Partial Data Search via Dummy Nodes in Procurement Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retail procurement systems face delays in search functionality due to the unpredictable order of data receipt from external systems, where objects, categories, and characteristics are not guaranteed to be received in a specific order, hindering immediate search capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism to create dummy nodes for missing dependencies in the object hierarchy, allowing partial data to be searchable even before complete data arrival, by parsing payloads and identifying dependencies to generate partially linked data for immediate user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system waits for complete hierarchy data to be received before enabling search functionality, then data completeness and accuracy are improved, but search availability and user productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements search functionality with partial data rather than waiting for complete data. The system performs search operations on the portion of hierarchy data that has been received and processed so far, allowing users to obtain search results from available data while the complete data download continues in the background.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares search indexes and data structures in advance as data arrives, rather than waiting until all data is complete. By pre-processing and indexing received data portions, the system enables immediate search operations without delay, and continuously updates indexes as more data arrives.
2Device complexity
If the system processes data in the order received from external systems, then data processing simplicity is improved, but search functionality timing deteriorates due to unpredictable packet ordering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the hierarchy data into independent segments (objects, categories, characteristics, characteristic profiles) that can be processed individually. Each data type is handled separately with its own processing logic, allowing the system to process available segments without waiting for others and to manage dependencies explicitly rather than sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary data structure layer that decouples the unpredictable external data arrival from the search functionality requirements. This intermediary layer buffers, reorganizes, and manages data dependencies, allowing search operations to proceed on available data while handling the unordered nature of incoming packets.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, a first payload in a first electronic communication is received, the first payload containing localization information regarding a first node in a taxonomy of objects, categories, and characteristics. The first payload is parsed to identify one or more dependencies. For each of the one or more dependencies, a dummy node in the taxonomy corresponding to the dependency is created, the dummy node containing information about the dependency from the first payload. A search mechanism is provided to a graphical user interface, the search mechanism designed to receive user interactions from a user and cause one or more hardware processors to retrieve and cause display of information in one or more of the dummy nodes in the taxonomy.