Serialized Product Order Fulfillment via Automated Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing and distributing serialized products across multiple retail locations and online channels is complex, especially in warehouse-based sales, where matching product units with end users becomes challenging due to high sales volumes and increased inventory complexity.
Innovation Solution
A computerized system comprising a product reservation system and a warehouse control system that uses unique serial identifiers to track and manage serialized products, employing robots for automated picking and storage in warehouse facilities, and integrating with enterprise resource planning systems for inventory management and order fulfillment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If warehouse-based sales are used to reduce physical store inventory, then stockholding requirements are reduced, but product matching complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inventory management process into distinct functional modules: order receiving module, availability checking module, reservation module, and fulfillment module. Each module handles a specific aspect of the workflow, making the overall complex system manageable and scalable. The segmentation allows the system to process high volumes of serialized products without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computerized system acting as an intermediary between the warehouse inventory and multiple retail locations/online channels. This intermediary system automatically manages product matching, reservation, and fulfillment, eliminating the need for manual tracking and reducing complexity despite high sales volumes across multiple outlets.
2Productivity
If manual product picking is used, then system complexity is low, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the computerized system automatically performs availability checking, product reservation, and coordination of fulfillment without human intervention. The system serves itself by automatically updating inventory status and managing reservations across multiple channels, significantly improving productivity while keeping the automation complexity manageable through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical picking processes with an automated computerized system that uses electronic data processing and communication networks. This substitution of mechanical manual operations with electronic automation increases productivity while the modular architecture keeps the system complexity controllable and scalable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If product activation is delayed, then inventory flexibility is improved, but reliability of authorized access decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by reserving specific serialized product units for orders before fulfillment. The system checks availability, reserves the exact product unit needed, and coordinates fulfillment in advance, ensuring that when the product is activated and delivered, authorized access is already established. This preliminary reservation process maintains reliability while allowing flexible inventory management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the computerized system continuously monitors inventory status, reservation status, and fulfillment progress. This feedback loop ensures that product activation and authorized access are properly coordinated, maintaining reliability while allowing the system to adapt to changing inventory conditions and order requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments are directed to a method for fulfilling orders from an inventory comprising serialized products. For example, a computer system may receive an order and derive from the order a plurality of products, a unit quantity for each of the plurality of products, and a serial identifier referencing a first product unit of at least one of the plurality of products. At least one of the plurality of products may be a non-reserved product. Also, the computer system may determine a first bin selected from a plurality of non-reserved product bins that is associated with product units of the non-reserved product and generate a pick instruction specifying the first bin and the unit quantity of the non-reserved product specified by the order. The computer system may also instruct a robot to retrieve the first product unit from one of the plurality of robot accessible bins. The robot may be programmed to load product units to the plurality of robot-accessible bins and retrieve product units from the plurality of robot-acccessible bins.