Warehouse Stock Request Wave Grouping System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for grouping and managing stock requests in warehouses are inefficient, leading to time-consuming processes, errors, and congestion, as they do not allow for effective monitoring or flexible management of requests, especially as the number of requests increases or when items are located in multiple warehouses.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented system that groups stock requests into 'waves' based on predetermined conditions and attributes, creating a wave object for each group, which can be released for processing, allowing for efficient management, monitoring, and flexible handling of requests, including the ability to cancel, hold, or reassign them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If workers manually group stock requests based on attributes, then requests can be organized for processing, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone as the number of requests increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing workers to define their own grouping criteria through simple interfaces. Workers can specify attributes (destination, item type, priority) and the system automatically groups requests according to these criteria, eliminating the need for manual review of each request individually while still giving workers control over the grouping process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual grouping process with an automated computer-based system. Instead of workers manually sorting through requests, the system uses algorithms to automatically group requests based on defined criteria, substituting human manual operations with automated computational processes that are faster and more consistent.
2Ease of operation
If workers process each transfer order serially and item-by-item, then processing is straightforward, but productivity decreases and warehouse congestion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple transfer orders into grouped requests (waves) that can be processed together. By combining orders with common attributes (same destination, same item location, similar priority), the system enables workers to process multiple orders in single trips, reducing the number of sequential operations and increasing overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary grouping of orders before they are assigned to workers. By pre-organizing requests into coherent groups based on attributes and processing requirements, the system prepares the workload in advance, allowing workers to receive and process multiple orders more efficiently without increasing operational complexity during execution.
3Productivity
If multiple workers collect items from the same warehouse area simultaneously, then processing speed increases, but congestion and conflicts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by creating distinct groups for different warehouse areas or zones. Workers can be assigned to specific groups that correspond to particular locations or item types, ensuring that workers in different areas operate independently without causing congestion. Each group has localized characteristics that prevent overlap and conflict in the warehouse.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system becomes more complex to handle multiple warehouses and requests, then functionality increases, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by creating a single, unified interface and set of grouping criteria that works across multiple warehouses. The same basic mechanisms for defining groups, assigning workers, and tracking status apply consistently whether the requests are in one warehouse or distributed across many, eliminating the need for workers to learn different procedures for different locations.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for releasing stock requests to a storage facility, such as a warehouse. Such systems, methods and computer-readable medium may generate a condition record reflecting a predetermined set of conditions to be met by the attributes of a stock request, receive the stock request including one or more attributes about a stock item, determine whether the attributes of the received stock request meet the conditions of the condition record, associate a wave template of the condition record with the stock request if a determination is made that the stock request does meet the condition record, and create a wave object based on each stock request associated with the wave template. The wave object may then be released to the warehouse for fulfillment of each stock request associated with the wave object.