Dynamic Add-On Order Integration via Preparation Time Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food delivery systems often complicate customer experiences by requiring separate orders for add-on items, leading to additional delivery fees and disruptions in the preparation process.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows buyers to remotely view and select add-on items for existing orders, using a service provider's platform to combine these items with the original order, avoiding additional delivery fees by determining availability based on preparation times and merchant load, and offering items from nearby merchants along the courier's route.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a customer places a separate new order for add-on items, then the customer can obtain additional items, but the customer incurs additional delivery fees and the preparation process is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines add-on items with the original order into a single consolidated order. The system allows customers to add items to an existing order, and these items are merged with the original order for unified preparation and delivery, eliminating the need for separate delivery trips and reducing delivery fees.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a customer places a separate new order for add-on items, then the customer can obtain additional items, but the preparation process is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary checks to determine whether add-on items can be integrated into the existing preparation process. By evaluating the original order's preparation status and the add-on items' compatibility, the system proactively identifies opportunities to combine items without disrupting the preparation workflow, thereby maintaining productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system offers add-on items from multiple merchants, then the variety of available items increases, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service provider platform as an intermediary between customers and multiple merchants. This intermediary manages the complexity of coordinating with multiple merchants, handling item availability, preparation times, and delivery logistics, while presenting a simplified interface to customers and enabling access to a broader variety of items.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a service provider may receive, from a buyer device, a first order for a first item to be prepared by a first merchant. The service provider may determine a second item offered by the first merchant, or another merchant, that can be added on to the first order by determining a preparation time for the first item, and determining that the second item offered by the first merchant, or the other merchant, has a preparation time less than the preparation time for the first item. The service provider may further determine a threshold time for ordering the second item based on a difference between the preparations time for the first item and the second item. The threshold time may be presented on the buyer device to indicate an amount of time the buyer has to add the second item to the first order.