Order Processing System for Shared Household Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for online shopping by multiple individuals sharing a household result in inefficient and costly multiple deliveries or require manual item separation, as each person typically places separate orders or pays for the entire order collectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows multiple individuals to place a single order with each item associated with a specific person, enabling separate packaging and payment for each individual, thereby simplifying delivery and cost allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple people place separate orders with separate delivery times, then each person can receive their items independently, but delivery costs increase and total delivery fees charged to the multiple people increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the order into multiple portions, each associated with a different customer. The fulfillment system generates separate picking instructions for each portion, allowing items to be separated during the picking process itself rather than requiring separate deliveries or manual separation after delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary separation of items during the picking process based on pre-defined customer portions. By organizing the picking instructions to separate items by customer before packaging, the system eliminates the need for post-delivery separation and enables cost-effective single-delivery processing.
2Loss of energy
If multiple people place a single order delivered at one time, then delivery costs are reduced, but someone must manually separate the items upon delivery and manage cost allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the separation action preliminarily during the fulfillment process rather than requiring manual separation after delivery. The picking instructions are generated to automatically separate items by customer portion before packaging, eliminating post-delivery manual work.
Solution Approach 2:
The fulfillment system automatically performs the separation and cost allocation functions that would otherwise require manual customer intervention. The system self-manages the complex tasks of item separation, portioning, and cost calculation without requiring customer involvement.
3Productivity
If one member of the household pays for the entire order collectively, then a single payment transaction is processed, but that member must determine item costs allocated to each person and collect those costs from other people
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs cost allocation and calculation for each customer portion without requiring manual intervention. The fulfillment system generates accurate cost breakdowns for each customer based on the items in their respective portions, eliminating the need for one person to manually calculate and collect costs from others.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary that automatically handles the complex cost allocation calculations between multiple customers. Rather than requiring one customer to manually manage cost distribution, the system intermediates the financial calculations and provides clear cost information for each customer portion.
Data Source
AI summary
A system identifying an order comprising items for users for delivery to a common geographic location by: identifying an order comprising items for users for delivery to a common geographic location, wherein the order further comprises instructions to separate each item of the items associated with each one of the users by: receiving an indication to identify the each item of the items in the order, wherein the order is stored in a database of a retailer; receiving an indication to identify the users associated with the order by accessing user accounts for the each one of the users, wherein the user accounts are stored in a user database; receiving an indication to identify a particular user of the users that is associated with the each item of the items in the order; and generating a list of items of the items associated with the each one of the users; calculating respective payments for respective portions of the order, wherein the each one of the users is presented with a respective one of the lists of items and a respective cost for the respective one of the lists of items associated with the respective portions of the order; receiving the respective payments associated with the respective portions of the order from the each one of the users, the respective payments being applied to the respective one of the lists of items; and generating order processing instructions to process the respective one of the lists of items associated with the each one of the users after receiving respective ones of the respective payments from respective ones of the each one of the users. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.