Order Fulfillment Scoring with Prior-Used Delivery Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and cost of online order fulfillment due to shipping and logistical challenges, as consumers often purchase and receive products online rather than in-store, necessitate more efficient systems and methods to manage these transactions.
Innovation Solution
A network-based system that optimizes online order fulfillment by identifying the closest sources and delivery options, assigning scores based on cost and delivery time, and selecting the most desirable combinations, while also considering user preferences and potential disruptions, to streamline the fulfillment process and reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If online order fulfillment is implemented, then customer convenience is improved, but shipping costs and logistical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fulfillment network into multiple sources (warehouses, distribution centers, retail stores) and multiple delivery options (standard shipping, expedited shipping, same-day delivery, in-store pickup). This segmentation allows the system to evaluate and select from discrete fulfillment paths, managing complexity through structured division rather than monolithic processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically evaluates fulfillment options, scores them based on cost and delivery time, and selects the optimal combination without requiring manual intervention. The computer system performs self-service by autonomously optimizing fulfillment configurations, reducing the need for human logistics coordination while maintaining customer convenience.
2Ease of operation
If online order fulfillment is implemented, then customer convenience is improved, but shipping costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of fulfillment by dynamically evaluating multiple sources and delivery options based on cost and delivery time. The system adjusts fulfillment configurations by selecting different combinations of sources and delivery methods, optimizing the cost parameter while maintaining service quality. This allows flexible parameter adjustment to minimize shipping costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of fulfillment options before actual order processing. By pre-calculating scores for different source-delivery combinations based on cost and delivery time, the system prepares optimal fulfillment paths in advance, enabling cost-effective shipping decisions before commitments are made.
3Productivity
If multiple sources and delivery options are evaluated, then fulfillment optimization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system evaluates fulfillment options, scores them, selects the optimal combination, and can modify configurations based on disruptions or user preferences. This feedback loop enables continuous optimization while managing complexity through iterative refinement rather than exhaustive simultaneous processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The computer system acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of evaluating multiple sources and delivery options. It mediates between the customer's order requirements and the fulfillment network by automatically scoring and selecting optimal combinations, shielding users from the underlying system complexity while achieving high-level optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A system receives an order from a user and evaluates a plurality of potential sources for items of an order as well as delivery options. Combinations of sources and delivery options are assigned a score according to factors such as cost, delivery time, and supply chain factors. A prior-used delivery option for the user is determined and the scores are adjusted to indicate higher desirability for combinations including the prior-used delivery option. A combination is selected and fulfillment of the order is invoked. The source and/or delivery option for an order may be adjusted after fulfillment has begun in response to user instructions or detected disruptions. A user may specify a preferred delivery option that will be used unless a combination not including the preferred delivery option meets a threshold condition. The system may analyze past orders of a user and identify lower cost delivery intervals and/or destinations.