each workstation (such as pieces per day, other indicators such as the order volume can also be used here, but it needs to correspond to the estimated commodity situation below), and the number N of workstations enabled during the promotion period, calculate the production capacity C of the multi-shuttle system within the remaining time as e = E·N·T e . At the same time, the total number of pieces of goods covered by the orders backlogged in the current order pool can also be checked and recorded as Q. If Q ≤ C e , it indicates that the production capacity of the multi-shuttle system is relatively sufficient at this time. In this case, during the promotion period (the second stage), there is no need to newly select goods and bins for diversion, and production can continue normally according to the previous order diversion plan.

[0072] It should be understood that the order diversion plan provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used for order diversion in the scenario of commodity promotions. In addition, it can also be used for order diversion in other scenarios, such as the order diversion scenario set artificially.

[0073] It should also be understood that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, for the sake of simplicity, it can be considered that there is only one wave throughout the day (this usually also conforms to the characteristics of wave setting during promotions). If there are multiple waves during promotions or usually, then the production capacity judgment and order diversion here (in this embodiment) and below (in other embodiments) need to perform corresponding order diversion adjustments for each wave separately according to the logic here (in this embodiment).

[0074] Further, as another alternative embodiment, the method may further include, if Q > C e , then in the second stage, adjust the order diversion plan as follows.

[0075] Continue to output the orders associated with the first item to the preset diversion area for item picking.

[0076] Screen out the second item from other items (items other than the first item among all items).

[0077] Also output the orders associated with the second item to the preset diversion area for item picking.

[0078] In addition, output the orders associated with the remaining items (items other than the second item among the aforementioned other items) to the designated workstation for item picking.

[0079] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, if Q > C at this time e , it indicates that the current production capacity of the multi-shuttle system is insufficient, and it is necessary to select other best-selling products and divert them to the preset diversion area for item picking.

[0080] Through the embodiment of the present disclosure, the current production capacity of the multi-shuttle system can be monitored in real time, and the order diversion plan can be dynamically adjusted according to its actual production capacity, which can avoid excessive backlog of orders in the order pool and thus improve the user experience.

[0081] Further, as another alternative embodiment, screening out the second item from other items includes the following operations.

[0082] Based on the difference between the current quantity Q of items to be picked and the current production capacity C of the designated workstation e (for example, it can be based on the formula D = K·(Q - C e ), where K ≥ 1, and K is an empirical parameter), calculate the quantity D of items to be diverted.

[0083] Determine all item types covered in the backlogged orders and the demand for each type of item.

[0084] Determine the other item types and the demand for each type of item covered in all orders associated with the first item among the backlogged orders except for the first item.

[0085] Based on the quantity D of items to be diverted and the determined item types and the demand for each type of item, screen out the second item from other items.

[0086] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the items that need to be diverted to the preset diversion area again can be screened according to the following process:

[0087] A. Denote the number of items of the goods to be diverted as D = K·(Q - C e ), where K ≥ 1 (for example, K can be taken as 1.3, indicating that more goods can be diverted this time to avoid the need for adjustment in each round of dynamic diversion by the system).

[0088] B. Initialize the set of alternative goods

[0089] C. Check the orders that can be partially covered by the inventory of goods in the diversion area, and add the goods that are currently in demand but not in the diversion area in these orders to the set Ω.

[0090] D. Check the goods in demand in the orders to be produced in the current order pool, and sort them in descending order according to the total number of items R s currently required for each type of goods in demand s, and add the top K goods to the set Ω, where:

[0091]

[0092] where S k represents the set of the top K goods.

[0093] It should be understood that the "total number of items" mentioned above can also be replaced by the corresponding order quantity if the production capacity, etc. was considered in terms of order quantity before.

[0094] E. Re - sort the goods in the set Ω in descending order according to the total number of items R s of the goods in demand in the current order pool corresponding to each of them, and select them one by one in descending order until the selected goods (which can be considered to have sufficient inventory temporarily) together with the existing inventory in the diversion area can completely meet all the orders that need to be diverted to the diversion area, or the total number of items out of storage exceeds (Q - C e ) or D, or all the goods in the set Ω have been selected.

[0095] It should be noted that if the situation of "all the goods in the set Ω have been selected" occurs, it means that these goods and the inventory in the diversion area can only meet part of the orders, and the un - included part of the orders related to these goods and the goods in the diversion area can also be selected.

[0096] F. According to the newly selected goods (which can be considered to have sufficient inventory temporarily) and the existing goods inventory in the diversion area, determine the orders that can be diverted and denote them as the set O, divert the orders in the set O to the diversion area, and at the same time calculate the total number of items in demand for each type of goods s ∈ S N corresponding to these orders, and denote it as

[0097] G. For S NFor each commodity s, locate the bin according to the following process and divert the located bins to the diversion area:

[0098] a. Check all the in-stock bins of commodity s in the warehouse.

[0099] b. Sort these bins in ascending order of the current backlog of outbound tasks in the storage aisle, ascending order of the outbound tasks on the floor where the bins are located, and descending order of the inventory quantity in the bins.

[0100] It should be noted that different sorting criteria can also be adopted here. For example, when giving priority to emptying the bins, they can be sorted in ascending order of the inventory quantity. Additionally, if it is a double-deep rack, the outer and unobstructed bins can be given priority for location, etc.

[0101] c. Select bins one by one until the total number of pieces in the selected bins is greater than or equal to where ρ > 1 indicates that some more commodities can be carried out, so that subsequent orders can continue to be diverted.

[0102] d. Assign these selected bins to the outbound handling tasks for outbound to the diversion area.

[0103] As an alternative embodiment, the method may further include: determining the first type of goods.

[0104] Where determining the first type of goods may include the following operations.

[0105] Estimate the picking efficiency of the designated workstation.

[0106] Based on the estimated picking efficiency value of the designated workstation, calculate the estimated production capacity C of the designated workstation in the second stage.

[0107] Estimate the sales volume of each type of goods in the second stage.

[0108] According to the estimated production capacity C and the estimated sales volume of each type of goods, determine the first type of goods from each type of goods, such that the estimated sales volume Q of the first type of goods in the second stage < C × β, where β ≥ 1.

[0109] Exemplarily, before the promotion period, some commodities can be selected in advance and diverted to the diversion area according to the following process (this can reduce the impact of rediversion during the promotion period on the production capacity of equipment such as multi-shuttle cars and elevators. The commodities selected in advance may not be accurate, but the order diversion solution provided in this case can be dynamically adjusted and corrected during the promotion period):

[0110] A. Calculate the total production capacity C = E · N · T of the multi-shuttle car system during the promotion period based on the average unit-time picking efficiency (such as pieces per day) E of the peak-period workstations, the number N of workstations opened during the promotion period, and the working hours T W in the past period of time.W 。

[0111] It should be noted that the efficient picking efficiency of the workstation is considered here. Of course, for the sake of conservatism, the average picking efficiency of all time periods can also be used.

[0112] B. Calculate the average daily outbound quantity q of each commodity s according to the order data in the past period. s , and calculate the sales volume Q of this commodity s during the promotion period according to the estimated sales volume growth multiple α during the promotion period. s = q s ·α.

[0113] C. Sort all commodities in descending order according to Q s , and select them one by one in descending order until the cumulative estimated sales volume of the remaining commodities is less than the total production capacity C·β, where β≥1, which means that we select relatively fewer (that is, more conservative) commodities to divert in advance before the promotion to avoid excessive diversion in advance, resulting in sufficient production capacity of the multi-shuttle system during the promotion, that is, the production capacity cannot be fully utilized.

[0114] D. For each diverted commodity s, the diverted quantity can be Q s ·(1 - γ), where γ∈[0, 1] is the normal merging ratio of this commodity, and at the same time ensure that there is still a part of the inventory of this commodity in the multi-shuttle system. After that, if there is an order at the workstation that requires both this commodity and other non-diverted commodities in the goods warehouse of the multi-shuttle system, the order can be assigned to the workstation for production to reduce merging.

[0115] Figure 4 Schematically shows a block diagram of an order diversion device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0116] As Figure 4 shown, the order diversion device 400 includes a diversion module 401 and an adjustment module 402.

[0117] The diversion module 401 is configured to output, in a first stage, an order associated with a first item to a preset diversion area for item picking, and output an order associated with other items to a designated workstation for item picking.

[0118] The adjustment module 402 is configured to determine whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders in a second stage after the first stage.

[0119] As an alternative embodiment, the adjustment module is further configured to, in the second stage, determine whether to adjust the order diversion plan at each preset time interval according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the specified workstation, the inventory of goods in the preset diversion area, and the backlogged orders.

[0120] As an alternative embodiment, the adjustment module is further configured to: if the inventory of goods can satisfy all the orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders, continue to use the order diversion plan used in the first stage in the second stage.

[0121] As an alternative embodiment, the device may further include: a processing module, configured to, if the inventory of goods cannot satisfy all the orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders, replenish the goods warehouse in the preset diversion area and continue to use the order diversion plan used in the first stage in the second stage.

[0122] As an alternative embodiment, the processing module is further configured to: if the inventory of goods cannot satisfy all the orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders, calculate the current production capacity C of the specified workstation according to the picking efficiency e ; calculate the quantity of goods to be picked currently Q according to the backlogged orders; if Q ≤ C e then, in the second stage, adjust the order diversion plan as follows: output some of the all orders to the preset diversion area for picking goods according to the inventory of goods; output the remaining orders other than the some orders in the all orders to the specified workstation for picking goods; and continue to output the orders associated with other goods to the specified workstation for picking goods.

[0123] As an alternative embodiment, the adjustment module is further configured to: calculate the current production capacity C of the specified workstation according to the picking efficiency e ; calculate the quantity of goods to be picked currently Q according to the backlogged orders; and if Q ≤ C e then, continue to use the order diversion plan used in the first stage in the second stage.

[0124] As an alternative embodiment, the processing module is further configured to: if Q > C e then, in the second stage, adjust the order diversion plan as follows: output the orders associated with the first item to the preset diversion area for picking goods; screen out the second item from the other goods; also output the orders associated with the second item to the preset diversion area for picking goods; output the orders associated with the remaining goods to the specified workstation for picking goods.

[0125] As an alternative embodiment, the processing module is further configured to: based on the formula D = K · (Q - Ce ), calculate the quantity D of goods to be diverted, where K ≥ 1; determine all the types of goods covered in the backlogged order and the demand for each type of goods; determine the types of other goods other than the first good covered in all the orders associated with the first good in the backlogged order and the demand for each type of goods; based on the quantity D of goods to be diverted and the determined types of goods and the demand for each type of goods, screen out the second good from the other goods.

[0126] As an optional embodiment, the processing module is further configured to: determine the first good. Specifically, the processing module is further configured to: estimate the picking efficiency of the designated workstation; calculate the expected production capacity C of the designated workstation in the second stage based on the estimated value of the picking efficiency of the designated workstation; estimate the sales volume of each type of goods in the second stage; and determine the first good from each type of goods according to the expected production capacity C and the estimated sales volume of each type of goods, so that the estimated sales volume Q of the first good in the second stage < C × β, where β ≥ 1.

[0127] It should be noted that the embodiments of the apparatus part of the present disclosure correspond to the embodiments of the method part of the present disclosure and are the same or similar. For the description of the embodiments of the apparatus part, please specifically refer to the description of the embodiments of the method part, and will not be repeated here.

[0128] Any one or more of the modules according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, or at least part of the functions of any one or more of them, can be implemented in one module. Any one or more of the modules, sub-modules, units, and sub-units according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be split into multiple modules to be implemented. Any one or more of the modules according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be at least partially implemented as a hardware circuit, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), a system on chip, a system on a substrate, a system in a package, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or can be implemented by any other reasonable way of integrating or packaging circuits in hardware or firmware, or implemented in any one of the three implementation manners of software, hardware, and firmware, or in an appropriate combination of any several of them. Alternatively, one or more of the modules, sub-modules, units, and sub-units according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be at least partially implemented as a computer program module, and when the computer program module is run, the corresponding functions can be executed.

[0129] For example, any number of the shunt module 401 and the adjustment module 402 can be combined and implemented in one module / unit / sub-unit, or any one of the modules / units / sub-units can be split into multiple modules / units / sub-units. Alternatively, at least part of the functions of one or more of these modules / units / sub-units can be combined with at least part of the functions of other modules / units / sub-units and implemented in one module / unit / sub-unit. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the shunt module 401 and the adjustment module 402 can be at least partially implemented as a hardware circuit, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), a system on chip, a system on a substrate, a system in a package, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other reasonable way of integrating or packaging circuits, etc., implemented by hardware or firmware, or implemented in any one or a suitable combination of the three implementation manners of software, hardware, and firmware. Alternatively, at least one of the shunt module 401 and the adjustment module 402 can be at least partially implemented as a computer program module, and when the computer program module is run, corresponding functions can be executed.

[0130] Figure 5 Schematically shows a block diagram of an electronic device suitable for implementing the order shunting method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The shown electronic device is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functions and usage scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0131] As Figure 5 shown, the electronic device 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processor 501, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read only memory (ROM) 502 or the program loaded from the storage section 508 into the random access memory (RAM) 503. The processor 501 can include, for example, a general microprocessor (such as a CPU), an instruction set processor, and / or a related chip set, and / or a dedicated microprocessor (such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), etc. The processor 501 can also include on-board memory for caching purposes. The processor 501 can include a single processing unit or multiple processing units for performing different actions of the method flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] In the RAM 503, various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 500 are stored. The processor 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503 are connected to each other via a bus 504. The processor 501 performs various operations of the method flow according to the embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the programs in the ROM 502 and / or the RAM 503. It should be noted that the programs may also be stored in one or more memories other than the ROM 502 and the RAM 503. The processor 501 may also perform various operations of the method flow according to the embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the programs stored in the one or more memories.

[0133] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 500 may further include an input / output (I / O) interface 505, and the input / output (I / O) interface 505 is also connected to the bus 504. The electronic device 500 may further include one or more of the following components connected to the I / O interface 505: an input portion 506 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output portion 507 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc. and a speaker, etc.; a storage portion 508 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication portion 509 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication portion 509 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 510 is also connected to the I / O interface 505 as needed. A removable medium 511, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 510 as needed so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage portion 508 as needed.

[0134] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method flow according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program includes program codes for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program may be downloaded and installed from a network via the communication portion 509, and / or installed from the removable medium 511. When the computer program is executed by the processor 501, the above functions defined in the system according to the embodiments of the present disclosure are executed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-described systems, devices, apparatuses, modules, units, etc. may be implemented by computer program modules.

[0135] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may be included in the devices / apparatuses / systems described in the above embodiments; or may exist separately without being assembled into the devices / apparatuses / systems. The above computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed, the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is implemented.

[0136] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may be a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. For example, it may include but is not limited to: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program, and the program may be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0137] For example, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the computer-readable storage medium may include one or more memories other than the ROM 502 and / or the RAM 503 and / or the ROM 502 and the RAM 503 described above.

[0138] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architectures, functions, and operations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, a program segment, or a part of code, and the above module, program segment, or part of code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks shown may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagram or flowchart, and the combinations of blocks in the block diagram or flowchart, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system for performing the specified functions or operations, or may be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0139] Those skilled in the art can understand that the features recited in the various embodiments and / or claims of the present disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly recited in the present disclosure. In particular, without departing from the spirit and teachings of the present disclosure, the features recited in the various embodiments and / or claims of the present disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0140] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Although the embodiments have been described separately above, this does not mean that the measures in each embodiment cannot be used advantageously in combination. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art can make various substitutions and modifications, and these substitutions and modifications should all fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An order diversion method, comprising: Determining a first item; In a first stage, outputting the orders associated with the first item to a preset diversion area for item picking, and outputting the orders associated with other items to a designated workstation for item picking; And In a second stage after the first stage, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders; Wherein, the determining of the first item includes: Estimating the picking efficiency of the designated workstation; Based on the estimated value of the picking efficiency of the designated workstation, calculating the expected production capacity C of the designated workstation in the second stage; Estimating the sales volume of each type of item in the item warehouse in the second stage; According to the expected production capacity C and the expected sales volume of each type of item, determining the first item from each type of item such that the expected sales volume Q of the first item in the second stage < C×β, where β≥1, including: sorting the expected sales volume of each type of item from high to low, and according to the sorting result, selecting the items in each type of item as the other items one by one until the sum of the cumulative expected sales volume of the unselected items is less than C×β, and determining the unselected items as the first item.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: In the second stage, at every preset time period, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders includes: If the item inventory can satisfy all the orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders, then continue to use the order diversion plan used in the first stage in the second stage.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: If the item inventory cannot satisfy all the orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders, then replenish the item warehouse in the preset diversion area and continue to use the order diversion plan used in the first stage in the second stage.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: If the item inventory cannot satisfy all the orders associated with the first item in the backlogged orders, Calculate the current production capacity C of the specified workstation according to the picking efficiency e ; Calculating the quantity Q of the items to be picked currently according to the backlogged orders; If Q ≤ C e , then in the second stage, adjust the order diversion plan as follows: According to the item inventory, outputting some of the orders in all the orders to the preset diversion area for item picking; Outputting the remaining orders in all the orders except the some orders to the designated workstation for item picking; And Continuing to output the orders associated with other items to the designated workstation for item picking.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the item inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders includes: Calculate the current production capacity C of the specified workstation according to the picking efficiency e ; Calculate the quantity Q of goods to be picked currently according to the backlogged orders; and If Q ≤ C e , then continue to use the order diversion scheme used in the first stage in the second stage.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: If Q > C e , then in the second stage, adjust the order diversion plan as follows: Output the orders associated with the first goods to the preset diversion area for goods picking; Screen out second goods from the other goods; Also output the orders associated with the second goods to the preset diversion area for goods picking; Output the orders associated with the remaining goods to the designated workstation for goods picking.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The screening out of the second goods from the other goods includes: Based on the difference between the quantity of goods Q and the production capacity C e calculate the quantity of goods D to be diverted; Determine all the goods types covered in the backlogged orders and the demand quantity of each type of goods; Determine the other goods types and the demand quantity of each type of goods other than the first goods covered in all the orders associated with the first goods in the backlogged orders; Based on the quantity D of goods to be diverted and the determined goods types and the demand quantity of each type of goods, screen out the second goods from the other goods.

9. An order diversion device, comprising: A processing module for determining the first goods; A diversion module for, in a first stage, outputting the orders associated with the first goods to a preset diversion area for goods picking and outputting the orders associated with other goods to a designated workstation for goods picking; And An adjustment module for, in a second stage after the first stage, determining whether to adjust the order diversion plan according to at least one of the current picking efficiency of the designated workstation and the goods inventory in the preset diversion area and the backlogged orders; Wherein, the determining of the first goods includes: Estimate the picking efficiency of the designated workstation; Based on the estimated value of the picking efficiency of the designated workstation, calculate the expected production capacity C of the designated workstation in the second stage; Estimate the sales volume of each type of goods in the goods warehouse in the second stage; Determine the first goods from the various types of goods according to the expected production capacity C and the expected sales volume of each type of goods, such that the expected sales volume Q of the first goods in the second stage < C×β, where β≥1, including: sorting the expected sales volume of each type of goods from high to low, and according to the sorting result, selecting the goods in each type of goods as the other goods one by one until the cumulative sum of the expected sales volume of the unselected goods is less than C×β, and determining the unselected goods as the first goods.

10. An electronic device, comprising: One or more processors; A memory for storing one or more programs, Wherein, when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, on which executable instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the processor implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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