Systems and methods for implementing incentive-based demand distribution techniques using queue time estimates
Systems and methods are described which utilize improved scheduling techniques. An electronic scheduling platform enables customers to view and select pick-up options for scheduling orders to be retrieved at a location. Each pick-up option is associated with a price and a queue time. An average service time and an average inter-arrival time is determined for the location. A queuing procedure is executed which calculates queue times and prices for the pick-up options based, at least in part, on the average service time and the average inter-arrival time. The queuing procedure dynamically updates in real-time the calculated queue times and prices for the pick-up options. Instructions are generated for providing an interface that displays at least a portion of the pick-up options with the updated queue times and prices.
1. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
providing an electronic scheduling platform that enables customers to view and select pick-up options for scheduling orders to be retrieved at a location, each pick-up option being associated with a respective price and a respective queue time for scheduling a respective order of the orders within a respective time period associated with the pick-up option;
determining an average service time indicating an average amount of time associated with processing an order at the location and an average inter-arrival time indicating an average arrival rate of the customers at the location, wherein the average service time and the average inter-arrival time are determined by (a) monitoring operations associated with service times and inter-arrival times at the location and (b) dynamically updating the average service time and the average inter-arrival time;
in response to a customer of the customers accessing the electronic scheduling platform, executing a queuing procedure that is used to calculate queue times and that is used to determine prices for the pick-up options based, at least in part, by the average service time, utilization that represents the average service time and the average inter-arrival time, and a sum of a coefficient of variation of inter-arrival times and a coefficient of variation of service times;
in response to the customers scheduling the orders, applying the queuing procedure to dynamically update the queue times and the prices that are calculated for the pick-up options; and
generating instructions for providing an interface that displays at least a portion of the pick-up options with the queue times and the prices that are updated.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the queuing procedure is further used to dynamically update the queue times and the prices that are calculated for the pick-up options such that the prices associated with the pick-up options increase as the queue times associated with the pick-up options increase.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the queuing procedure is used to further calculate the queue times using a formula:
Queue
Time
=
Average
Service
Time
*
(
Utilization
1
-
Utilization
)
*
(
Cv
a
2
+
CVp
2
)
/
2
where,
utilization represents the average service time/the average inter-arrival time;
the average service time represents an average amount of time it takes to service the customers at the location;
the average inter-arrival time represents an average amount of time between a respective arrival of each of the customers at the location;
CVa 2 represents the coefficient of variation of inter-arrival times; and
CVp 2 represents the coefficient of variation of service times.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the queuing procedure is further used to calculate the respective price for a pick-up option based, at least in part, on (i) a number of customers that have previously scheduled orders for the pick-up option and (ii) the respective queue time calculated for the pick-up option.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
for each of the pick-up options, determining a maximum slot size indicating a maximum number of customers that are able to request respective orders within the respective time period associated with the pick-up option; and
utilizing the maximum slot size to place limits on how many of the respective orders can be scheduled within each of the pick-up options.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the average service time and the average inter-arrival time are further determined by analyzing input data from monitoring equipment comprising a camera and a sensor located at the location.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the average service time and the average inter-arrival time are further determined by retrieving pre-determined values which are stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the queuing procedure is used to further calculate the prices using a formula:
Price=(NumOfPeople*Queue Time*WeightMul)+WeightCon
where,
NumOfPeople represents a number of customers who have previously scheduled orders in a time period associated with a particular pick-up option;
Queue Time represents an estimated queue time that the customers will wait at the location when picking up the orders;
WeightMul represents a weighting value multiplier that is associated with a particular queue time; and
WeightCon represents a weighting value constant that is associated with the particular queue time.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic scheduling platform communicates with a plurality of user computers operated by the customers over a network that includes one or more of:
an Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet, or an extranet.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location is selected from a group consisting of:
a retail location and a pick-up locker.
11. A method comprising:
providing, with one or more processors, an electronic scheduling platform that enables customers to view and select pick-up options for scheduling orders to be retrieved at a location, each pick-up option being associated with a respective price and a respective queue time for scheduling a respective order of the orders within a respective time period associated with the pick-up option;
determining an average service time indicating an average amount of time associated with processing an order at the location and an average inter-arrival time indicating an average arrival rate of the customers at the location, wherein the average service time and the average inter-arrival time are determined by (a) monitoring operations associated with service times and inter-arrival times at the location and (b) dynamically updating the average service time and the average inter-arrival time;
in response to a customer of the customers accessing the electronic scheduling platform, executing, with the one or more processors, a queuing procedure that is used to calculate queue times and that is used to determine prices for the pick-up options based, at least in part, by the average service time, utilization that represents the average service time and the average inter-arrival time, and a sum of a coefficient of variation of inter-arrival times and a coefficient of variation of service times;
in response to the customers scheduling the orders, applying the queuing procedure to dynamically update the queue times and the prices that are calculated for the pick-up options; and
generating, with the one or more processors, instructions for providing an interface that displays at least a portion of the pick-up options with the queue times and the prices that are updated.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the queuing procedure is further used to dynamically update the queue times and the prices that are calculated for the pick-up options such that the prices associated with the pick-up options increase as the queue times associated with the pick-up options increase.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the queuing procedure is further used to calculate the queue times using a formula:
Queue
Time
=
Average
Service
Time
*
(
Utilization
1
-
Utilization
)
*
(
CVa
2
+
CVp
2
)
/
2
where,
utilization represents the average service time/the average inter-arrival time;
the average service time represents an average amount of time it takes to service the customers at the location;
the average inter-arrival time represents an average amount of time between a respective arrival of each of the customers at the location;
CVa 2 represents the coefficient of variation of inter-arrival times; and
CVp 2 represents the coefficient of variation of service times.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the queuing procedure is further used to calculate the respective price for a pick-up option based, at least in part, on (i) a number of customers that have previously scheduled orders for the pick-up option and (ii) the respective queue time calculated for the pick-up option.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
for each of the pick-up options, determining a maximum slot size indicating a maximum number of customers that are able to request respective orders within the respective time period associated with the pick-up option; and
utilizing the maximum slot size to place limits on how many of the respective orders can be scheduled within each of the pick-up options.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the average service time and the average inter-arrival time are further determined by analyzing input data from monitoring equipment comprising a camera and a sensor located at the location.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the average service time and the average inter-arrival time are further determined by retrieving pre-determined values which are stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the queuing procedure is further used to calculate the prices using a formula:
Price=(NumOfPeople*Queue Time*WeightMul)+WeightCon
where,
NumOfPeople represents a number of customers who have previously scheduled orders in a time period associated with a particular pick-up option;
Queue Time represents an estimated queue time that the customers will wait at the location when picking up the orders;
WeightMul represents a weighting value multiplier that is associated with a particular queue time; and
WeightCon represents a weighting value constant that is associated with the particular queue time.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electronic scheduling platform communicates with a plurality of user computers operated by the customers over a network that includes one or more of:
an Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet, or an extranet.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the location is selected from a group consisting of:
a retail location and a pick-up locker.