Stock Status Data Prioritization for Replenishment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing product management systems in stores often lead to delayed replenishment of products in short supply, resulting in missed sales opportunities and reduced profits, as the order of stocking is left to individual sales clerks' discretion when multiple products are out of stock.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and method that acquires stock status data from sales floors, selects products in short supply, sets priority for replenishment based on opportunity loss, and outputs stocking information to sales clerks, ensuring timely and prioritized restocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the order of stocking products in short supply is left to the discretion of individual sales clerks, then the ease of operation is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to delayed replenishment of high-value products
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors product stock levels in real-time and provides feedback to sales clerks through notifications that include prioritized replenishment lists. This feedback mechanism enables clerks to act on the most critical items first without needing to manually assess all products, thereby improving productivity while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary sorting and prioritization of products in short supply based on predefined criteria (such as sales velocity, margin, or expiration date) before notifying sales clerks. This preliminary action eliminates the need for clerks to manually evaluate all products, allowing them to focus only on high-priority items and thus improve replenishment efficiency.
2Device complexity
If manual assessment of product prioritization is performed by sales clerks, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of time increases due to delayed identification of critical products
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically monitoring stock levels, calculating prioritization scores, and generating replenishment notifications without requiring sales clerks to manually assess products. This automation reduces the time clerks would otherwise spend on manual evaluation while keeping the system relatively simple to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual product assessment with an automated information processing system that uses algorithms to determine prioritization. This substitution eliminates time-consuming manual evaluation while maintaining simplicity through automated decision-making based on objective criteria.
3Ease of operation
If prioritization of products in short supply is not implemented, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the loss of time increases due to delayed replenishment of high-opportunity-loss products
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of product prioritization by automatically assigning priority levels based on calculable factors such as opportunity loss, sales velocity, or margin. This parameter transformation enables time-efficient replenishment decisions while maintaining ease of operation, as clerks simply need to follow the prioritized list rather than performing complex assessments.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus acquires stock information indicating a stock status of a product displayed on a sales floor. The information processing apparatus selects, on the basis of the acquired stock information, a product in short supply that needs to be replenished to the sales floor. Further, the information processing apparatus sets, where the product in short supply includes a plurality of products, priority of replenishment to the sales floor for the selected product in short supply.