Optimizing order fulfillment processes

Abstract

A method of order fulfillment at a fulfillment center includes: identifying, from a list of unfulfilled orders at a fulfillment center, a plurality of item retrieval routes associated with order-items in the fulfillment center, where each item retrieval route represents a route for a collection device configured to collect corresponding one or more order-items and is determined based on information associated with the collection device; determining, based on a number of collection containers and a number of assigned item retrieval routes assigned, a remaining capacity of the collection device; determining, based on the remaining capacity and the list of unfulfilled orders, a set of candidate storage areas each including item retrieval routes from which at least a subset of the unfulfilled orders may be collected; determining a distance metric for each area; and assigning, to the particular collection device, one of the candidate storage areas based on the distance metrics.

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