Warehouse Container Selection for Higher Stocking Density
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing warehousing systems face inefficiencies in stocking and warehousing due to unvaried container outbound methods, leading to low warehousing density and poor user experience, as they often require large numbers of empty containers, waste storage space, and fail to meet diverse user demands.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for determining to-be-outbound containers based on demand information, including container selection strategies, types, quantities, and material features, to optimize container utilization and meet individual user needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If completely empty containers are always output for stocking, then stocking efficiency is ensured, but warehouse utilization is low and storage space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of container selection from fixed (always empty containers) to dynamic (containers selected based on material characteristics, destination, and current warehouse state). The control device determines optimal containers by evaluating multiple parameters including material type, destination warehouse, container capacity, and current occupancy, thereby improving warehouse utilization while maintaining stocking efficiency.
2Device complexity
If unvaried container outbound methods are used, then system complexity is low, but adaptability to different material demands is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The container outbound system transitions from a static, fixed-method approach to a dynamic, adaptive system. The control device continuously evaluates material characteristics, destination requirements, and warehouse state to determine optimal container assignments in real-time, enabling the system to adapt to varying material demands without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the control device receives information about material characteristics, destination requirements, and current container occupancy status, then uses this feedback to dynamically adjust container selection decisions. This closed-loop control enables adaptive response to different material demands while maintaining system simplicity through automated decision-making.
3Ease of operation
If large numbers of empty containers are required, then stocking operations are simplified, but storage space is wasted and warehouse utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service container selection where the control device automatically determines optimal container assignments based on material characteristics and warehouse state, eliminating the need for manual container selection while improving space utilization. The system serves itself by making intelligent decisions about which containers to use, reducing both operational complexity and waste.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for determining to-be-outbound containers and a device. The method includes: receiving demand information for required containers, where the demand information includes one or more pieces of the following information: a container selection strategy, a container type, the quantity of containers, the quantity of empty compartments in a container, a volume of to-be-stocked materials, the quantity of to-be-stocked materials, container codes, and an SKU; determining to-be-outbound containers according to the demand information for required containers; and performing an outbound operation on the to-be-outbound containers, to allow to-be-stocked materials to be placed in the to-be-outbound containers that are performed the outbound operation for stocking. Through the method, to-be-outbound containers can be determined and outputted according to demands, to meet different demands for different materials for stocking, thereby improving the accuracy of container outbound, and further improving the appropriateness of warehousing.