Uniform Delivery Tracking Across Networks with Verified ETAs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Grocery stores using multiple third-party delivery driver networks face inconsistent and confusing delivery tracking information due to different formats across platforms, leading to a suboptimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
A system and method to convert non-standard driver tracking information from various platforms into a uniform format, incorporating an estimated time of arrival, and ensuring reliability before providing it to customers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple third-party delivery driver networks are used, then delivery capacity and coverage are improved, but tracking information consistency and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator system that receives tracking information from multiple third-party delivery driver networks and transforms it into a standardized format. This mediator acts as an intermediary layer between the diverse delivery networks and the customer interface, converting various platform-dependent formats into a uniform standard format that ensures consistency across all deliveries regardless of which network is used.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal tracking information standard that can accommodate data from multiple different delivery networks. By creating a multi-functional standard format that can represent tracking information from various sources (different hardware and software platforms), the system achieves universality, allowing consistent tracking presentation across all delivery networks while maintaining the ability to handle diverse input formats.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple delivery driver networks with different platforms are used, then service coverage is improved, but information format standardization becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies parameter changes by transforming tracking information from various source formats into a standardized target format. This involves changing parameters such as data structure, field names, and information representation to match the standard format requirements. The conversion process adjusts multiple parameters simultaneously to achieve format standardization while maintaining the underlying tracking data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The format conversion system serves as an intermediary that handles the complexity of multiple platform formats. Rather than requiring each delivery network to adapt to a standard, the mediator actively transforms their diverse formats into the required standard format, thereby managing the standardization complexity centrally while allowing delivery networks to maintain their existing platform independence.
3Ease of operation
If estimated delivery time is provided, then customer satisfaction is improved, but reliability of the estimate may be compromised without verification
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms to verify the reliability of estimated delivery times. By monitoring actual delivery performance data and comparing it against provided estimates, the system can assess the accuracy of estimated delivery times. This feedback loop allows the system to identify unreliable estimates and adjust or replace them with more accurate predictions, thereby maintaining customer satisfaction while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of estimated delivery times before presenting them to customers. By pre-assessing the reliability of estimated delivery time data from delivery networks and conducting initial validation checks, the system ensures that only verified, reliable estimates are provided to customers. This preliminary action prevents unreliable estimates from reaching the customer interface.
Data Source
AI summary
A method including receiving driver tracking information from a platform of a delivery driver network of multiple delivery driver networks. The method further can include determining a platform-dependent format of the driver tracking information; and when the platform-dependent format is different from a standard format, converting the driver tracking information from the platform-dependent format into uniform tracking information in the standard forma. Moreover, the method can include determining an estimated time of arrival; and verifying a reliability of an estimated delivery time of the driver tracking information. The method further can include when the reliability of the estimated delivery time is verified, incorporating the estimated delivery time into the uniform tracking information; and when the reliability of the estimated delivery time is not verified, incorporating the estimated time of arrival into the uniform tracking information as the estimated delivery time. The method further can include providing the uniform tracking information to be rendered on a user interface of a user device. Other embodiments are disclosed.