Packaging management method and system therefor

Abstract

A packaging management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is performed by a computing device, may comprise the steps of: receiving a customer's order including fresh products and non-fresh products; determining, on the basis of a result of classifying the types of the fresh products according to temperature, a fresh product of a type that can be packaged together with a non-fresh product among the fresh products as a target fresh product; and determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are to be packaged in the same packaging container.

Description

Packaging management method and system thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a packaging management method and system thereof, and more specifically, to a packaging management method and system thereof for reducing delivery costs by packaging fresh products and non-fresh products in one packaging container.

[0002] Typically, fresh products are shipped from distribution centers that handle fresh products, and infrequent products are shipped from distribution centers that handle infrequent products. However, to prevent idleness in distribution centers that handle fresh products, some infrequent products may be shipped together with fresh products from distribution centers that handle fresh products. Even when infrequent products are shipped from distribution centers that handle fresh products, fresh products and infrequent products are often packaged separately. However, since shipping costs are largely calculated based on the number of parcels, even when fresh and infrequent products can be received in a single parcel, packaging them separately increases shipping costs. Therefore, a packaging management method is needed to reduce shipping costs for orders that include both fresh and infrequent products.

[0003] The technical problem to be solved through the embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a packaging management method that reduces the parcel count and increases the unit per parcel (UPP) by allowing fresh and non-fresh products to be packaged together under certain conditions based on the classification results according to the temperature of the fresh products in an order that includes both fresh and non-fresh products.

[0004] In addition, a technical problem to be solved through the embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a packaging management method that enables a user of a logistics center handling fresh products to efficiently manage packaging and delivery of orders containing both fresh and non-fresh products.

[0005] A packaging management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be performed by a computing device and may include the steps of receiving a customer's order including fresh products and non-fresh products, determining a type of fresh product that can be packaged together with a non-fresh product among the fresh products as a target fresh product based on a result of classifying the types of the fresh products according to temperature, and determining whether to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container.

[0006] In one embodiment, the step of determining the target fresh product may include a step of determining the fresh product as not being the target fresh product if the type of the fresh product is classified as a frozen product, and a step of determining the fresh product as the target fresh product if the type of the fresh product is classified as either a refrigerated product or a room temperature product.

[0007] In one embodiment, the frozen product may be a product whose internal temperature of the packaging container is maintained at a first temperature, the refrigerated product may be a product whose internal temperature of the packaging container is maintained at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and the room temperature product may be a product whose internal temperature of the packaging container is maintained at a third temperature higher than the second temperature.

[0008] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether to package in the same packaging container may include: a step of determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a first packaging container that is the smallest in size among packaging containers available during the delivery process of the order; if the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together, a step of determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are to be packaged in the same first packaging container; if the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together, a step of determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger in size than the first packaging container; and a step of determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not to be packaged together in a third packaging container that is the largest in size among packaging containers available during the delivery process of the order.

[0009] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether to package in the same packaging container includes the step of determining whether to package in the same packaging container the target fresh product and the non-fresh product, if the increase in unit per parcel (UPP) when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are packaged in the same packaging container is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, compared to when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packaged in the same packaging container, wherein the UPP represents the number of products per unit package.

[0010] In one embodiment, the threshold is characterized in that it is determined based on the packaging cost and the shipping cost saved when packaging the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container.

[0011] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether to package in the same packaging container may include a step of determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not to be packaged in the same packaging container if it is previously determined that the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together with the fresh product.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of displaying information related to delivery of the order through a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the information related to delivery of the order includes information about which of the fresh products is the target fresh product, information about products packaged in the same packaging container as the target fresh product, and a value of a reduced parcel count and an increased unit per parcel (UPP) due to packaging in the same packaging container, wherein the UPP represents the number of products per unit package.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a packaging management system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: receiving a customer's order including fresh products and non-fresh products; determining, based on a result of classifying the types of the fresh products according to temperature, a fresh product of a type that can be packaged together with a non-fresh product among the fresh products as a target fresh product; and determining whether to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container.

[0014] In one embodiment, the operation of determining the target fresh product may include an operation of determining the fresh product as not being the target fresh product if the type of the fresh product is classified as a frozen product, and an operation of determining the fresh product as the target fresh product if the type of the fresh product is classified as either a refrigerated product or a room temperature product.

[0015] In one embodiment, the operation of determining whether to package in the same packaging container may include an operation of determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a first packaging container that is the smallest in size among packaging containers available during the delivery process of the order; if the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together, determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are to be packaged in the same first packaging container; if the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together, determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger in size than the first packaging container; and if the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together in a third packaging container that is the largest in size among packaging containers available during the delivery process of the order, determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not to be packaged in the same packaging container.

[0016] In one embodiment, the operation of determining whether to package in the same packaging container includes an operation of determining whether to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container, if the increase in unit per parcel (UPP) when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are packaged in the same packaging container is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, compared to when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packaged in the same packaging container, wherein the UPP represents the number of products per unit package.

[0017] In one embodiment, the threshold is characterized in that it is determined based on the packaging cost and the shipping cost saved when packaging the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram exemplarily showing the configuration of the entire system in which the packaging management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure operates.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of classifying types of fresh products according to temperature according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a flowchart exemplifying a packaging management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart specifically showing the steps for determining the target fresh product of Figure 3.

[0022] Figures 5 to 7 are flowcharts specifically showing the steps for determining whether to package in the same packaging container of Figure 3.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing device for packaging management according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the present disclosure is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the invention, and the present disclosure is defined solely by the scope of the claims.

[0025] When designating components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are assigned identical reference numerals whenever possible, even if they appear on different drawings. Furthermore, when describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related known components or functions are omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in the same sense as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0027] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of the present disclosure. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0028] The terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" as used in the specification do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements.

[0029] In this specification, "fresh product" refers to a product (primarily food) that is sensitive to freshness and requires a constant temperature in its packaging during delivery. This product uses a dedicated fresh product packaging container. In this specification, "non-fresh product" refers to any product other than fresh. In this specification, "parcel" refers to one or more products contained in a single packaging container, and "unit per parcel" (UPP) refers to the number of products per unit package.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a block diagram exemplarily showing the configuration of an entire system (10) in which a packaging management system (100) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure operates. Referring to FIG. 1, the entire system (10) may include a packaging management system (100), a service server (200), and a user terminal (300). The entire system (10) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may receive a customer's order according to a shopping service provided by the service server (200) through the packaging management system (100), manage the packaging process for delivery of an order including both fresh and non-fresh products, and transmit the management result to the user terminal (300) of the logistics center.

[0031] The packaging management system (100) may be configured using one or more physical servers included in a server farm based on cloud technology such as a virtual machine.

[0032] More specifically, the packaging management system (100) can receive orders containing both fresh and non-fresh products via the service server (200). Here, it is assumed that both fresh and non-fresh products are shipped from a logistics center that handles fresh products (hereinafter referred to as a "fresh logistics center"). In principle, even if shipped from the same fresh logistics center, fresh products are packaged together in fresh product-specific packaging containers, and non-fresh products are packaged together in general packaging containers (e.g., plastic bags).

[0033] However, in some cases, fresh and non-fresh products may be packaged in the same container (e.g., a container specifically for fresh products) to reduce the parcel count. This is because a reduced parcel count reduces shipping costs. Therefore, after receiving an order containing both fresh and non-fresh products, the packaging management system (100) can determine whether at least some of the fresh products and at least some of the non-fresh products can be packaged in the same container during shipping.

[0034] When deciding whether to package fresh and non-fresh products in the same container, it is necessary to first determine whether the fresh product included in the order is a type of fresh product that can be packaged with non-fresh products. This determination of whether a fresh product is a type of fresh product that can be packaged with non-fresh products is based on the classification of fresh product types by temperature. Referring to Figure 2 below, the classification of fresh product types by temperature is described.

[0035] Figure 2 exemplarily illustrates a method for classifying fresh product types according to temperature according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 2 , fresh products can be classified into frozen products, refrigerated products, and room temperature products. For frozen products, the internal temperature of the packaging container can be maintained at T1. For refrigerated products, the internal temperature of the packaging container can be maintained at T2, which is higher than T1. For room temperature products, the internal temperature of the packaging container can be maintained at T3, which is higher than T2. ​​For example, T1 can be a sub-zero temperature, and T2 and T3 can be above freezing temperatures.

[0036] During the delivery process for fresh produce, frozen products are packaged with other frozen products, while refrigerated and room-temperature products may be packaged together. Dry ice may be included in the packaging of frozen products to maintain the internal temperature at a sub-zero level. However, if refrigerated and room-temperature products are packaged together in a frozen container, there is a risk of quality degradation of the refrigerated and room-temperature products. Meanwhile, infrequent products are considered the same as room-temperature products in fresh distribution centers. Therefore, frozen products can be classified as fresh products that cannot be packaged with infrequent products, while refrigerated and room-temperature products can be classified as fresh products that can be packaged with infrequent products. Hereinafter, the refrigerated and room-temperature products included in a customer's order will be referred to as "target fresh products."

[0037] Returning to Figure 1, once the target fresh product is determined in a customer order containing both fresh and non-fresh products, a decision can be made as to whether the target fresh and non-fresh products will be packaged in the same packaging container.

[0038] First, the packaging management system (100) can determine whether the target fresh product and non-fresh product can be packaged together in the smallest first packaging container available during the order delivery process. If the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and non-fresh product can be packaged together in the first packaging container, the packaging management system (100) cannot determine to package the target fresh product and non-fresh product in the same first packaging container.

[0039] If, as a result of the judgment, the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together in the first packaging container, the packaging management system (100) can determine whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger in size than the first packaging container. The packaging management system (100) can repeat the above-described process until a packaging container of a size that can package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product together is found.

[0040] However, if the target fresh product and non-fresh product cannot be packaged together in the largest available third packaging container during the order delivery process, the packaging management system (100) may determine not to package the target fresh product and non-fresh product in the same packaging container. In this case, the packaging management system (100) may determine again whether to package together the remaining products, excluding the largest product among the target fresh or non-fresh products.

[0041] Meanwhile, even if it is physically possible to package the target fresh and non-fresh products in the same packaging container, it must also be determined whether the increase in unit per parcel (UPP) is significant. The packaging management system (100) may determine to package the target fresh and non-fresh products in the same packaging container if the increase in UPP when packaged in the same packaging container is greater than a preset threshold compared to when the target fresh and non-fresh products are not packaged in the same packaging container. For example, the threshold related to the increase in UPP may be set based on the additional packaging cost incurred when packaging the target fresh and non-fresh products together and the shipping cost saved due to the reduced parcel count.

[0042] Additionally, the packaging management system (100) can determine whether a non-fresh product is a type of non-fresh product that can be packaged together with fresh products. Whether a non-fresh product is a type of non-fresh product that can be packaged together with fresh products can be determined in advance by the service server (200). Non-fresh products that cannot be packaged together with fresh products may be products that, when packaged and delivered together with fresh products, may degrade the quality (e.g., freshness) of the fresh products. Examples of such products include cleaning products such as detergents and bleach. The packaging management system (100) can determine that non-fresh products that cannot be packaged together with fresh products will not be packaged together with the target fresh product. In other words, non-fresh products that may impair the customer experience when packaged and delivered together with fresh products will not be packaged in the same packaging container as the fresh product. If non-fresh products are not packaged together with fresh products but are packaged together with other non-fresh products, they may be packaged in a general packaging container.

[0043] However, since non-fresh products shipped together from fresh logistics centers are products that customers frequently order together with fresh products, it will not be frequent for non-fresh products of a type that cannot be packaged together with fresh products to be shipped together with fresh products.

[0044] The packaging management system (100) can display information related to the delivery of an order containing both fresh and non-fresh products on a user terminal (300) using a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, the information related to the delivery of an order may include information regarding which fresh product is the target fresh product among fresh products, and information regarding non-fresh products to be packaged together with the target fresh product. Furthermore, the GUI displayed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may also display the reduced parcel count and increased UPP values ​​due to the combined packaging of fresh and non-fresh products. This allows users of the logistics center to more efficiently manage the delivery process of an order containing both fresh and non-fresh products (i.e., the delivery process of fresh and non-fresh products shipped from the fresh logistics center).

[0045] The service server (200) may be a computing device / system (platform) that provides shopping services to customers. For example, the service server (200) may be a computing device / system that provides an online shopping site to a customer's terminal. The service server (200) may provide information related to orders containing both fresh and non-fresh products, among the orders received from customers, to the packaging management system (100).

[0046] The service server (200) may be implemented by at least one computing device. For example, all functions of the service server (200) may be implemented by a single computing device, or a first function of the service server (200) may be implemented by a first computing device, and a second function may be implemented by a second computing device. Alternatively, specific functions of the service server (200) may be implemented by multiple computing devices. For example, the computing devices may include any type of device equipped with a computing means and a communication means.

[0047] The user terminal (300) may be a computing device utilized by a user (e.g., a user of a logistics center handling fresh produce) who manages the delivery of a shopping service provided by the service server (200). For example, the user terminal (300) may include a smartphone, a desktop, a laptop, etc. For example, if the user terminal (300) is a smartphone, the user may manage the delivery of the shopping service provided by the service server (200) through an application on the smartphone. In this case, information related to the delivery of an order may be displayed as a GUI by the packaging management system (100) on the application. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the user terminal (300) may be implemented as any device.

[0048] The components illustrated in Figure 1 can communicate over a network. For example, the network can 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).

[0049] FIG. 3 is a flowchart exemplifying a packaging management method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For reference, FIG. 3 illustrates the steps / operations of the packaging management method for fresh and non-fresh products performed in the packaging management system (100) of FIG. 1. Therefore, in the following descriptions, if the subject of a specific step / operation is omitted, it can be understood that it is performed in the packaging management system (100). The following description will be made with reference to FIG. 1 along with FIG. 3.

[0050] In step S100, a customer order containing both fresh and non-fresh products may be received. Both fresh and non-fresh products may be shipped from a fresh logistics center. In step S200, based on the results of classifying the fresh product types by temperature, fresh products that can be packaged in the same container as non-fresh products may be determined as the target fresh products. Step S200 will be described below with reference to Figure 4.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a flowchart specifically illustrating the step (S200) of determining the target fresh product of FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 4, in step S210, it can be determined whether the type of fresh product included in the received order is a frozen product. If it is a frozen product (YES), the fresh product can be determined not to be a target fresh product in step S220. On the other hand, if it is not a frozen product (NO), i.e., if the type of fresh product is a refrigerated product or a room temperature product, the fresh product can be determined to be a target fresh product in step S230.

[0052] Returning to Figure 2, at step S300, it can be determined whether to package the target fresh and non-fresh products in the same packaging container. Here, the same packaging container may be a dedicated fresh product packaging container. Hereinafter, embodiments of step S300 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0053] Figures 5 to 7 are flowcharts specifically showing the step (S300) of determining whether to package in the same packaging container of Figure 3.

[0054] First, referring to FIG. 5, in step S305, it may be determined whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in the first packaging container having the smallest size. If they can be packaged together (YES), it may be determined in step S310 that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are to be packaged together in the first packaging container. However, if they cannot be packaged together (NO), it may be determined in step S315 whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger than the first packaging container. Although omitted for simplicity, similar to steps S305 to S315, it may be determined repeatedly whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in packaging containers of all sizes, and if they can be packaged together, it may be determined that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are to be packaged together in the corresponding packaging container.

[0055] In step S320, it may be determined whether the target fresh product and non-fresh product can be packaged together in the third largest packaging container. If they cannot be packaged together (NO), in step S325, it may be determined that the target fresh product and non-fresh product are not packaged together in the same packaging container. Although omitted for brevity, if they can be packaged together in the third packaging container, the target fresh product and non-fresh product may be determined to be packaged together in the third packaging container.

[0056] Next, referring to FIG. 6, in step S330, when the target fresh product and non-fresh product are packaged in the same packaging container, it can be determined whether the increase in UPP is greater than or equal to a preset threshold compared to when they are not packaged in the same packaging container. If it is greater than or equal to the preset threshold (YES), in step S335, it can be determined that the target fresh product and non-fresh product are packaged together in the same packaging container. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the threshold related to the increase in UPP can be set based on the additional packaging cost incurred when packaging the target fresh product and non-fresh product together and the shipping cost saved due to the reduced parcel count.

[0057] Finally, referring to Figure 7, in step S340, it can be determined whether the non-fresh product is a type of product that is predetermined not to be packaged together with fresh products. For example, a non-fresh product that may degrade the quality of the fresh product when packaged together with the fresh product may be predetermined not to be packaged together with the fresh product. If the non-fresh product is a type of product that is predetermined not to be packaged together (YES), in step S345, it can be determined that the target fresh product and non-fresh product will not be packaged in the same packaging container.

[0058] Returning to Figure 2, in step S400, information related to the delivery of an order containing both fresh and non-fresh products may be displayed via a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, the information related to the delivery of an order may include information regarding which fresh product is the target fresh product among the fresh products, information regarding non-fresh products that are packaged together with the target fresh product, a reduced parcel count due to the combination of fresh and non-fresh products, and an increased UPP value. For example, the GUI may be displayed on an application running on the user terminal (300).

[0059] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computing device (500) for packaging management according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 8, a computing device (500) may include one or more processors (510), a bus (530), a communication interface (540), a memory (520) for loading a computer program executed by the processor (510), and a storage (550) for storing a computer program (560). However, only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 8. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will appreciate that other general components may be included in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 8. That is, the computing device (500) may further include various components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 8. Furthermore, in some cases, the computing device (500) may be configured in a form in which some of the components illustrated in FIG. 8 are omitted. Hereinafter, each component of the computing device (500) will be described.

[0061] The processor (510) can control the overall operation of each component of the computing device (500). The processor (510) can be configured to include at least one of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Micro Processor Unit (MPU), a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or any other type of processor well known in the art of the present disclosure. In addition, the processor (510) can perform operations for at least one application or program for executing operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing device (500) can include one or more processors.

[0062] Next, the memory (520) can store various data, commands, and / or information. The memory (520) can load a computer program (560) from the storage (550) to execute operations / methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory (520) may be implemented as a volatile memory such as RAM, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0063] Next, the bus (530) can provide communication functions between components of the computing device (500). The bus (530) can be implemented as various types of buses, such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus.

[0064] Next, the communication interface (540) can support wired and wireless Internet communication of the computing device (500). Furthermore, the communication interface (540) can also support various communication methods other than Internet communication. To this end, the communication interface (540) can be configured to include a communication module well known in the technical field of the present disclosure.

[0065] Next, the storage (550) can non-temporarily store one or more computer programs (560). The storage (550) can be configured to include non-volatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a removable disk, or any form of computer-readable recording medium well known in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0066] Next, the computer program (560) may include one or more instructions that, when loaded into the memory (520), cause the processor (510) to perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. That is, the processor (510) may perform operations / methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the loaded one or more instructions.

[0067] For example, the computer program (560) may include instructions for receiving a customer's order including fresh products and non-fresh products, determining a type of fresh product that can be packaged together with non-fresh products among the fresh products as a target fresh product based on the result of classifying the types of fresh products according to temperature, and determining whether to package the target fresh products and non-fresh products in the same packaging container.

[0068] Additionally, the computer program (560) may include instructions for determining that the fresh product is not the target fresh product if the type of the fresh product is classified as a frozen product, and for determining that the fresh product is the target fresh product if the type of the fresh product is classified as either a refrigerated product or a room temperature product.

[0069] Furthermore, the computer program (560) may include instructions for determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packed together in a first packaging container that is the smallest in size among the packaging containers available during the order delivery process, and if the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packed together, determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are to be packed in the same first packaging container, and if the determination result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packed together, determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packed together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger in size than the first packaging container, and if the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packed together in a third packaging container that is the largest in size among the packaging containers available during the order delivery process, determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not to be packed in the same packaging container.

[0070] In addition, the computer program (560) may include instructions to pack the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container if the increase in unit per parcel (UPP) when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are packed in the same packaging container is greater than a preset threshold compared to when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packed in the same packaging container.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by packaging non-fresh products shipped from a fresh logistics center together with fresh products to prevent idleness in the fresh logistics center, parcel counts can be reduced and shipping costs can be reduced by increasing the UPP. Furthermore, by ensuring that frozen products are not packaged together with non-fresh products and that only refrigerated or room-temperature products are packaged together with non-fresh products, quality degradation can be prevented when fresh and non-fresh products are packaged together in the same container.

[0072] Various embodiments of the present disclosure and the effects thereof have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8. The effects of the technical concepts of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0073] Although all components constituting the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being combined or operating in combination as one, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present disclosure, all components may be selectively combined and operated in one or more combinations.

[0074] Although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood to imply that the operations must be performed in the particular order depicted, or in any sequential order, or that all depicted operations must be performed to achieve the desired results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of the various components in the embodiments described above should not be understood to imply that such separation is absolutely necessary, and it should be understood that the program components and systems described may generally be integrated together into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0075] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the rights of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. In a packaging management method performed by a computing device, A step of receiving a customer's order including fresh and non-fresh products; A step of determining a type of fresh product that can be packaged together with non-fresh products among the fresh products as the target fresh product based on the result of classifying the types of the fresh products according to temperature; and A step of automatically determining whether to package the above target fresh product and the above non-fresh product in the same packaging container, How to manage packaging.

2. In paragraph 1, The steps to determine the above target fresh product are: If the type of the above fresh product is classified as a frozen product, the above fresh product is determined not to be the above target fresh product, If the type of the fresh product is classified as either a refrigerated product or a room temperature product, a step of determining the fresh product as the target fresh product is included. How to manage packaging.

3. In paragraph 2, The above frozen product is a product in which the internal temperature of the packaging container is maintained at the first temperature, The above refrigerated product is a product in which the internal temperature of the packaging container is maintained at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, and The above room temperature product is a product in which the internal temperature of the packaging container is maintained at a third temperature higher than the second temperature. How to manage packaging.

4. In paragraph 1, The steps to automatically determine whether to package in the same container as above are: A step of determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in the smallest first packaging container among the packaging containers available during the delivery process of the above order; If the above judgment result shows that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together, it is decided to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same first packaging container. If the above judgment result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together, a step of determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger than the first packaging container; and Including a step of determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packed together in the third packaging container, which is the largest among the packaging containers available during the delivery process of the order, and that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packed in the same packaging container. How to manage packaging.

5. In paragraph 1, The step of automatically determining whether to package in the same packaging container as above is: A step of determining to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container, when the increase in UPP (unit per parcel) when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are packaged in the same packaging container is greater than a preset threshold, compared to when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packaged in the same packaging container, The above UPP indicates the number of products per unit package. How to manage packaging.

6. In paragraph 5, The above threshold is characterized in that it is determined based on the packaging cost and the saved shipping cost when packaging the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container. How to manage packaging.

7. In paragraph 1, The step of automatically determining whether to package in the same packaging container as above is: If it is determined in advance that the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together with the fresh product, a step of determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not to be packaged in the same packaging container is included. How to manage packaging.

8. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of displaying information related to the delivery of the above order through a graphical user interface (GUI), Information related to the delivery of the above order includes information about which of the above fresh products is the target fresh product, information about products packaged in the same packaging container as the target fresh product, and the value of the reduced parcel count and increased unit per parcel (UPP) due to packaging in the same packaging container. The above UPP indicates the number of products per unit package. How to manage packaging.

9. Processor; and Contains memory that stores instructions, The above instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: The act of receiving a customer's order including fresh and non-fresh products; An operation of determining a type of fresh product that can be packaged together with non-fresh products among the fresh products as the target fresh product based on the result of classifying the types of the fresh products according to temperature; and To automatically perform an action to determine whether the above target fresh product and the above target non-fresh product are to be packaged in the same packaging container. Packaging management system.

10. In paragraph 9, The actions to determine the above target fresh product are: If the type of the above fresh product is classified as a frozen product, the above fresh product is determined not to be the above target fresh product, If the type of the above fresh product is classified as either a refrigerated product or a room temperature product, the operation of determining the fresh product as the target fresh product is included. Packaging management system.

11. In paragraph 9, The action that automatically determines whether to pack in the same container as above is: An action of determining whether the fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packed together in the smallest first packaging container among the packaging containers available during the delivery process of the above order; If the above judgment result shows that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together, it is decided to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same first packaging container. If the above judgment result indicates that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packaged together, an operation of determining whether the target fresh product and the non-fresh product can be packaged together in a second packaging container that is one unit larger than the first packaging container; and Including an action of determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product cannot be packed together in the third largest packaging container among the packaging containers available during the delivery process of the order, and that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packed in the same packaging container. Packaging management system.

12. In paragraph 9, The action of automatically deciding whether to pack in the same packaging container as above is, When the amount of increase in UPP (unit per parcel) when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are packaged in the same packaging container is greater than a preset threshold compared to when the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are not packaged in the same packaging container, an action is included for determining that the target fresh product and the non-fresh product are packaged in the same packaging container. The above UPP indicates the number of products per unit package. Packaging management system.

13. In paragraph 12, The above threshold is characterized in that it is determined based on the packaging cost and the saved shipping cost when packaging the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container. Packaging management system.

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