Temperature-Based Packaging Decisions to Cut Parcel Count
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Solution Overview
Problem
The delivery cost for orders containing both fresh and non-fresh products increases due to separate packaging, despite the potential for combined shipment, as most delivery costs are based on parcel count.
Innovation Solution
A packaging management method that classifies fresh products by temperature and determines which types can be packaged together with non-fresh products, optimizing packaging choices to minimize parcel count and maximize products per parcel (UPP) while ensuring product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fresh products and non-fresh products are packaged separately, then product quality is maintained, but delivery cost increases due to higher parcel count
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines fresh products and non-fresh products into a single packaging container when temperature conditions permit. The system determines compatibility based on temperature classification, and when compatible, merges the products into one parcel to reduce delivery cost while maintaining quality through proper temperature control during transit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different packaging approaches to different products within the same order based on their temperature requirements. Fresh products with similar temperature needs are grouped together, and non-fresh products are added to this group only when they share compatible temperature characteristics, creating locally optimized packaging solutions rather than universal packaging rules.
2Loss of energy
If fresh products and non-fresh products are packaged together, then delivery cost decreases due to lower parcel count, but product quality may deteriorate due to temperature incompatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of temperature classification to determine packaging compatibility. By categorizing fresh products into frozen, refrigerated, and room temperature groups, and comparing these parameters with non-fresh products, the system identifies compatible combinations. This parameter-based approach enables cost-effective combined packaging while preventing temperature-related quality deterioration through systematic compatibility assessment.
3Quantity of substance
If frozen products are packaged with non-fresh products, then parcel count is reduced, but quality deterioration occurs due to excessive cold temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts frozen products from the group of fresh products that can be combined with non-fresh products. By separating frozen products into a distinct category, the system prevents their combination with non-fresh products, thereby avoiding quality deterioration from excessive cold temperatures while still reducing overall parcel count through compatible combinations of refrigerated and room temperature fresh products with non-fresh items.
Data Source
AI summary
A packaging management method is disclosed. The method may be performed by a computing device, and may comprise: receiving an order of a customer including fresh products and non-fresh products; determining a type of fresh product packagable together with the non-fresh product among the fresh products as a target fresh product based on a result of classifying types of the fresh products according to a temperature; and automatically determining whether or not to package the target fresh product and the non-fresh product in the same packaging container.