Apparatus, method and recording medium storing instruction for managing logistics in fulfillment center

Abstract

This invention provides an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more memories storing commands to be executed by the one or more processors. The apparatus can be configured such that, when executing the commands, the one or more processors: receive first information from a worker's terminal performing an inbound operation, the first information being used to identify target goods inbound to a fulfillment center; based on the first information and the outbound volume of the target goods from the fulfillment center within a predetermined period, determine the target area for displaying the target goods as either a first area or a second area within the fulfillment center, generate second information indicating the target area, and transmit it to the worker's terminal. The first area may be an area where picking and packing operations are performed, the picking operation involving moving goods displayed on a shelf to a packing station, and the packing operation involving packing goods at the packing station; the second area may be an area where packing operations are not performed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing the logistics of a fulfillment center, comprising: The device comprises one or more processors and one or more memories storing commands to be executed by the processors. When executing the commands, the processors perform the following: receive first information from a terminal of a worker performing an inbound operation, the first information being used to identify target goods received into the fulfillment center; based on the first information and the outbound volume of the target goods from the fulfillment center within a predetermined period, determine the target area for displaying the target goods as either area 1 or area 2 within the fulfillment center; generate second information instructing the target area and transmit it to the worker terminal; the first area is an area for picking and packing operations, the picking operation involving moving goods displayed on a shelf to a packing station, and the packing operation involving packing goods at the packing station. The aforementioned second area is an area where packaging operations are not performed; and one or more of the aforementioned processors are configured such that, when determining the aforementioned target area, the target area is determined to be either the aforementioned first area or the aforementioned second area based on whether the aforementioned outbound quantity is above a first benchmark value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information is generated as a result of scanning the identification code used to identify the target product in the operator's terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 is configured such that, when determining the target area, the one or more processors perform the following: In response to determining that the outbound quantity is greater than or equal to a first reference value, a first quantity is determined, which is the quantity of the target goods to be displayed in the first area; a second quantity is determined to be less than the first quantity, which is the quantity of the target goods already displayed in the first area; and in response to determining that the second quantity is less than the first quantity, the target area is determined as the first area.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 is configured such that, when determining the first quantity, the processor or more processors perform the following: determining whether the outbound quantity is greater than or equal to a second reference value, wherein the second reference value is greater than the first reference value; in response to determining that the outbound quantity is greater than or equal to the second reference value, determining the first quantity as a first value; in response to determining that the outbound quantity is not greater than or equal to the second reference value, determining the first quantity as a second value less than the first value.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 is configured such that, when determining the target area, the one or more processors determine the target area as the second area in response to determining that the second quantity is not less than the first quantity.

6. The device as described in claim 3 is configured such that the above-mentioned one or more processors transmit the third information indicating the first quantity and the second quantity to the operator terminal.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 is configured such that, when determining the target area, the processors of the above-mentioned one or more processors: in response to determining that the outbound quantity is greater than or equal to a first reference value, determine whether the inventory of the target goods in the second area is less than a predetermined third quantity; in response to determining that the inventory of the target goods in the second area is less than the third quantity, determine the target area as the second area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, configured such that, when determining the target area, one or more processors perform the following: In response to determining that the outbound quantity is above a first benchmark value, a minimum inventory quantity is determined, which is the minimum quantity of the target goods to be displayed in the first area; a second quantity is determined to be less than the minimum inventory quantity, which is the quantity of the target goods already displayed in the first area; in response to determining that the second quantity is less than the minimum inventory quantity, the target area is determined as the first area.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 is configured such that, when determining the minimum inventory level, one or more processors perform the following: calculate the average daily outbound volume of the target product within the predetermined period based on the outbound volume; and determine the minimum inventory level based on the average daily outbound volume.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 is configured such that, in response to determining that the outbound quantity of the target commodity is not above the first benchmark value, the target area is defined as the second area.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the first region, the display stand and the packaging workbench are disposed on one floor of the fulfillment center.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the second area is an area in which goods are picked by an automated guided vehicle.

13. A method for managing logistics in a fulfillment center, implemented in a device including one or more processors and one or more memories storing commands to be executed by the one or more processors, comprising the following steps: the one or more processors: receiving first information from a worker's terminal performing an inbound operation, the first information being used to identify target goods inbound to the fulfillment center; based on the first information and the outbound volume of the target goods from the fulfillment center within a predetermined period, determining a target area for displaying the target goods as either a first area or a second area within the fulfillment center; and generating second information indicating the target area and transmitting it to the worker's terminal; the first area being an area where picking and packing operations are performed, the picking operation being the movement of goods displayed on a display stand to a packing workstation, and the packing operation being the packing of goods on the packing workstation; the second area being an area where packing operations are not performed; and wherein the step of determining the target area includes the following steps: Based on whether the above outbound volume is above the first benchmark value, the above target area is determined to be either the first area or the second area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first information is generated as a result of scanning the identification code used to identify the target product in the operator's terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the target area comprises the following steps: determining a first quantity in response to determining that the outbound quantity is above a first benchmark value, the first quantity being the quantity of the target goods to be displayed in the first area; determining whether a second quantity is less than the first quantity, the second quantity being the quantity of the target goods already displayed in the first area; and determining the target area as the first area in response to determining that the second quantity is less than the first quantity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining the first quantity comprises the following steps: determining whether the outbound quantity is greater than or equal to a second benchmark value, wherein the second benchmark value is greater than the first benchmark value; in response to determining that the outbound quantity is greater than or equal to the second benchmark value, determining the first quantity as a first value; and in response to determining that the outbound quantity is not greater than or equal to the second benchmark value, determining the first quantity as a second value less than the first value.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining the target area includes the following steps: in response to determining that the second quantity is not less than the first quantity, determining the target area as the second area.

18. A computer-readable recording medium, being a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform actions, wherein the commands are configured such that the one or more processors: receive first information from a personnel terminal of a personnel performing a receiving operation, the first information being used to identify target goods received into a fulfillment center; based on the first information and the outbound quantity of the target goods from the fulfillment center within a predetermined period, determine a target area for displaying the target goods as either a first area or a second area within the fulfillment center; generate second information instructing the target area and transmit it to the personnel terminal; wherein the first area is an area for picking and packing operations, the picking operation being the movement of goods displayed on a display stand to a packing workstation, and the packing operation being the packing of goods at the packing workstation. The aforementioned second area is an area where packaging operations are not carried out; and when determining the aforementioned target area, the aforementioned target area is determined to be either the aforementioned first area or the aforementioned second area based on whether the aforementioned outbound volume is above the first benchmark value.

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