Retail Overstock Auditing via Randomized Employee Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

In retail environments, overstock products often fail to be properly placed in designated display areas due to various issues, leading to inefficient inventory management and the need for a systematic approach to identify and resolve these problems.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for monitoring and tracking overstock product inventory by randomizing the audit of employee activities, generating reports, and utilizing database queries to retrieve employee schedules and inventory information, which includes creating data structures and visual representations of audit data to identify and address stocking issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If employees manually stock display areas without systematic monitoring, then stocking operations can proceed without intervention, but overstock products fail to be properly placed and inventory management efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinventory management efficiencyVSAvoidaccuracy of product placement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous monitoring and auditing of employee stocking activities, collecting data on overstock products and placement accuracy. This feedback loop enables identification of issues and corrective actions to improve both efficiency and accuracy of inventory management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Manual monitoring and tracking of overstock products is replaced with an automated computerized system that uses databases, algorithms, and software to track employee activities, generate audit lists, and monitor placement accuracy, thereby improving both productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If overstock products are returned to back room for storage, then products are protected from improper placement, but inventory management efficiency deteriorates due to additional handling and storage requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct protection from improper placementVSAvoidinventory management efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides real-time feedback on overstock product status and placement opportunities, enabling employees to redirect products to appropriate display areas before they are returned to back room storage, thus protecting products while maintaining management efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary auditing and identification of overstock products before they are returned to storage, allowing for proactive placement in designated display areas and preventing unnecessary back room handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If systematic auditing of employee overstock products is implemented, then stocking issues can be identified and resolved, but system complexity increases due to database queries, randomization functions, and reporting mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification and resolution of stocking issuesVSAvoidcomplexity of auditing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The auditing system is integrated with existing employee scheduling and inventory management databases, allowing the same system to perform multiple functions including schedule management, audit list generation, randomization, and reporting, thereby reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically generates audit lists, performs randomization, collects audit data, and produces reports without requiring manual intervention for each function, reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliable issue identification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If randomized auditing of employees is performed during specified time periods, then audit fairness and coverage are improved, but time consumption increases due to database queries and data structure creation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefairness and coverage of audit processVSAvoidtime required for audit preparation and execution

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Employee schedule information is pre-retrieved from databases and stored in data structures before auditing begins, and randomization is performed in advance, reducing real-time processing requirements and time consumption during actual audit execution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Manual audit scheduling and randomization processes are replaced with automated computer-based systems that quickly generate random audit lists based on employee schedules, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining fairness and coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10325230B2Methods and systems for auditing overstock in a retail environment

Publication Date: 2019.06.18 WALMART APOLLO LLC

AI summary

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are related to auditing overstock products in a retail environment. A database query is constructed to retrieve employee schedule information for a specified time period from a database. A first data structure is created that includes an audit list of employees scheduled to work during the specified time period in response to database records returned by the database in response to the submission of the database query. A pseudo-random sorting function is executed to randomize a position of the employees in the audit list. A second data structure is created that includes audit data generated in response to an overstock audit. A report is generated based on the audit data and includes at least one visual representation of the audit data.