Inventory replication based upon order fulfillment rates

US7370005B1 · kind B1 · utility

Inventors

• Peter Ham · Palo Alto, US
• Boris Klots · Belmont, US
• Radhakrishna Hari · Belmont, US
• Franklin R. Koenig · Palo Alto, US
• Gautam Bhargava · Palo Alto, US
• Gerry Perham · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 10, 2000
• Grant date: May 6, 2008
• Expiry date: May 10, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0633
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A load balancing technology segregates various inventory types (e.g., potatoes vs. milk, vs. pretzels, vs. tissue paper, etc.) based upon how frequently they are ordered in a distribution center. Inventory types that are ordered at the slowest rate are not “replicated” over multiple pods in the distribution center. Rather, they are constrained to reside at a single pod within the distribution center. Items that are ordered somewhat more frequently than those in the slowest group are replicated in multiple pods across the distribution center. In other words, these items are separately stocked at locations on more than one pod in the distribution center. This means that a container passing through the distribution center can obtain each of the items in the second group of item types at multiple pods in the distribution center. Thus, these items do not create a bottleneck in the order fulfillment process. Inventory types in a third group, the fastest movers, are segregated from items in the first two groups. They are stored in a separate type of pod that fulfills orders even faster than the other type of pods.