Checkout Line Image Recommendations for Last-Minute Order Adds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customers are limited in their ability to impulsively add items to an order while a picker is fulfilling it, as they cannot see items available near the checkout line, leading to reduced interaction and revenue for the online concierge system.
Innovation Solution
A picker captures an image of items in the checkout line using a client device, and the online concierge system applies image processing models to identify items, determines customer probabilities for inclusion, and sends a message to the customer for selection, allowing impulsive additions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the customer is physically in the retailer, then the customer can see items and make impulsive purchases, but when a picker is fulfilling the order, the customer is limited to information provided by the online concierge system
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a visual copy of the physical checkout line environment by capturing an image and transmitting it to the customer's device. This allows the customer to see items that would otherwise be physically inaccessible, enabling impulsive purchases while the picker is fulfilling the order.
Solution Approach 2:
The image transmission system acts as an intermediary between the physical checkout line and the customer. Instead of requiring the customer to be physically present, the system mediates the visual information transfer, allowing the customer to view and select items remotely.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the picker captures and transmits images of checkout line items, then the customer can see and select items, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The picker's client device performs multiple functions: it captures images of checkout line items, transmits them to the server, and enables customer interaction. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated hardware systems, managing complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically captures and transmits images without requiring manual intervention from the customer or picker. The process occurs autonomously when the picker approaches the checkout line, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An online concierge system receives an order including one or more items from a customer and a picker obtains the items from a retailer. Upon completing obtaining items from the order and moving to checkout from the retailer, the picker updates an order status via a picker application. Via the picker application, the picker may capture an image of a shelf of items in the checkout line. The online concierge system identifies one or more items in the image using image processing and ranks the identified items for the customer from whom the order was received. The online concierge system includes a subset of the identified items ordered based on the ranking in a message to the customer via a communication interface between the customer and the picker. The message indicates the customer can add one or more of the identified items before the picker completes a checkout process.