Electronic device for determining item-scrapping reason, and method therefor

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, the disclosed method by which an electronic device processes information comprises the steps of: obtaining unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item; linking, with the unique code information, log information related to processing of the item supplied from a fulfillment center in response to the order request, and recording same; and, if the item is scrapped, determining an item-scrapping reason on the basis of the unique code information and the log information.

Description

Electronic device and method for determining the reason for scrapping an item

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and method for determining the reason for scrapping an item. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an electronic device and method for obtaining unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item, recording log information related to the processing of an item supplied to a fulfillment center in conjunction with the unique code information, and determining the reason for scrapping based on the unique code information and log information when an item is scrapped.

[0002] With the advancement of electronic technology, e-commerce has become a distinct form of shopping. Customers can purchase items online without having to visit a physical shopping mall or market, and items purchased online are delivered to the customer's requested address.

[0003] With the rapid expansion of e-commerce, online transactions are becoming more common for items with short shelf lives, such as fresh produce, flowers, feed, and other living things. Because these items have a short shelf life, misestimating demand can lead to a large number of items exceeding their shelf life and becoming scrapped.

[0004] Traditionally, when an item was scrapped, the cause was often attributed to an error in item demand forecasting, and the scrapping was often addressed by lowering the expected demand for future items. However, in addition to incorrect demand forecasting, there are various other reasons for item scrapping, such as issues in the item processing process (e.g., longer than expected unloading and display times for supplied items) or quality issues (e.g., items spoiling due to improper storage methods). Therefore, accurately identifying the reasons for scrapping is essential to effectively reduce the amount of item scrapped.

[0005] However, various factors interact in a complex manner during the process of preparing and shipping items, and the number of items processed at fulfillment centers is significant, making it difficult to determine the exact reason for scrapping each item.

[0006] In this regard, reference can be made to prior literature such as KR101974882B1 and KR101308620B1.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present embodiment is to provide an electronic device and method for obtaining unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item, recording log information related to the processing of an item supplied to a fulfillment center in response to the order request in conjunction with the unique code information, and determining the reason for scrapping an item based on the unique code information and log information when the item is scrapped, in order to solve the above-described problem.

[0008] The technical tasks to be achieved by this embodiment are not limited to the technical tasks described above, and other technical tasks can be inferred from the following examples.

[0009] A method for processing information in an electronic device according to one embodiment includes the steps of: obtaining unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item; recording log information related to processing of the item supplied to a fulfillment center in response to the order request in association with the unique code information; and, when the item is scrapped, determining a reason for scrapping the item based on the unique code information and the log information.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of obtaining the unique code information may include the step of obtaining information of the item; the step of obtaining time information corresponding to the order request; and the step of generating the unique code information based on the information of the item and the time information.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the step of obtaining the unique code information further includes one or more of the steps of obtaining expected quantity information of the item existing in the fulfillment center immediately before receiving the item; and the step of obtaining expected sales information of the item after receiving the item, wherein the electronic device can generate the unique code information further based on one or more of the expected quantity information and the expected sales information.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the information of the item may include one or more of information on the type of the item, information on the production time of the item, and information on the expiration date of the item.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the log information may include one or more of information on the production time of the item, information on the use period of the item, information on the display period of the item, information on the time of supplying the item, information on the time required to unload the item, information on the time required to display the item, and information on the scrap quantity of the item.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the method for processing the information may further include a step of determining whether the item is scrapped.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the step of determining whether the item is scrapped may include the step of checking the display period of the item by calculating back a set period from the use period of the item; and the step of determining whether the display period has expired.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the reason for scrapping may include the step of obtaining priority information set for each of a plurality of candidate reasons; and the step of identifying a candidate reason corresponding to the reason for scrapping among the plurality of candidate reasons based on the priority information.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the step of confirming a candidate reason corresponding to the scrap reason may include a step of determining whether a first candidate reason having the highest priority among one or more candidate reasons for which it has not been determined whether it corresponds to the scrap reason corresponds to the scrap reason; and, if the first candidate reason does not correspond to the scrap reason, a step of determining whether a second candidate reason having the second highest priority after the first candidate reason among one or more candidate reasons for which it has not been determined whether it corresponds to the scrap reason corresponds to the scrap reason.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the plurality of candidate reasons may include at least one of one or more reasons related to the quality of the item, one or more reasons related to the processing of the item, and one or more reasons related to the order request quantity of the item.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the one or more reasons related to the quality of the item may include one or more of reasons related to the production quality of the item and reasons related to the storage quality and transport quality of the item.

[0020] According to one embodiment, one or more reasons related to the processing of the item may include one or more of reasons related to the time at which the item is supplied, reasons related to the time required to unload the item, and reasons related to the time required to display the item.

[0021] According to one embodiment, one or more reasons related to the order request quantity of the item may include one or more of a reason related to a process of manually entering the order request quantity of the item, a reason related to a unit quantity for ordering the item, a reason related to obtaining information on the expected sales quantity of the item, and a reason related to obtaining information on the expected quantity of the item existing in the fulfillment center immediately before receiving the item.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the method for processing the information may further include a step of obtaining feedback information based on a reason for scrapping the item.

[0023] An electronic device for processing information according to an embodiment includes a memory for storing commands and a processor, wherein the processor is connected to the memory, obtains unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item, records log information related to processing of the item supplied to a fulfillment center in response to the order request in conjunction with the unique code information, and determines a reason for scrapping the item based on the unique code information and the log information when the item is scrapped.

[0024] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0025] According to the present disclosure, an electronic device and method for processing information can reduce the number of scrapped items by improving the efficiency and accuracy of determining the reason for scrapping an item.

[0026] In addition, according to the present disclosure, an electronic device and method for processing information can improve the overall process for providing services by accurately determining the reason for scrapping an item.

[0027] The effects of the invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item according to one embodiment.

[0029] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining the overall process of supplying and processing items according to one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation of an information processing method of an electronic device in a system for processing information to determine a reason for scrapping an item according to an embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram for exemplarily explaining an operation of determining a reason for scrapping an item based on unique code information and log information according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 5 is a drawing for exemplarily explaining unique code information according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0034] The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from widely used and common terms, taking into account the functions of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present disclosure.

[0035] When a part of the specification is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies the inclusion of other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part" and "module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0036] The expression “at least one of a, b, and c” described throughout the specification may encompass “a alone,” “b alone,” “c alone,” “a and b,” “a and c,” “b and c,” or “all of a, b, and c.”

[0037] The "terminal" mentioned below may be implemented as a computer or portable terminal that can connect to a server or other terminal via a network. Here, the computer includes, for example, a notebook, desktop, laptop, etc. equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal may include, for example, a wireless communication device that guarantees portability and mobility, and may include all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as communication-based terminals such as IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), smartphones, tablet PCs, etc.

[0038] Below, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0040] In describing the embodiments, descriptions of technical details that are well-known in the technical field to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention by omitting unnecessary explanations and to convey it more clearly.

[0041] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the dimensions of each component do not entirely reflect its actual size. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numbers.

[0042] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0043] At this time, it will be understood that each block of the processing flowchart drawings and combinations of the flowchart drawings can be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be installed in a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create a means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the functions in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item that includes an instruction means for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s). Since the computer program instructions may be installed on a computer or other programmable data processing device, a series of operational steps may be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to create a computer-executable process, and the instructions that cause the computer or other programmable data processing device to perform the steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s) may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0044] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that contains one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementation examples, the functions described in the blocks may occur out of order. For example, two blocks depicted in succession may actually be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on their respective functions.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item according to one embodiment.

[0046] According to various embodiments, a system (100) for processing information to determine a reason for scrapping an item includes an electronic device (110). Depending on the embodiment, the system (100) for processing information to determine a reason for scrapping an item may further include one or more of a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center and a device (130) of a vendor. In addition, the system (100) for processing information to determine a reason for scrapping an item may further include a customer's device or a delivery person's device, etc., and thus the configuration of the system (100) for processing information to determine a reason for scrapping an item is not limited by a specific embodiment.

[0047] For convenience of explanation, the following describes an embodiment in which a system (100) for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item includes an electronic device (110), a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center, and a vendor's device (130). However, the following description may be applied to various embodiments belonging to the present disclosure.

[0048] According to an embodiment, a system (100) for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item may further include a network that supports information transmission and reception between at least some of an electronic device (110), a device managed by a fulfillment center (120), a vendor's device (130), and other external devices.

[0049] Each of the electronic device (110), the device managed by the fulfillment center (120), and the vendor's device (130) may include a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. In addition, each of the electronic device (110), the device managed by the fulfillment center (120), and the vendor's device (130) refers to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Meanwhile, throughout the embodiments, the electronic device (110), the device managed by the fulfillment center (120), and the vendor's device (130) are each referred to as separate servers, but this may be a logically divided structure, and may be implemented by separate functions in one server.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110), the device managed by the fulfillment center (120), and the vendor's device (130) may include a plurality of computer systems or computer software implemented as network servers. For example, at least some of the electronic device (110), the device managed by the fulfillment center (120), and the vendor's device (130) may be connected to a lower-level device that can communicate with other network servers via a computer network such as an intranet or the Internet, and may refer to a computer system and computer software that receive a task execution request, performs the task accordingly, and provides the execution result. In addition, at least some of the electronic device (110), the device managed by the fulfillment center (120), and the vendor's device (130) may be understood as a broad concept that includes a series of application programs that can operate on a network server, and various databases built therein. For example, at least some of the electronic devices (110), devices managed by the fulfillment center (120), and devices of the vendor (130) may be implemented using network server programs provided in various ways according to operating systems such as DOS, Windows, Linux, UNIX, or MacOS.

[0051] The electronic device (110), the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center, and the vendor's device (130) may include a computer device, a mobile communication terminal, a server, etc. The electronic device (110), the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center, and the vendor's device (130) may include an input device such as a touchpad, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. for receiving an input, or may be connected to an input device. In addition, the electronic device (110), the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center, and the vendor's device (130) may include an output device such as a screen, a speaker, an interface device, etc. for providing information to the user, or may be connected to an output device. Furthermore, the input device and the output device of the electronic device (110), the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center, and the vendor's device (130) may be configured integrally or may be interrelated. For example, an interface for receiving an input may be displayed on at least one of the electronic device (110), the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center, and the vendor's device (130).

[0052] The electronic device (110) can process various types of information. For example, the electronic device (110) obtains unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item and records log information related to the processing of the item supplied to the fulfillment center in response to the order request, in conjunction with the unique code information. Furthermore, when an item is scrapped, the electronic device (110) determines the reason for the item's scrapping based on the unique code information and log information.

[0053] In this context, "scrap" can be understood to encompass a variety of actions that remove a displayed item from display. For example, scrapping includes, but is not limited to, discarding an item, and may also encompass various actions such as selling the item in another way (e.g., selling it to a pet food manufacturer) or utilizing the item for purposes other than sale (e.g., donating it to a daycare center before its expiration date).

[0054] An example of unique code information may include LPN (License Plate Number) information, but the unique code information according to the present disclosure is not limited to such examples.

[0055] In addition, the electronic device (110) according to an example may perform various operations, such as transmitting the determined scrap reason to a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center, transmitting an order request to a vendor's device (130), determining whether an item is scrapped, or obtaining feedback information based on the scrap reason for an item.

[0056] More detailed information regarding the operation of the electronic device (110) is described later in FIGS. 2 to 5, etc.

[0057] The device (120) managed by the fulfillment center may include various types of devices, including devices that are operated and managed by the fulfillment center itself, as well as terminals operated and managed by workers or managers working at the fulfillment center. The device (120) managed by the fulfillment center may perform functions related to a series of item processing performed at the fulfillment center. For example, the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center may obtain information on the display location of an item, obtain information on the display expiration date of an item, determine whether to scrap an item, and perform various functions, and further, may display information related to the functions performed through an output device such as a screen.

[0058] Tasks related to item processing may include various types of tasks, such as unloading items, inspecting items, displaying items, issuing items, delivering items, and scrapping items, and the scope of this disclosure should not be construed as being limited to a specific type of task.

[0059] Meanwhile, some of the functions described as being performed by the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center may also be performed by the electronic device (110), and further, the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center and the electronic device (110) may be implemented as a single device. For example, the electronic device (110) may perform functions related to the storage and display of items, or may determine whether to scrap an item.

[0060] It should be understood that the operations described below as being performed by a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center may also be performed by an electronic device (110) depending on the embodiment.

[0061] A vendor may correspond to an entity that supplies items such as food. The vendor's device (130) may be a device operated and managed by the vendor. The vendor's device (130) may receive user input from the vendor or the like, or receive information from an electronic device (110) or the like, and perform corresponding actions. For example, the vendor's device (130) may receive an order request for an item and transmit it to the vendor. It may also receive information such as whether the vendor has accepted the order request and the item supply schedule, and transmit the information to the electronic device (110).

[0062] The device (120) managed by the fulfillment center of the embodiment and the vendor's device (130) may be implemented in the form of installing an application on a smartphone or in the form of installing an application on a POS machine.

[0063] The operations related to a series of item sales information processing methods according to various embodiments may be implemented by a single physical device, or may be implemented in a manner in which multiple physical devices are organically combined. For example, some of the components included in the system (100) for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item may be implemented by a single physical device, and the remaining components may be implemented by other physical devices. For example, one physical device may be implemented as part of an electronic device (110), and the other physical device may be implemented as part of a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center or other external device. In some cases, each component included in the system (100) for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item may be distributed and arranged on different physical devices, and the distributed components may be organically combined to perform the functions and operations of the system (100) for processing information to determine the reason for scrapping an item. For example, the electronic device (110) of the present specification includes at least one sub-device, and some operations described as being performed by the electronic device (110) may be performed by a first sub-device, and other operations may be performed by a second sub-device.

[0064] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining the overall process of supplying and processing items according to one embodiment.

[0065] Referring to Figure 2 (200), when an order is placed according to an embodiment (201), the vendor can supply the item. The expression "placed order" may include, but is not limited to, cases where the vendor receives and approves the order request. For example, if a contract is automatically established simply by receiving the vendor's order request, the "placed order" may be considered "placed order" even without the vendor's approval.

[0066] The "time of production" in Drawing No. 202 may include the time at which the vendor produces the item. However, the vendor is not required to commence production of the item after the order is placed. Therefore, the "time of production" (202) should be broadly interpreted to include "the time at which the item is ready for supply," and may include, for example, the time at which a previously produced item is packaged.

[0067] The "time of supply" in drawing number 203 may include the time at which the item is supplied from the fulfillment center. The period between the production time (202) and the supply time (203) may correspond to the transport period of the item. In this regard, the "time of transport of the item" may include, in addition to the period of physically moving the item, the period of loading the item onto a vehicle, etc.

[0068] At a fulfillment center, items can be sold from the time of supply (203) until the display deadline (204 or 207). However, even after receiving an item, it takes time to prepare the item for sale, such as unloading and displaying it. Therefore, in reality, the sale period for an item may begin after the preparation period from the time of supply (203) has elapsed.

[0069] Meanwhile, the expression "displaying" an item should be understood as a broad expression that can include not only placing the item on the shelf in a state where the customer can immediately purchase it, but also storing the item in a state where it can be picked up.

[0070] When the display period of an item has expired, the item can no longer be displayed, and thus may become a target for scrapping. There may be various embodiments regarding methods for checking the display period. According to one embodiment, the display period of an item may be checked by calculating backwards a set period from the item's use period (205). In this regard, the item's use period (205) may correspond to a point in time after the period of availability (e.g., distribution period or consumption period) from the time the item was produced has elapsed. In this case, "when the item was produced" means the time when it was actually produced, and thus may be distinguished from the production time of drawing number 202, which can be broadly interpreted (of course, they may also be the same).

[0071] According to one embodiment, the first display expiration date (204) can be confirmed by calculating backwards the first period (206) set from the use expiration date (205). According to one embodiment, the second display expiration date (207) can be confirmed by calculating backwards the second period (208) set from the use expiration date (205). In this regard, the second period (208) may be shorter than the first period (206). In this way, in order to focus on minimizing the scrapping of items, scrapping may be performed according to the second display expiration date (207), or in order to focus on improving the quality of items being sold, scrapping may be performed according to the first display expiration date (204), and the method of checking the display expiration date may vary depending on the strategy related to service provision.

[0072] Meanwhile, in the case of the embodiment, both the first display period (204) and the second display period (207) may be used. For example, even after the first display period (204) has elapsed, the item may be sold until the second display period (207) has elapsed, but additional benefits (e.g., price discount benefits) may be provided to the customer during that period.

[0073] In the present disclosure, the electronic device (110) obtains unique code information (209) corresponding to an order request for an item, and when the supplied item is scrapped, determines the reason for scrapping based on the obtained unique code information (209). In this regard, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the unique code information (209) may be obtained when an order for an item is made (201); however, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various embodiments may exist, such as obtaining the unique code information (209) at the time of production (202) or obtaining the unique code information (209) at the time of supply (203).

[0074] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation of an information processing method of an electronic device in a system for processing information to determine a reason for scrapping an item according to an embodiment.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device (110) according to one embodiment obtains unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item (310). The order request for an item may be transmitted by the electronic device (110), or by a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center. Furthermore, various embodiments may exist regarding devices transmitting order requests.

[0076] Although the unique code information acquired by the electronic device (110) corresponds to a request for ordering an item, the time of acquisition does not necessarily have to match the time of requesting an order for the item, and this has also been described above in FIG. 2.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may obtain information about an item, obtain time information corresponding to an order request, and generate unique code information based on the information about the item and the time information corresponding to the order request. Depending on the embodiment, the electronic device (110) may also generate unique code information based on one of the information about the item and the time information corresponding to the order request (for example, based on the time information corresponding to the order request but not based on the information about the item).

[0078] Depending on the embodiment, the time information corresponding to the order request may correspond to the time information at which the order request was made, may correspond to the time information at which the vendor confirmed the order request, and may also include date information or specific hour / minute / second information, etc., and various embodiments may exist.

[0079] In addition to the time information corresponding to the order request, the time information, point in time information, and deadline information described throughout this disclosure may include date information, specific hour / minute / second information, and may also include week information, and various other embodiments may exist, and a specific embodiment does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0080] Information about an item according to an embodiment may include one or more of item type information, item production time information (including information about the production time (202) of FIG. 2), and item usage period information (including information about the item usage period (205) of FIG. 2). For convenience of explanation, the term "usage period information" is described, but this can be understood as a comprehensive concept that includes information such as the available period or available time, and the same may be true for various types of "usage period information" described below.

[0081] For example, item information may include information about the item's production time. In this case, even if items are supplied according to a single order, if the production times are different, the corresponding unique code information may differ. Note that in cases like this, where item information includes information about the item's production time, the acquisition time of the unique code information can be understood to correspond to or be a later point in time than the item's production time.

[0082] In addition to the time information corresponding to the item information and the order request, the electronic device (110) according to one embodiment may obtain at least one of the expected quantity information of the item existing in the fulfillment center immediately before receiving the item and the expected sales information of the item after receiving the item, and may further generate unique code information based on at least one of the expected quantity information and the expected sales information. The expected quantity information of the item existing in the fulfillment center may be received from a device (120) managed by the fulfillment center or may be obtained based on information received from the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, the operation of calculating the expected sales amount of the item may be performed by the electronic device (110), but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various embodiments may exist, such as obtaining the expected sales amount information by receiving a result calculated by the device (120) managed by the fulfillment center or another external device.

[0083] The electronic device (110) records log information related to the processing of items supplied to the fulfillment center in response to an order request, linked to unique code information (320). "Item processing" can be understood as a broad expression encompassing various operations performed with respect to an item after it is supplied to the fulfillment center until it is delivered to a customer or scrapped. For example, "item processing" can include operations such as unloading an item, determining a display location for the item, displaying the item, determining a delivery person to deliver the item, loading the item onto the delivery person's vehicle, and scrapping the item.

[0084] Log information related to the processing of an item may include one or more of information on the time of production of the item, information on the expiration date of the item, information on the display date of the item (including information on at least one of the first display date (204) and the second display date (207) of the item in FIG. 2), information on the time of supply of the item (including information on the time of supply (203) of the item in FIG. 2), information on the time required for unloading the item, information on the time required for displaying the item (the time required for unloading the item and the time required for displaying the item may be related to the preparation period in FIG. 2), and information on the scrap quantity of the item. In this way, although the log information is related to the processing of "items supplied to the fulfillment center," the information contained in the log information is not necessarily limited to information related to the time at which the item is supplied to the fulfillment center or a time thereafter, and may include various information such as the time of production or the expiration date of the item (this may be especially true if such information actually affects the processing of the item).

[0085] When an item is scrapped, the electronic device (110) determines the reason for scrapping the item based on unique code information and log information (330). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (110) can directly determine whether an item is scrapped. For example, the electronic device (110) can determine whether the item's display period has expired, and if so, determine the item as a target for scrapping.

[0086] In one example, the electronic device (110) can check the display expiration date of an item by calculating the set period from the item's expiration date and determine whether the display expiration date thus checked has expired. However, in some embodiments, such as when display expiration date information is received directly from the supplier's device (130), the electronic device (110) may not directly calculate the display expiration date.

[0087] In addition, in relation to the case of checking the display period of an item by calculating back the set period, the set period may be related to the first period (206) of FIG. 2, may be related to the second period (208) of FIG. 2, and in addition, the period may be set based on various factors such as the current situation of the fulfillment center, traffic conditions, and the type of item, etc., and various embodiments may exist.

[0088] Meanwhile, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to cases where the electronic device (110) directly determines whether an item is scrapped, and various embodiments related to the present disclosure may exist, such as, for example, receiving information on whether an item is scrapped from a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center or other external devices, depending on the embodiment.

[0089] An electronic device (110) according to an embodiment may obtain priority information set for each of a plurality of candidate reasons, and determine a reason for scrapping an item by identifying a candidate reason corresponding to a scrap reason among the plurality of candidate reasons based on the priority information. More specifically, the electronic device (110) may determine whether a first candidate reason with the highest priority among one or more candidate reasons for which it has not yet determined whether it corresponds to a scrap reason corresponds to a scrap reason, and if the first candidate reason does not correspond to a scrap reason, the electronic device may determine whether a second candidate reason with the second highest priority after the first candidate reason among one or more candidate reasons for which it has not yet determined whether it corresponds to a scrap reason corresponds to a scrap reason. By repeatedly performing this process, the electronic device (110) may sequentially determine whether a reason corresponds to a scrap reason in order of priority, and may terminate the determination operation upon identifying a candidate reason corresponding to a scrap reason.

[0090] An electronic device (110) according to one embodiment may acquire priority information set for a plurality of candidate reasons and, based on the priority information, identify a candidate reason corresponding to a scrap reason among the plurality of candidate reasons. In this regard, the plurality of candidate reasons according to one embodiment may include one or more of the following: one or more reasons related to the quality of an item, one or more reasons related to the processing of an item, and one or more reasons related to the quantity of an item to be ordered.

[0091] More specifically, one or more reasons related to the quality of an item may include one or more of the following: reasons related to the production quality of the item, and reasons related to the storage and transportation quality of the item. For example, scrap may result from poor or inconsistent production quality, or the item may deteriorate or be damaged during storage or transportation, even though the production quality was not an issue.

[0092] Additionally, one or more reasons related to the item's processing may include one or more of the following: a reason related to the time of item delivery, a reason related to the time required to unload the item, and a reason related to the time required to display the item. For example, one or more reasons related to the item's processing may include a misprediction of the item's delivery time, a longer-than-expected time required to unload the item, or a longer-than-expected time required to display the item.

[0093] In addition, one or more reasons related to the order request quantity of an item may include one or more of reasons related to the process of manually entering the order request quantity of an item, reasons related to the unit quantity for ordering an item, reasons related to obtaining information on the expected sales quantity of an item, and reasons related to obtaining information on the expected quantity of an item existing in the fulfillment center immediately before receiving the item. Reasons related to the process of manually entering the order quantity of an item may include, for example, a case where an order is requested for an inappropriate quantity of items in the process of an administrator manually adjusting the order request quantity obtained by a device, and a case where an order is requested for an inappropriate quantity of items in the process of an administrator directly entering the order request quantity (for example, adding an additional order after an order has been placed).

[0094] Reasons related to the unit quantity for ordering an item may include, for example, a case where an order request is made for a quantity greater than the expected sales quantity because the expected sales quantity of the item is less than the unit quantity for ordering (for example, if the expected sales quantity is 3 and the unit quantity for ordering is 5, 5 must be ordered), and a case where an order request is made for a quantity greater than the expected sales quantity because the expected sales quantity of the item is greater than the unit quantity for ordering but does not have a multiple of the unit quantity for ordering (for example, if the expected sales quantity is 12 and the unit quantity for ordering is 5, 15 must be ordered). Meanwhile, even if the expected sales quantity of the item is less than the unit quantity for ordering, the detailed reasons may be divided into a case where the expected sales quantity is too small and a case where the unit quantity for ordering is too large, and an electronic device (110) according to an embodiment may determine a scrap reason by specifically considering such detailed reasons.

[0095] Reasons for obtaining information on the expected sales of an item may include various reasons for incorrectly predicting the expected sales of an item, such as when the combined expected shipment volume of an item from multiple fulfillment centers does not match the overall expected sales volume, when the expected sales volume of an item is greater or less than the actual sales volume by a certain amount, when the predicted results differ by device, and when the effectiveness of a promotion related to an item is incorrectly predicted.

[0096] Reasons for obtaining information on the expected quantity of items present in the fulfillment center immediately prior to receiving items may include cases where the expected quantity of items present in the fulfillment center is greater or less than the actual quantity of items present in the fulfillment center by a certain amount. Note that even if real-time communication with the fulfillment center is possible, the expected quantity of items present in the fulfillment center "at the time of requesting an order for items" must be determined "at the time of requesting an order for items" "just prior to receiving the items," and an order for items with a quantity taking this into account must be requested (i.e., there is a time gap between the time of receiving the items and the time of requesting an order for the items). Therefore, it is necessary to obtain information on the expected quantity of items present in the fulfillment center, and if the estimate is inaccurate, it may lead to item scrapping.

[0097] In addition to the aforementioned candidate reasons, there may be various other candidate reasons that could be considered scrap reasons. Furthermore, the priorities may vary depending on the specific embodiment and are not limited to a specific embodiment. For example, one or more reasons related to the quality of an item may have the highest priority, one or more reasons related to the item's processing process may have the next highest priority, and one or more reasons related to the item's order quantity may have a relatively lower priority. However, this is merely an example.

[0098] An example of an operation of an electronic device (110) to determine a reason for scrapping is illustrated in FIG. 4. Referring further to FIG. 4 (400), when an item is scrapped (401), the electronic device (110) may check unique code information (402) and determine a reason for scrapping based on the unique code information and log information recorded in conjunction with the unique code information. More specifically, the electronic device (110) may determine a reason for scrapping in the following order: whether a scrapping occurred in relation to the supply / display / unloading (403) of an item (which may be included in the aforementioned “one or more reasons related to the item processing process”), whether a scrapping occurred in relation to the ordering (404) of an item (which may be included in the aforementioned “one or more reasons related to the item processing process”), and whether a scrapping occurred in relation to the acquisition of an item order quantity (405) (which may be included in the aforementioned “one or more reasons related to the item order quantity”). That is, drawing number 403 may be associated with the candidate reason with the highest priority, drawing number 404 may be next, and drawing number 405 may be associated with the candidate reason with the lowest priority. In relation to the supply / display / unloading (403) of items, examples of cases where scrap occurs may include cases where the supply time of items is incorrectly predicted and cases where display and unloading of items take more time than expected. Examples of cases where scrap occurs in relation to the ordering (404) of items may include cases where the production time of items is later than expected and the use-by date is closer than expected. Examples of cases where scrap occurs in relation to the acquisition of the order request quantity of items (405) may include cases where the demand for items is incorrectly predicted and an excessive quantity of items is requested to be ordered.

[0099] Returning to FIG. 3, an electronic device (110) according to an embodiment may obtain feedback information based on the reason for scrapping an item. The electronic device (110) may provide the obtained feedback information to one or more of a device (120) managing a fulfillment center and a vendor device (130), and may improve the overall process for providing services based on the obtained feedback information. The feedback information may not only include the reason for scrapping an item, but may also include information regarding measures to reduce item scrapping, depending on the embodiment.

[0100] For example, feedback information may include information for improving a sales forecasting method for an item (e.g., information for changing the sales forecasting mechanism for an item), information for suggesting a discount for an item whose expiration date is approaching, and information for correcting an error related to the sales forecasting of an item. Furthermore, feedback information according to one example may include information related to process improvements, monitoring, or authority restrictions related to manual entry of purchase order quantities. Furthermore, feedback information according to one example may include suggestions related to inventory management (e.g., suggestions related to the use of a replenishment center).

[0101] In addition, there may be various embodiments related to feedback information obtained by the electronic device (110).

[0102] Figure 5 is a drawing for exemplarily explaining unique code information according to one embodiment.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 5, an electronic device (110) according to an embodiment may generate unique code information based on at least one of item information and time information corresponding to an order request. For example, according to the example illustrated in FIG. 5 (500), unique code information may be generated by sequentially concatenating item order request time information, item production time information, and item type information. For example, in the case of drawing number 501, unique code information may be generated as 230703230706A1 (the first item type is indicated as A1 in the unique code information), and in the case of drawing number 503, unique code information may be generated as 230703230706A2 (the second item type is indicated as A2 in the unique code information). In addition, it can be confirmed that unique code information was generated in the same manner in the case of drawing numbers 502, 504, 505, 506, 507, and 508.

[0104] Meanwhile, FIG. 5 is merely an example, and the information used by the electronic device (110) to generate unique code information is not limited to the information illustrated in FIG. 5. Furthermore, with respect to the method of generating unique code information, it is not necessary to concatenate information in the order illustrated in FIG. 5, and in addition to the method of concatenating a series of pieces of information, unique code information can be generated according to various mathematical methods for outputting unique information based on the corresponding pieces of information.

[0105] Figure 6 is an exemplary diagram of the configuration of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 6, the electronic device (110) includes a processor (620) and a memory (630), and may further include a transceiver (610) depending on the embodiment. The electronic device (110) may be connected to a device (120) managed by a fulfillment center, a vendor's device (130), and other external devices through the transceiver (610), and may exchange data.

[0107] The processor (620) may include at least one of the devices described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, or may perform at least one method described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The memory (630) may store information for performing at least one method described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The memory (630) may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

[0108] The processor (620) can control the electronic device (110) to execute a program and process information. The code of the program executed by the processor (620) can be stored in the memory (630).

[0109] Additionally, the electronic device of one embodiment may further include an interface capable of providing information to a user or the like.

[0110] Meanwhile, the present specification and drawings disclose preferred embodiments of the present invention. Although specific terms have been used, they are used in a general sense only to easily explain the technical contents of the present invention and to assist in understanding the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modified examples based on the technical concept of the present invention are possible in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0111] The electronic device or terminal according to the above-described embodiments may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user interface device such as a touch panel, a key, a button, etc. The methods implemented as software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium as computer-readable codes or program commands executable on the processor. Here, the computer-readable recording medium includes a magnetic storage medium (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and an optical reading medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD: Digital Versatile Disc)). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed to computer systems connected to a network, so that the computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium may be readable by a computer, stored in a memory, and executed by a processor.

[0112] The present embodiment may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various hardware and / or software configurations that perform specific functions. For example, the embodiment may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which may perform various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, the present embodiment may be implemented in a programming or scripting language such as C, C++, Java, assembler, Python, etc., including various algorithms implemented as a combination of data structures, processes, routines, or other programming configurations. Functional aspects may be implemented as algorithms that execute on one or more processors. Furthermore, the present embodiment may employ conventional techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms like "mechanism," "element," "means," and "composition" can be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physical components. These terms can also encompass a series of software routines, such as those associated with a processor.

[0113] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. In a method of processing information in an electronic device, A step of obtaining unique code information corresponding to an order request for an item; A step of recording log information related to the processing of the item supplied to the fulfillment center in response to the order request in conjunction with the unique code information; and A method for processing information, comprising a step of determining a reason for scrapping the item based on the unique code information and the log information when the item is scrapped.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of obtaining the above unique code information is A step of obtaining information on the above item; A step of obtaining time information corresponding to the above order request; and A method for processing information, characterized in that it comprises a step of generating the unique code information based on the information of the item and the time information.

3. In paragraph 2, The step of obtaining the above unique code information is A step of obtaining information on the expected quantity of the item existing in the fulfillment center immediately before supplying the item; and A step for obtaining information on the expected sales volume of the above item after the above item is supplied. Including one or more of the following: A method for processing information, characterized in that the electronic device generates the unique code information further based on one or more of the expected quantity information and the expected sales information.

4. In paragraph 2, Information on the above items Type information of the above item, Production time information of the above item, and Information on the expiration date of the above items A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

5. In paragraph 1, The above log information is Production time information of the above item, Information on the expiration date of the above items, Information on the shelf life of the above items, Information on when the above items are supplied, Information on the time required to unload the above items; Information on the time required to display the above items and Scrap quantity information for the above item A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

6. In paragraph 1, A method for processing information, characterized in that it further comprises a step of determining whether the above item is scrapped.

7. In paragraph 6, The step to determine whether the above item is scrapped is A step of checking the display period of the item by calculating back the set period from the use period of the item; and A method for processing information, characterized by including a step of determining whether the above display period has expired.

8. In paragraph 1, The step for determining the above scrap reason is A step of obtaining priority information set for multiple candidate reasons; and A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes a step of identifying a candidate reason corresponding to the scrap reason among the plurality of candidate reasons based on the priority information.

9. In paragraph 8, The step to check the candidate reasons corresponding to the above scrap reasons is A step of determining whether the first candidate reason with the highest priority among one or more candidate reasons that have not been determined to correspond to the above scrap reason corresponds to the above scrap reason; and A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes a step of determining whether a second candidate reason having a higher priority next to the first candidate reason among one or more candidate reasons that have not been determined whether or not they correspond to the scrap reason corresponds to the scrap reason, if the first candidate reason does not correspond to the scrap reason.

10. In paragraph 8, The above multiple candidate reasons are One or more reasons related to the quality of the above item, One or more reasons related to the processing of the above items and One or more reasons related to the quantity requested for ordering the above items; and A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

11. In paragraph 10, One or more reasons related to the quality of the above item Reasons related to the production quality of the above items and Reasons related to the storage quality and transport quality of the above items A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

12. In paragraph 10, One or more reasons related to the processing of the above items Reasons related to the time of supply of the above items, Reasons related to the time required to disembark the above items and Reasons related to the time required to display the above items A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

13. In paragraph 10, One or more reasons related to the order quantity of the above items Reasons related to the process of manually entering the order request quantity of the above items, Reasons related to the unit quantity for ordering the above items, Reasons for obtaining information on the expected sales volume of the above items and Reasons related to obtaining information on the expected quantity of the above item existing at the above fulfillment center immediately prior to receiving the above item A method for processing information, characterized in that it includes one or more of:

14. In paragraph 1, A method for processing information, characterized in that it further comprises a step of obtaining feedback information based on the reason for scrapping the above item.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of paragraph 1 on a computer.

16. In an electronic device that processes information, Includes a memory and a processor that stores instructions, The above processor is connected to the above memory, Obtain unique code information corresponding to the order request for the item, In response to the above order request, log information related to the processing of the above item supplied to the fulfillment center is recorded in conjunction with the above unique code information, An electronic device that determines the reason for scrapping the item based on the unique code information and the log information when the item is scrapped.

Images