Automated Delivery Worker Assignment System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current delivery task assignment systems for fulfillment centers rely on human intervention to manually assign temporary delivery workers, which is inefficient and cannot handle sudden increases in delivery volumes effectively.

Innovation Solution

An automated system that determines the number of permanent and temporary delivery workers needed based on parcel volumes, assigns permanent workers to tasks, and then allocates temporary workers to remaining tasks, utilizing a database and processor-driven operations to streamline the assignment process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual assignment by human managers is used, then flexibility in handling complex delivery scenarios is improved, but productivity and efficiency deteriorate due to time-consuming manual review and assignment processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in handling complex delivery scenariosVSAvoidassignment efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically determining the number of permanent and temporary delivery workers needed, automatically assigning tasks to permanent workers, and automatically assigning remaining tasks to temporary workers without requiring human manager intervention for each assignment decision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of human managers reviewing workload tables and making assignment decisions is replaced with an automated computerized system that calculates worker needs and performs assignments based on parcel volumes and worker availability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If automated assignment systems are implemented, then productivity and efficiency are improved, but adaptability to handle sudden increases in delivery volumes deteriorates without proper integration of temporary workers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassignment efficiencyVSAvoidability to handle sudden increases in delivery volumes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the mix of permanent and temporary workers based on real-time parcel volumes and delivery task requirements, automatically determining the optimal number of each worker type needed to handle current workload levels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The assignment process is segmented into distinct phases: first assigning permanent workers to delivery tasks, then assigning temporary workers to remaining tasks, allowing the system to efficiently handle varying volumes by activating different worker segments as needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If manual review of workload tables is performed, then measurement precision of workload assessment is improved, but loss of time increases due to manual review processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkload assessment accuracyVSAvoidtime for reviewing and determining assignments

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The manual mechanical review process is replaced with automated computerized calculations that determine the number of permanent and temporary workers needed based on parcel volumes, eliminating time-consuming manual review while maintaining accurate workload assessment through systematic computation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11488275B2Systems and methods for automatic assignment of flexible delivery work

Publication Date: 2022.11.01 COUPANG CORP

AI summary

Disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods related to automatically assigning temporary delivery workers to a delivery task. A method for automatically assigning temporary delivery workers to a delivery task comprises receiving a request to determine delivery tasks for temporary delivery workers from a user device, retrieving delivery tasks needing assignments from a database, each delivery task associated with a delivery location and a volume of parcels, and determining a number of permanent delivery workers needed based on a volume of parcels associated with each delivery task. The method further comprises retrieving permanent delivery workers and temporary delivery workers needing assignments from the database, each delivery worker associated with a feasible volume of delivery parcels, assigning the retrieved permanent delivery workers to the retrieved delivery tasks, assigning the retrieved temporary delivery workers to the retrieved delivery tasks needing assignments after the permanent delivery worker assignments.