Systems and methods for rush order fulfilment optimization

1. A rush order fulfillment optimization system for fulfilling rush orders, the system comprising:

a computing device in communication with one or more databases, the computing device configured to execute a rush fulfillment engine that when executed:

monitors a task queue associated with each worker of a plurality of workers;

receives an availability status for each worker;

receives a plurality of requests to fulfill a plurality of orders, each order including a plurality of items and subject to a completion threshold;

wherein upon receipt of each new order of the plurality of orders, the rush fulfillment engine:

classifies the plurality of items of the new order into a plurality of tasks according to item task requirements associated with the plurality of items;

calculates an estimated completion time of the new order based on an estimated completion time of the item task requirements associated with the plurality of items;

determines whether the estimated completion time required for the new order meets the completion threshold;

identifies, when the estimated completion time required for the new order meets the completion threshold, a current task completion status for each of a plurality of task queues associated with each of the plurality of workers based in part on the availability status and current tasks in the task queue; and

assigns the plurality of tasks to one or more of the plurality of task queues associated with a plurality of workers based on the current task completion status and the estimated completion time required for the new order; and

the one or more databases holding order information and information associated with the plurality of workers.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a smart container including at least one machine-readable representation scanner, wherein the smart container transmits, to the rush fulfillment engine, a task completion indication in response to the machine-readable representation scanner scanning a machine-readable representation located on an item when the item is put into the smart container.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the smart container includes a separate scanner on every interior surface in the container.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:

monitor a current location of the worker based on a location signal received by the computing device from a mobile device associated with the worker.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tasks include at least one of picking, packing and dispensing.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a mobile application executable on each of a plurality of user mobile devices respectively associated with each of the plurality of workers, the mobile application when executed:

receiving, from the computing device, the task queue;

displaying the received task queue on the mobile device; and

transmitting, to the computing device, a task completion indication when a assigned task is completed.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:

monitor a location of one of the plurality of workers based on a location signal received from a mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the item task requirements include item location, item category, and item task completion time limitation based on the item category.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein a mobile application executing on a mobile device associated with one of the plurality of workers when executed:

transmits the availability status in response to an operation by the worker associated with the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rush fulfillment engine rejects the order when the estimated completion time for the new order fails to meet the completion threshold.

11. A computer-implemented method for fulfilling a rush order, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of an availability status for each of a plurality of workers at a rush fulfillment engine executed by a computing device in communication with one or more databases, the one or more databases holding order information and information associated with the plurality of workers;

monitoring a task queue associated with each worker;

receiving, with the computing device, a plurality of requests to fulfill a plurality of orders, each order including a plurality of items and subject to a completion threshold; and

upon receipt of each new order of the plurality of orders,

classifying, with the rush fulfillment engine, the plurality of items of the new order into a plurality of tasks according to item task requirements associated with the plurality of items;

calculating, with the rush fulfillment engine, an estimated completion time of the new order based on an estimated completion time of the item task requirements associated with the plurality of items;

determining, with the rush fulfillment engine, whether the estimated completion time of the new order meets a completion threshold;

identifying, when the estimated completion time required for the new order meets the completion threshold, a current task completion status for each of a plurality of task queues associated with each of the plurality of workers based in part on the availability status associated with the workers and current tasks in the task queue; and

assigning the plurality of tasks to one or more of the plurality of task queues associated with the plurality of workers based on the current task completion status and the estimated completion time required for the new order.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transmitting, by a smart container including at least one machine-readable representation scanner, to the computing system, a task completion indication in response to the machine-readable representation scanner scanning a machine-readable representation located on an item when the item is put into the smart container.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the smart container includes a separate scanner on every interior surface in the container.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

monitoring a current location of the worker based on a location signal received by the computing system from a mobile device associated with the worker.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of tasks include at least one of picking, packing and dispensing.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by a mobile application executable on each of a plurality of user mobile devices respectively associated with each of the plurality of workers, from the computing system, the task queue; and

displaying, by the mobile application, the received task queue on the mobile device; and

transmitting, by the mobile application to the computing system, a task completion indication when a assigned task is completed.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

monitoring, by the computing system, a location of one of the plurality of workers based on a location signal received from a mobile device.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the mobile application executable on the plurality of user mobile devices, the availability status in response to an operation by the worker.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

rejecting the order with the rush fulfillment engine when the estimated new order task completion time is greater than the threshold.

20. A non-transitory medium holding computing device-executable instructions for fulfilling a rush order, the computing device in communication with one or more databases, the one or more databases holding order information and information associated with a plurality of workers, the instructions when executed causing the computing device to:

receive an indication of an availability status for each of a plurality of workers;

monitor a task queue associated with each worker;

receive, with the computing device, a plurality of requests to fulfill a plurality of orders, each order including a plurality of items and subject to a completion threshold; and

upon receipt of each new order of the plurality of orders,

classify the plurality of items of the new order into a plurality of tasks according to item task requirements associated with the plurality of items;

calculate an estimated completion time of the new order based on an estimated completion time of the item task requirements associated with the plurality of items;

determine whether the estimated completion time of the new order meets a completion threshold;

identify, when the estimated completion time required for the new order meets the completion threshold, a current task completion status for each of a plurality of task queues associated with each of the plurality of workers based in part on the availability status associated with the workers and current tasks in the task queue; and

assign the plurality of tasks to one or more of the plurality of task queues associated with the plurality of workers based on the current task completion status and the estimated completion time required for the new order.