Packaging Hierarchy Storage via Dual-Code Parent References
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current track and trace systems face inefficiencies in handling large volumes of re-packaging and complex packaging hierarchies in the supply chain, leading to unpredictable performance and inadequate system response times due to the need for extensive database management.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a data structure and format to efficiently store and retrieve packaging hierarchies by marking physical items with unique two-part codes, allowing for the storage of hierarchical relationships between parent and child items, enabling fast data access and minimal storage requirements, even during re-packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional database management is used to store packaging hierarchies, then complete tracking information can be recorded, but system response time becomes unpredictable and performance degrades with large volumes of re-packaging data
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging hierarchy is segmented into parent items and child items with unique identifiers. Each packaging level (e.g., master carton, case, pack) is divided into discrete hierarchical units that can be independently tracked and referenced, enabling efficient data organization and retrieval without processing entire packaging trees.
Solution Approach 2:
A hierarchical identifier system acts as an intermediary between physical packaging items and database records. The parent item identifier serves as a key that implicitly references all child items, reducing the need for extensive database queries while maintaining complete tracking information.
2Loss of information
If extensive database management is used to track all packaging relationships, then complete packaging history can be retrieved, but storage requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Essential packaging relationship information is extracted and embedded directly into item identifiers and metadata. The parent item identifier contains implicit information about all child items, eliminating the need to store separate database records for every packaging relationship while preserving complete packaging history.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing complete packaging relationship trees in the database, the system uses identifier copying where child item identifiers reference their parent identifiers. This creates a compact representation of packaging hierarchies that can be reconstructed on-demand without extensive storage requirements.
3Reliability
If detailed packaging relationships are stored for every item, then complete traceability is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each packaging item is assigned local quality attributes including parent item identifier, child item identifiers, and packaging level metadata. This distributed information architecture enables complete traceability through local references rather than requiring centralized storage of all packaging relationships, simplifying data management while maintaining traceability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for storing and retrieving a packaging hierarchy of traceable physical items includes at an item marking location, marking physical items to be packaged in the packaging hierarchy, with a unique code with a first and second identifier, transferring packaging relationships between the codes to a track and trace system, identifying for each code in the packaging relationships, hierarchical code relations expressed as parent and/or child codes, and for each code, storing the hierarchical code relations in a section of a data storage location of the first computer system, wherein a start position of the section is determined by a combination of the first and second identifiers of the code.