Systems and methods for rush order fulfilment optimization
A system for rush order fulfilment optimization is discussed. The system includes mobile devices that are each associated with a worker and a rush fulfillment engine executed by a computing system which dynamically updates a task queue of each worker upon receipt of a new rush order according to a task completion rate difference between an estimated task completion rate and the current task completion rate of the worker.
1. An order fulfillment optimization system for fulfilling orders, the system comprising:
a computing device in communication with one or more databases, the one or more databases storing order information and information associated with workers of a retail facility, wherein the order information includes data indicating a completion threshold associated with each of the orders,
wherein the information associated with the workers includes data received from mobile devices of the workers and indicating:
interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers begin tasks in the task queues of the workers; and
interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers end the tasks in the task queues of the workers, and
wherein the computing device executes a fulfillment engine, which, when executed:
calculates, for an order having a plurality of items, an estimated completion time of the order based on an estimated completion time of item task requirements associated with the plurality of items of the order;
determines, based at least in part on an analysis of the data received via the mobile devices of the workers and indicating the interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers begin the tasks in the task queues and when the workers end the task queues of the workers, and based at least in part on analysis of time stamps indicating when the workers began the tasks in the task queues and time stamps indicating when the workers ended the tasks in the task queues, a task completion status for each of the workers and an availability status for each of the workers,
determines, based on the task completion status and the availability status determined for each of the workers, whether the estimated completion time required for the order meets a completion threshold associated with the order;
obtains, from the one or more databases, the data indicating the completion threshold associated with the order; and
assigns, when the estimated completion time required for the order meets the completion threshold, one or more item tasks associated with the plurality of items of the order to one or more of the 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 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 2 , 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 one or more item 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 workers, the mobile application when executed:
receiving, from the computing device, a task queue;
displaying the received task queue on the user mobile device; and
transmitting, to the computing device, a task completion indication when a worker completes a task assigned to the worker.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to monitor a location of one of the workers based on a location signal received from a user mobile device of the one of the workers.
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 of a worker in response to an operation by the worker associated with the mobile device.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the 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 plurality of orders, the method comprising:
storing, in one or more databases, order information and information associated with workers of a retail facility, wherein the order information includes data indicating a completion threshold associated with each of the orders,
wherein the information associated with the workers includes data received from mobile devices of the workers and indicating:
interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers begin tasks in the task queues of the workers; and
interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers end the tasks in the task queues of the workers;
providing a fulfillment engine executed by a computing device and in communication with the one or more databases;
by the fulfillment engine:
calculating, for an order of the plurality orders, the order having a plurality of items, an estimated completion time of the order based on an estimated completion time of item task requirements associated with the plurality of items of the order;
determining, based at least in part on an analysis of the data received via the mobile devices of the workers and indicating the interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers begin the tasks in the task queues and when the workers end the task queues of the workers, and based at least in part on analysis of time stamps indicating when the workers began the tasks in the task queues and time stamps indicating when the workers ended the tasks in the task queues, a task completion status for each of the workers and an availability status for each of the workers,
determining, based on the task completion status and the availability status determined for each of the workers, whether the estimated completion time required for the order meets a completion threshold associated with the order;
obtaining, from the one or more databases, the data indicating the completion threshold associated with the order; and
assigning, when the estimated completion time required for the order meets the completion threshold, one or more item tasks associated with the plurality of items of the order to one or more of the workers.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting, by a smart container including at least one machine-readable representation scanner, to the 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.
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 a worker of the workers 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 one or more of the item 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 workers, from the computing device, the task queue; and
displaying, by the mobile application, the received task queue on a respective one of the user mobile devices; and
transmitting to the computing device, by the mobile application executable on the respective one of the user mobile device, a task completion indication when a worker completes a task assigned to the worker.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising monitoring, by the computing device, a location of one of the workers based on a location signal received from a user mobile device of the one of the workers.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting, by the mobile application executable on the plurality of user mobile devices, the availability status of a worker in response to an operation by the worker.
19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising rejecting the order with the fulfillment engine when the estimated order task completion time is greater than the threshold.
20. A non-transitory medium holding computing device-executable instructions for fulfilling an 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, wherein the order information includes data indicating a completion threshold associated with each of the orders,
wherein the information associated with the workers includes data indicating begin task queues of the workers and end task queues of the workers and indicating:
interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers begin tasks in the task queues of the workers; and
interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers end the tasks in the task queues of the workers, and
wherein the instructions when executed by the computing device, causing the fulfillment engine to:
calculate, for an order of the plurality orders, the order having a plurality of items, an estimated completion time of the order based on an estimated completion time of item task requirements associated with the plurality of items of the order;
determine, based at least in part on an analysis of the data received via the mobile devices of the workers and indicating the interactions by the workers with the mobile devices of the workers when the workers begin the tasks in the task queues and when the workers end the task queues of the workers, and based at least in part on analysis of time stamps indicating when the workers began the tasks in the task queues and time stamps indicating when the workers ended the tasks in the task queues, a task completion status for each of the workers and an availability status for each of the workers,
determines, based on the task completion status and the availability status determined for each of the workers, whether the estimated completion time required for the order meets a completion threshold associated with the order;
obtains, from the one or more databases, the data indicating the completion threshold associated with the order; and
assign, when the estimated completion time required for the order meets the completion threshold, one or more item tasks associated with the plurality of items of the order to one or more of the workers.