Method, apparatus, and recording medium for determining location of product

Abstract

A technique for determining locations to store a plurality of SKUs is disclosed. A location determination method performed by an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise the steps of: acquiring sales data for a plurality of SKUs; determining a first SKU among the plurality of SKUs on the basis of the sales data, wherein a percentage of a sales volume for the first SKU out of a sales volume for the plurality of SKUs is greater than or equal to a first percentage; determining a second SKU as an associated SKU of the first SKU on the basis of the sales data, wherein a percentage of a sales volume for the first SKU, in which sales are made together with an item of the second SKU, out of the sales volume for the first SKU is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; determining to store an item of the first SKU at a first location; and determining to store the item of the second SKU at a second location that is within a predetermined distance from the first location.

Description

Method, device and recording medium for determining the location of a product

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for determining the location of a product.

[0002] With the advancement of communication technology and changes in the social environment, e-commerce services are providing a wide range of products and services to a large number of users through online platforms. E-commerce services can deliver items from various storage keeping units (SKUs) stored in logistics warehouses to users who purchase them through online platforms.

[0003] Logistics warehouses utilize a random-stow process to store various items. Rather than storing all items in a single skew in a single location, random-stow processes allow each item to be stored in a random location, ensuring efficient storage and retrieval.

[0004] However, random stow-based processes have the problem of making it difficult to comprehensively consider various factors, as workers must select one location from multiple candidate locations. For example, more items are stored near the warehouse's retrieval process location than the warehouse's retrieval process location, resulting in longer retrieval routes. Furthermore, items that should be shipped together are stored in different locations, creating inefficiencies in the retrieval process.

[0005] A technical problem to be solved through one embodiment of the present disclosure is to store skews with high sales volume in a location close to a conveyor belt where the removal process is performed, thereby minimizing the movement line of the removal process.

[0006] Another technical challenge to be solved by one embodiment of the present disclosure is to minimize the route of the removal process by storing skews that are frequently sold together nearby.

[0007] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description below.

[0008] A location determination method performed by an electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include: obtaining sales data for a plurality of skews; determining a first skew among the plurality of skews based on the sales data, wherein a ratio of sales of the first skew to sales of the plurality of skews is equal to or greater than the first ratio; determining a second skew as an associated skew of the first skew based on the sales data, wherein a ratio of sales of the first skew sold together with an item of the second skew to sales of the first skew is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; determining to store an item of the first skew at a first location; and determining to store an item of the second skew at a second location within a predetermined distance from the first location.

[0009] In one embodiment, the method may include a step of determining a third skew based on the sales data, the third skew having a proportion of the sales of the plurality of skews being less than the first proportion and greater than the second proportion.

[0010] In one embodiment, the method may include a step of determining to store the item of the third skew at a third location within a predetermined distance from the second location.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method may include a step of determining a fourth skew, the proportion of which in the sales volume of the plurality of skews is less than the second proportion, based on the sales data.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method may include a step of determining to store the item of the fourth skew at a fourth location within a predetermined distance from the third location.

[0013] In one embodiment, the sales data includes first sales data for a first logistics warehouse and second sales data for a second logistics warehouse, and the step of determining the first skew may include the step of determining the first skew for the first logistics warehouse based on the first sales data, and the step of determining the first skew for the second logistics warehouse based on the second sales data.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sales data may include information about the sales volume of each of the plurality of skews and the rate at which items of the second skew are sold when items of the first skew are sold.

[0015] In one embodiment, the step of determining the associated skew may include a step of checking, based on the sales data, whether a ratio of the sales amount of the first skew sold together with an item of the second skew to the sales amount of the first skew at each set period is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first location may be a location located within a predetermined distance from a location where a pick-up process is performed in a logistics warehouse where the first skew is stored.

[0017] In one embodiment, the location where the pickup process of the logistics warehouse is performed may be the location of a conveyor belt of the logistics warehouse.

[0018] An electronic device according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises one or more processors, one or more memories storing instructions executed by the one or more processors, and when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors may be configured to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

[0019] A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors according to another aspect of the present disclosure, cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, wherein the instructions can be configured to cause the one or more processors to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

[0020] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, among a plurality of skews, skews with high sales volume can be stored near a conveyor belt to minimize the movement of the removal process.

[0021] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the skews sold together can be stored nearby to minimize the route of the export process.

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates an environment in which an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a logistics warehouse according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device and an external device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D illustrate an embodiment of storing a first skew, a second skew, a third skew, and a fourth skew in a logistics warehouse according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for an electronic device to determine a location of a product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to determine a first skew, a second skew, a third skew, and a fourth skew.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to determine a location to store a first skew, a second skew, a third skew, and a fourth skew.

[0029] The various embodiments described in this document are exemplified for the purpose of clearly explaining the technical concept of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit it to a specific embodiment. The technical concept of the present disclosure includes various modifications, equivalents, alternatives, and embodiments selectively combining all or part of each embodiment described in this document. Furthermore, the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments presented below or the specific descriptions thereof.

[0030] Terms used in this document, including technical or scientific terms, unless otherwise defined, may have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0031] The expressions "includes," "may include," "comprises," "may have," "have," and "may have" used in this document imply the presence of a target feature (e.g., a function, operation, or component), but do not exclude the presence of other additional features. In other words, such expressions should be understood as open-ended terms that imply the possibility of including other embodiments.

[0032] The singular forms used in this document may include the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and this also applies to the singular forms set forth in the claims.

[0033] The expressions "first," "second," or "first", "second", etc. used in this document, unless the context indicates otherwise, are used to refer to multiple similar objects and to distinguish one object from another, and do not limit the order or importance among the objects.

[0034] As used herein, the expressions "A, B, and C", "A, B, or C", "A, B, and / or C", or "at least one of A, B, and C", "at least one of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and / or C", etc., may refer to each of the listed items or to all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "at least one of A or B" may refer to (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0035] The expression "based on" as used in this document is used to describe one or more factors that influence the decision, act of judgment, or action described in the phrase or sentence containing the expression, and this expression does not exclude additional factors that influence the decision, act of judgment, or action.

[0036] As used herein, the expression that a component (e.g., a first component) is “connected” or “connected” to another component (e.g., a second component) may mean that the component is directly connected or connected to the other component, as well as connected or connected via a new other component (e.g., a third component).

[0037] The expression "configured to" as used in this document can mean "set to do", "having the ability to do", "modified to do", "made to do", "capable of doing", etc., depending on the context. The expression is not limited to the meaning of "specifically designed in hardware", and for example, a processor configured to perform a specific operation can mean a generic-purpose processor that can perform the specific operation by executing software.

[0038] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings and the description of the drawings, identical or substantially equivalent components may be assigned the same reference numerals. Furthermore, in the description of various embodiments below, duplicate descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted, but this does not mean that the corresponding components are not included in the embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an environment in which an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0040] An electronic device (110) and a user terminal (120) are connected through a network and can communicate with each other. The electronic device (110) may be a server or a different terminal from the user terminal (120).

[0041] The electronic device (110) may be a server device that provides an e-commerce service. That is, the electronic device (110) may be a server device operated under the management of an operator of the e-commerce service.

[0042] An electronic device (110) can manage information about users using e-commerce services. The user information managed by the electronic device (110) may include, for example, the user's name, age, address, or contact information. Managing user information can encompass a series of actions involving controlling and processing that information. For example, managing user information can include storing, updating, or modifying that information.

[0043] An electronic device (110) can manage information about items provided by an e-commerce service. An e-commerce service may provide users with a service that allows them to purchase goods, such as items, food, or products. Alternatively, the e-commerce service provided by the electronic device (110) may include a service that mediates the sale of goods by some users to other users. Information about items managed by the electronic device (110) may include, for example, item identification information, item name, product information corresponding to the item, item price, item capacity, item size, item weight, item attributes, category, or unit price. An item may be a sales unit of a product, and even for the same product, it may be provided to users as different items. For example, even for the same product, it may be sold as different items with different sales unit quantities and prices. Therefore, different items may share product information. Managing information about an item can collectively refer to a series of actions that control and process that information. For example, managing information about an item may include storing, updating, or modifying that information.

[0044] An electronic device (110) can manage information about customers using e-commerce services. The customer information managed by the electronic device (110) may include, for example, the customer's name, age, address, payment method, purchase history, or contact information. Managing customer information can encompass a series of actions involving controlling and processing that information. For example, managing customer information can include storing, updating, or modifying that information.

[0045] Managing information about users or items can encompass all actions related to controlling and processing that information. For example, managing user information can include storing, updating, or modifying that information.

[0046] The electronic device (110) can manage various information to be provided to users using e-commerce services. Based on requests from an administrator managing the e-commerce service or a user using the e-commerce service, the electronic device (110) can manage various data necessary to provide e-commerce services. For example, the electronic device (110) can create, modify, store, or provide to users data related to various pages associated with the e-commerce service, such as an item list page, a product detail page, a search results page, a product sales page, an event page, and landing pages requested by users.

[0047] Regarding the management method of the electronic device (110), in one embodiment, the electronic device (110) can manage information accompanying the provision of an electronic commerce service based on a user's input.

[0048] In one embodiment, the electronic device (110) may provide a page related to an e-commerce service to a user terminal (120) based on a request from a user using the e-commerce service. Here, the page related to the e-commerce service provided to the user terminal (120) may include a page that provides various information regarding items that the user can purchase, a page regarding the purchase of an item requested by the user, a shopping cart page for the purchase of an item, a page providing a list of items searched in various ways, a page providing detailed information about an item, etc. The page providing operation may include an operation of providing the user with at least a portion of all data generated in the process of the user using the e-commerce service.

[0049] In addition, the electronic device (110) can manage transactions related to e-commerce services provided to users, i.e., transactions related to online products (e.g., goods or services). That is, the electronic device (110) can manage a series of processes such as enabling users to search for, select, purchase, pay for, and request delivery of items. As such processes, the electronic device (110) can provide customers with information regarding items and delivery so that users can search for, select, purchase, pay for, and request delivery of items, and can receive purchase, payment, and delivery requests from users. In addition, it should be noted that even if an operation that the electronic device (110) can perform is not mentioned in the present disclosure, if it is a general operation that a server device providing a known e-commerce service can perform, applying the technical ideas of the present disclosure with reference to that operation is not excluded from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] The electronic device (110) may be a server device that manages an e-commerce service. In other words, the electronic device (110) may be a server device that manages a platform that provides an e-commerce service. A user may subscribe to the e-commerce service and purchase an item through the e-commerce service. The user terminal (120) may transmit an input requesting item information to the electronic device (110), and the electronic device (110) may provide the item information to the user terminal (120).

[0051] The electronic device (110) described above may be implemented as one or more computing devices. For example, all functions of the electronic device (110) may be implemented in a single computing device. For another example, a first function of the electronic device (110) may be implemented in a first computing device, and a second function may be implemented in a second computing device. As another example, multiple computing devices may be used, each of which implements all or specific functions of the electronic device (110). The computing devices described above may be, but are not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an application server, a proxy server, or a cloud server, and any type of device equipped with computing functions may be a computing device.

[0052] The user terminal (120) may be a device for a user to use an e-commerce service. The user terminal (120) may be implemented as a terminal capable of transmitting and receiving various information with the electronic device (110) via a network. For example, the user terminal (120) may be one of a computer, a laptop, a portable communication terminal (such as a smartphone), a portable multimedia device, a wearable device, or an HMD. However, the type of the user terminal (120) is not limited thereto, and the user terminal (120) may be any device that includes an input / output interface capable of receiving information from a user or outputting information to a user, and that can communicate with the electronic device (110) or other devices via a network.

[0053] The user terminal (120) can provide information received from the electronic device (110) to the user, and can receive input from the user and transmit it to the electronic device (110). Specifically, the user terminal (120) can obtain inputs from the user that instruct to call various pages, and generate commands that instruct to call various pages in response to the obtained inputs. The user terminal (120) can transmit commands that instruct to call various pages to the electronic device (110). The input obtained from the user can include various forms of input, such as a click using a mouse, a touch using a touchpad or a touch screen, voice recognition, and other electronic inputs. The user terminal (120) can receive various pages from the electronic device (110) and output the received various pages.

[0054] The user terminal (120) may be a device for a user to use a delivery order service. The user terminal (120) may be implemented as a terminal capable of transmitting and receiving various information with the electronic device (110) via a network. For example, the user terminal (120) may be one of a computer, a laptop, a portable communication terminal (such as a smartphone), a portable multimedia device, a wearable device, or an HMD. However, the type of the user terminal (120) is not limited thereto, and the user terminal (120) may be any device that includes an input / output interface capable of receiving information from a user or outputting information to a user, and that can communicate with the electronic device (110) or other devices via a network.

[0055] A network may serve to connect an electronic device (110) and a user terminal (120) or other external device. For example, the network may provide a connection path so that a user terminal (120) or other external device can be connected to the electronic device (110) and transmit and receive packet data with the electronic device (110). The network may be implemented as any type of wired or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile radio communication network, or Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet).

[0056] In one embodiment, the electronic device (110) and the user terminal (120) may operate as a single device. The user terminal (120) may be included in the electronic device (110) as a component of all or part of the electronic device (110). In this case, for example, various types of information exchanged between the electronic device (110) and the user terminal (120) via a network may be various types of information exchanged between components within a single device.

[0057] Electronic devices (e.g., electronic device (110)) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be devices of various forms. For example, the electronic device (110) may be a portable communication device, a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a wearable device, a home appliance device, or a device according to a combination of one or more of the above-described devices. The electronic device (110) of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described devices.

[0058] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a logistics warehouse according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] The logistics warehouse (200) is a place where items purchased by users are stored before being delivered, and a plurality of shelf racks (210) may be arranged within the logistics warehouse (200). Each shelf rack may include a plurality of locations, which are divided horizontally and vertically, where items can be stored. Referring to FIG. 2, the plurality of shelf racks (210) may be arranged in a form aligned in a first direction (x direction) and a second direction (y direction) within the logistics warehouse (200). The logistics warehouse (200) may have a multi-story structure, and each floor may have the same or different structures. According to one embodiment, the logistics warehouse (200) may include a conveyor belt (220) positioned in the second direction based on the plurality of shelf racks (210). The conveyor belt (220) may be a location where a removal process is performed within the logistics warehouse (200). For example, workers can load one or more items removed from the shelf rack (210) onto a conveyor belt (220) and remove them from the logistics warehouse. Accordingly, if the items to be removed are located close to the conveyor belt (220), the route of the removal process can be short, and if the items to be removed are located far from the conveyor belt (220), the route of the removal process can be long. The location of the conveyor belt (220) is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2, and may be located on one side of the logistics warehouse (200) or in the center of the logistics warehouse (200).

[0060] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electronic device and an external device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] An electronic device (300) can process information regarding an e-commerce service. In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may include one or more processors (302), one or more memories (304), and a communication interface (306) as components. In one embodiment, at least one of the components of the electronic device (300) may be omitted, or another component may be added to the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, additionally or alternatively, some of the components may be implemented in an integrated manner or implemented as a single or multiple entities. In the present disclosure, one or more processors (302) may be referred to as a processor (302). The expression “processor (302)” may mean a set of one or more processors, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present disclosure, one or more memories (304) may be referred to as a memory (304). The expression "memory (304)" may mean a set of one or more memories, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In one embodiment, at least some of the components inside / outside the electronic device (300) may be connected to each other via a bus, a General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO), a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), or a Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI), and may exchange information (data, signals, etc.).

[0062] The communication interface (306) can communicate with the user's terminal and the external device (310). The communication interface (306) can perform wireless or wired communication between the electronic device (300) and the external device (310). For example, the communication interface (306) can perform wireless communication according to a method such as eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low-Latency Communications), MMTC (Massive Machine Type Communications), LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE Advance), NR (New Radio), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), WiBro (Wireless Broadband), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (Bluetooth), NFC (Near Field Communication), GPS (Global Positioning System), or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). For example, the communication interface (306) may perform wired communication according to a method such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Recommended Standard-232 (RS-232), or Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). In one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be implemented by being integrated with another device.In this case, the communication interface (306) can function as a connection circuit or interface connecting the electronic device (300) and the other device.

[0063] The external device (310) may be a terminal of a worker who performs the task of storing and removing items from a location within a logistics warehouse. The worker may communicate with the electronic device (300) through the external device (310) and exchange data. The external device (310) may include a display (312). The external device (310) may generate an output screen based on data received from the electronic device (300) and output the generated output screen to the display (312). Although not illustrated in FIG. 3 , the external device (310) may also include a processor, memory, and a communication interface, similar to the electronic device (300). The external device (310) may transmit data obtained based on a user input to the display (312) to the electronic device (300). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (300) may be communicatively connected to one or more external devices (310) through a communication interface (306).

[0064] The processor (302) may control at least one component of the electronic device (300) connected to the processor (302) by running software (e.g., commands, programs, etc.). In addition, the processor (302) may perform various operations such as calculations, processing, data generation, and processing related to the present disclosure. In addition, the processor (302) may load data, etc. from the memory (304) or store data, etc. in the memory (304). Furthermore, the processor (302) may transmit and receive various information with the user's terminal and the external device (310) through the communication interface (306). In one embodiment, the processor (302) may control the communication interface (306) to transmit various information, such as information on various pages, to the external device (310).

[0065] The memory (304) can store various information (data). The information stored in the memory (304) is information acquired, processed, or used by at least one component of the electronic device (300), and may include software (e.g., commands, programs, etc.). The memory (304) may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory. In the present disclosure, the commands or programs are software stored in the memory (304), and may include an operating system for controlling the resources of the electronic device (300), an application, and / or middleware for providing various functions to the application so that the application can utilize the resources of the electronic device (300). In one embodiment, the memory (304) may store commands that, when executed by the processor (302), cause the processor (302) to perform operations. The memory (304) may store at least a portion of information received from the terminal via the communication interface (306) and / or information transmitted to the terminal via the communication interface (306). The processor (302) can store at least a portion of information received from the terminal through the communication interface (306) and / or information transmitted to the terminal through the communication interface (306) in the memory (304).

[0066] The processor (302) may generate sales data. The sales data may include the sales volume of each of a plurality of skews and a plurality of order information. The order information may include information about the skew and quantity of one or more items ordered by a user. For example, the order information may include first order information including orders for a first item, a second item, and a third item, and second order information including orders for the first item, a third item, a fourth item, and a fifth item. In one embodiment, the processor (302) may generate sales data including information about skews that are sold together based on the plurality of order information. For example, the processor may calculate the ratio of the second skew sold when the first skew is sold, and the ratio of the third skew sold when the first skew is sold, and generate sales data including the calculated ratio. In one embodiment, the sales data may be generated for each logistics warehouse. For example, the processor (302) may separately generate sales data on the skew-based sales volume of items shipped from the first logistics warehouse and sales data on the skew-based sales volume of items shipped from the second logistics warehouse. According to one embodiment, the processor (302) may update the sales data at set time intervals. For example, the processor (302) may update the sales data every half year (six months). For example, the processor (302) may generate the first sales data based on data from January to June, and the second sales data based on data from July to December. The processor (302) may determine the location to store the items based on the first sales data from July to December, and may determine the location to store the items based on the second sales data from January to June of the following year.

[0067] The processor (302) can use the sales data to determine the ratio of the sales volume of each skew to the total sales volume. For example, when selling the first to fourth skews, if the sales volume of the first skew is 40, the sales volume of the second skew is 30, the sales volume of the third skew is 20, and the sales volume of the fourth skew is 10, the processor (302) can determine that the sales ratio of the first skew is 40%, the sales ratio of the second skew is 30%, the sales ratio of the third skew is 20%, and the sales ratio of the fourth skew is 10%. Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, it is explained that the sales volume is higher in the order of the first skew > the second skew > the third skew > the fourth skew.

[0068] The processor (302) can classify a plurality of skews stored in the logistics warehouse into top skew, associated skew, normal skew, and dead wood for efficient placement of goods within the logistics warehouse. Hereinafter, a method for classifying a plurality of skews into top skew, associated skew, normal skew, and dead wood will be described.

[0069] The processor (302) may determine one or more skews that account for a first percentage (e.g., 50%) or more of the total sales as top skews. The top skews may be the skews of the most sold items in a specific logistics warehouse. The processor (302) may determine the skews that account for a first percentage or more of the total sales as top skews based on sales data. For example, if there are a total of 100 skews of items sold in one logistics warehouse and the sales of the top five skews exceed 50% of the total sales, the five skews may be determined as top skews. The first percentage for determining the top skew may be determined based on the size of the logistics warehouse, the number of skews stored in the logistics warehouse, and the number of items. According to another embodiment, the processor (302) may classify a plurality of skews by category and determine a top skew for each category. For example, the skews with the highest sales in each category can be determined as the top skews.

[0070] In one embodiment, the top skew may be determined for each logistics warehouse. For example, the processor (302) may determine the top skew of the first logistics warehouse and the top skew of the second logistics warehouse, respectively. In one embodiment, the processor (302) may update the top skew at set intervals. For example, the processor (302) may also update the top skew whenever sales data is updated. This allows the top skew to be determined based on the latest sales data.

[0071] The processor (302) may determine one or more associated skews whose sales ratio with the top skew is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The associated skew may be an item likely to be sold with the top skew. For example, the processor (302) may determine the second skew as the associated skew when the ratio of the sales volume of the top skew sold with items of the second skew to the sales volume of the top skew is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (e.g., 70%). The processor (302) may determine one or more associated skews for each top skew. For example, the processor (302) may determine a first associated skew and a second associated skew for the first top skew, and a third associated skew, a fourth associated skew, and a fifth associated skew for the second top skew.

[0072] In one embodiment, the processor (302) may determine the correlation of one or more skews that have a history of being sold together with the top skew to the top skew. Based on sales data, the processor (302) may identify one or more skews that have a history of being sold together with the top skew, and compare the sales volume of each skew and the top skew with the sales volume of the top skew to determine the correlation of each skew. In one embodiment, a skew may have a higher correlation as the sales volume of the top skew increases. The processor (302) may determine skews having a correlation greater than a predetermined value as the associated skews for the corresponding top skew. For example, when the first skew, the second skew, and the third skew, which have a history of being sold together with a specific top skew, are sold together with the top skew at a rate of 90%, 80%, and 40%, respectively, the processor (302) may determine the correlation of the first skew as 90, the correlation of the second skew as 80, and the correlation of the third skew as 40. The processor (302) may determine the first skew and the second skew as correlated skews of the top skew, and may determine the third skew as not a correlated skew. According to one embodiment, the processor (302) may determine that the correlation of the first skew is higher than that of the second skew.

[0073] In one embodiment, the processor (302) may update the associated skew at set time intervals. For example, the processor (302) may update the associated skew at the same time as the sales data and top skew are updated.

[0074] The processor (302) may determine one or more skews, whose proportion of total sales is less than the first ratio and greater than the second ratio, as normal skews (Normal SKUs). Normal skews may include items that are not sold as much as top skews, but are sold more than deadwood. In one embodiment, the number of types of normal skews may be the greatest compared to top skews, related skews, and deadwoods.

[0075] The processor (302) may determine one or more skews whose proportion of total sales is less than the second ratio as deadwood. Deadwood may be skews for which sales rarely occur.

[0076] The processor (302) can arrange the determined top skew, associated skew, normal skew, and dead wood within the logistics warehouse according to a predetermined method. Hereinafter, a method for storing the top skew, associated skew, normal skew, and dead wood within the logistics warehouse will be described. The process of storing each skew at a location within the logistics warehouse is performed by workers, but for convenience of explanation, it will be described below that the processor (302) determines the location for storing each skew and arranges it.

[0077] The processor (302) may prioritize placement of the top skew within the logistics warehouse. In one embodiment, the processor (302) may place the top skew at a first location close to the location where the removal process takes place within the logistics warehouse. Since the top skew is the most frequently removed item within the logistics warehouse, the processor (302) may place the top skew at the location where the removal process takes place (e.g., near the conveyor belt) to ensure efficient removal process.

[0078] The processor (302) can store the associated skew at a second location within a predetermined distance from the first location where the top skew is stored. Since the associated skew can be removed from the logistics warehouse together with the top skew, it can be placed at a location within a short distance from the top skew to minimize the worker's removal process route.

[0079] The processor (302) may store the normal skew in a third location within a predetermined distance from the second location where the associated skew is stored. Since the normal skew has a lower sales volume than the top skew and the associated skew, it may be placed in a location with a relatively lower priority.

[0080] The processor (302) may store dead wood at a fourth location within a predetermined distance from the third location where normal skews are stored. The dead wood, which is the skews with the lowest sales volume, may be stored at the location furthest from the location where the removal process takes place (e.g., a conveyor belt).

[0081] FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D illustrate an embodiment of storing a first skew, a second skew, a third skew, and a fourth skew in a logistics warehouse according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] FIGS. 4A to 4D illustrate an embodiment in which a top skew, a related skew, a normal skew, and dead wood are sequentially stored within a logistics warehouse (400). Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4D , the location where the removal process is performed is illustrated as the top of the logistics warehouse (400), but it will be understood that the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and may be located at one side or the center of the logistics warehouse (400). Referring to FIG. 4A , the top skew may be stored at the first location (410) closest to the location where the removal process is performed in the logistics warehouse (400). By storing the top skew at the first location (410), a worker can minimize the movement path for the removal process of skews with high sales volume.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4B, the associated skew may be stored at a second location located within a predetermined distance from the first location (410). The second location (420) may be the location next closest to the first location (410) from the location where the removal process is performed. In one embodiment, since the associated skew is likely to be removed together with the top skew, the corresponding top skew and the associated skew may be stored at a location close to each other. For example, if the first top skew is stored at the first location among the first locations (410), the associated skew of the first top skew may be stored at the location closest to the first location among the second locations (420).

[0084] Referring to FIG. 4c, the normal skew may be stored at a third location (430) located within a predetermined distance from the second location (420). Since the normal skew has a lower sales volume than the top skew and the associated skew, it may be stored at the third location (430) relatively far from the location where the removal process takes place.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4d, dead wood can be stored at a fourth location (440) located within a predetermined distance from a third location (430). Since dead wood is the skew with the lowest sales volume among all skews, it can be stored at the location furthest from the location where the removal process takes place.

[0086] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for an electronic device to determine a location of a product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] In step 500, the electronic device can obtain sales data for multiple skews. The sales data can include sales volumes for each of the multiple skews and information on multiple orders. The electronic device can generate sales data for each logistics warehouse. The electronic device can update the sales data at set intervals.

[0088] In step 502, the electronic device can determine a top skew among multiple skews whose proportion of total sales is greater than or equal to a first proportion. The electronic device can also update the top skew when sales data is updated at a set time interval.

[0089] In step 504, the electronic device may determine the associated skew of the top skew in response to confirming that the ratio of products of a specific skew being sold together with the top skew is greater than or equal to a predetermined value when the top skew product is sold. In one embodiment, the electronic device may determine one or more associated skews for the top skew. The electronic device may confirm the ratio of products sold together with the top skew and determine the association of one or more products with the top skew. The electronic device may determine products whose association with the top skew is greater than or equal to a predetermined value as associated skews for the corresponding skew. In one embodiment, when the sales data and the top skew are updated at a predetermined time interval, the electronic device may also update the associated skew.

[0090] The electronic device may store the top skew item at a first location in step 506. The first location may be the location closest to the location where the removal process is performed. By storing the top skew at a location close to the location where the removal process is performed, the route for the removal process can be minimized.

[0091] The electronic device may store the items of the associated skew at a second location within a predetermined distance from the first location in step 508. The electronic device may store the associated skew, which has a high rate of being sold together with the top skew, at a location close to the top skew.

[0092] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to determine a first skew, a second skew, a third skew, and a fourth skew.

[0093] The electronic device can determine the top skew and the associated skew at step 600. The electronic device can determine the top skew and the associated skew according to the method described in FIG. 5. For example, the top skew and the associated skew can account for a set percentage of the overall skew (e.g., 20%).

[0094] In step 602, the electronic device may determine a normal skew among the plurality of skews, the proportion of which in total sales is less than a first ratio and greater than a second ratio. In step 604, the electronic device may determine a deadwood among the plurality of skews, the proportion of which in total sales is less than a second ratio.

[0095] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to determine a location to store a first skew, a second skew, a third skew, and a fourth skew.

[0096] In step 700, the electronic device can store the top skew at a first location. The first location can be one or more locations within a set distance from the location where the removal process is performed in the logistics warehouse. The electronic device can store the top skew at a location close to the location where the removal process is performed, thereby minimizing the movement path during the removal process.

[0097] In step 702, after storing the item of the top skew at the first location, the electronic device can store the item of the associated skew at a second location within a set distance from the first location among one or more storable locations. In one embodiment, the electronic device can store, for each of the one or more top skews, the corresponding associated skews at a second location that is close to the top skew. For example, the associated skew of the first top skew can be stored at a location close to the location where the first top skew is stored, and the associated skew of the second top skew can be stored at a location close to the location where the second top skew is stored.

[0098] The electronic device, after storing the item of the associated skew at the second location in step 704, can store the item of the normal skew at a third location within a set distance from the second location among one or more storable locations.

[0099] In step 706, the electronic device may store dead wood items at a fourth location within a set distance from the third location among one or more storage locations after storing the normal skew items at the third location. In another embodiment, dead wood items may be stored at a location furthest from the location where the removal process is performed, as dead wood items are the ones with the lowest sales volume.

[0100] Although the steps of the method or algorithm according to the present disclosure are described in a sequential order in the flowcharts illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, the steps may be performed in any order that can be arbitrarily combined according to the present disclosure, in addition to being performed sequentially. The description according to the flowchart does not exclude changes or modifications to the method or algorithm, and does not imply that any step is essential or desirable. In one embodiment, at least some of the steps may be performed in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically. In one embodiment, at least some of the steps may be omitted, or other steps may be added.

[0101] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software on a machine-readable storage medium. The software may be software for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure. The software may be inferred from various embodiments of the present disclosure by programmers skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. For example, the software may be a program including machine-readable instructions (e.g., code or code segments). The device may be a device capable of operating according to instructions called from a storage medium, such as a computer. In one embodiment, the device may be an electronic device (300) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the processor of the device may execute the called instructions, causing components of the device to perform functions corresponding to the instructions. In one embodiment, the processor may be a processor (302) according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage medium may refer to any type of recording medium that stores data and can be read by the device. The storage medium may include, for example, ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, etc. In one embodiment, the storage medium may be memory (304). In one embodiment, the storage medium may be implemented in a distributed form, such as in a network-connected computer system. The software may be distributed and stored and executed in a computer system, etc. The storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium. A non-transitory storage medium means a tangible medium regardless of whether data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily, and does not include a signal that is propagated transitorily.

[0102] While the technical concept of the present disclosure has been described through various embodiments, it should be understood that the technical concept of the present disclosure encompasses various substitutions, modifications, and variations that can be made within the scope of those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Furthermore, it should be understood that such substitutions, modifications, and variations are encompassed within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A location determination method performed by an electronic device, A step of obtaining sales data for multiple skews; A step of determining a first skew among the plurality of skews based on the above sales data, wherein a ratio of the sales amount of the first skew to the sales amounts of the plurality of skews is equal to or greater than the first ratio; A step of determining a second skew as an associated skew of the first skew based on the above sales data, wherein a ratio of the sales amount of the first skew sold together with an item of the second skew to the sales amount of the first skew is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; a step of determining to store the item of the first skew in the first location; and A method comprising the step of determining to store the item of the second skew at a second location within a predetermined distance from the first location.

2. In paragraph 1, A method comprising the step of determining a third skew, based on the sales data, having a proportion of the sales of the plurality of skews that is less than the first proportion and greater than the second proportion.

3. In paragraph 2, A method comprising the step of determining to store the item of the third skew at a third location within a predetermined distance from the second location.

4. In paragraph 3, A method comprising the step of determining a fourth skew, the proportion of which in the sales volume of the plurality of skews is less than the second proportion, based on the sales data.

5. In paragraph 4, A method comprising the step of determining to store the item of the fourth skew at a fourth location within a predetermined distance from the third location.

6. In paragraph 1, The above sales data includes first sales data for the first logistics warehouse and second sales data for the second logistics warehouse, The step of determining the first skew is: A step of determining a first skew for the first logistics warehouse based on the first sales data, and A method comprising the step of determining a first skew for the second logistics warehouse based on the second sales data.

7. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the sales data includes information on the sales amount of each of the plurality of skews and the rate at which items of the second skew are sold when items of the first skew are sold.

8. In paragraph 1, The step of determining the above-mentioned associated skew is: A method comprising: a step of checking whether the ratio of the sales amount of the first skew sold together with the items of the second skew to the sales amount of the first skew at each set period is equal to or greater than a predetermined value based on the sales data.

9. In paragraph 1, A method wherein the first location is a location located within a predetermined distance from a location where a pick-up process of a logistics warehouse where the first skew is stored is performed.

10. In paragraph 9, A method wherein the location where the pickup process of the above logistics warehouse is performed is the location of the conveyor belt of the above logistics warehouse.

11. In electronic devices, one or more processors, comprising one or more memories storing instructions executed by said one or more processors; An electronic device, wherein when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium configured to cause the one or more processors to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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