High density micro fulfillment center “HD-MFC” with nightly G2P storage batch pick replenishment from store floor and method of operating same
A micro-fulfillment center fulfills orders for goods including both in-store picking of goods and online ordering of goods. Orders are fulfilled using both a picker to goods (P2G) model and an automated goods to picker (G2P) model. In examples, goods are replenished to the automated G2P system from store shelves which also serve the P2G model.
1. A store for fulfilling orders of goods, the store comprising:
a self-service area including shelves of goods configured to fulfill self-service orders by in-store shoppers; and
an automated goods-to-person (G2P) system having a G2P area including storage areas for storing containers with goods and mobile robots to store and retrieve the containers with goods and one or more picking station to fulfill received orders of goods from containers with goods transported to the one or more picking station by the mobile robots; and
an inventory management system comprising a computing system comprising a processor executing software instructions to implement a replenishment algorithm to determine replenishment of the self-service area and the automated G2P area, wherein the inventory management system is configured to:
receive, for each of a plurality of cases received at the store having goods to replenish the automated G2P area, a velocity rate of sale for goods in each of the plurality of cases; and
determine a replenishment plan based on at least the velocity rate of sale for the goods, wherein the replenishment plan comprises:
goods having the velocity rate of sale below a first threshold are first replenished to the self-service area by the case and second replenished to the G2P area by eaches of the goods from the self-service area to the G2P area, wherein the eaches of the goods will be stored in containers of the G2P area, the containers transported by the mobile robots; and
goods having the velocity rate of sale above a second threshold are replenished to the G2P area by the case, wherein cases of the goods are decanted into containers having eaches of the goods and stored in containers of the G2P area, the containers transported by the mobile robots.
2. The store of claim 1 , wherein replenishment of the G2P area with goods from the self-service area enables containers to be filled to a higher density than replenishing the G2P area with goods from cases.
3. The store of claim 1 , wherein the replenishing the goods having the velocity rate of sale below a first threshold from the self-service area to the G2P area enables the G2P area to efficiently operate with both high velocity goods and low velocity goods below the first threshold.
4. The store of claim 1 , wherein the containers comprise one or more of a tote, and wherein the goods replenished to the G2P area from the self-service area are transferred in sub-totes taking up ⅓ to ⅙ of the tote.
5. The store of claim 1 , wherein the replenishment algorithm is configured to define identities of the goods to be replenished, a shelf-position within the store where the goods are located, a desired number of each good to be picked from the shelf, and a size of the compartment into which the goods are to be placed.
6. The store of claim 5 , further comprising a scanner for scanning identities of the goods as they are picked from the shelves of the self-service area for replenishing the G2P area, the number of each good picked from a shelf, and the compartment into which the goods are placed.
7. The store of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is the same as the second threshold.
8. The store of claim 1 , wherein the goods are non-frozen packaged-goods.
9. A method of replenishing goods in a store, the store comprising:
a self-service area including shelves of goods configured to self-service orders by in-store shoppers; and
a.
an automated goods-to-person (G2P) system having a G2P area including storage areas for storing containers with goods and mobile robots to store and retrieve the containers with goods and one or more picking station to fulfill received orders of goods from containers with goods transported to the one or more picking station by the mobile robots;
the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, at an inventory management system comprising a computing system comprising a processor executing software instructions to implement a replenishment algorithm, a velocity rate of sale for goods in each of a plurality of cases having goods to replenish the automated G2P area; and
determining, by the inventory management system implementing the replenishment algorithm, a replenishment plan based on at least the velocity rate of sale for the goods, wherein the replenishment plan comprises:
goods having the velocity rate of sale below a first threshold are first replenished to the self-service area by the case and second replenished to the G2P area by eaches of the goods from the self-service area to the G2P area, wherein the eaches of the goods will be stored in containers of the G2P area, the containers transported by the mobile robots; and
goods having the velocity of rate of sale above a second threshold are replenished to the G2P area by the case, wherein cases of the goods are decanted into containers having eaches of the goods and stored in containers of the G2P area, the containers transported by the mobile robots.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein goods are depleted from the self-service area by replenishing the G2P area and by customers shopping in the self-service area.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the replenishment plan enables the goods having the velocity rate of sale below the second threshold to be packed with a high density in the containers stored in the G2P area.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the replenishment algorithm defines identities of the goods to be replenished, a shelf-position within the store where the goods are located, a desired number of each good to be picked from the shelf, and a size of the compartment into which the goods are to be placed.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the replenishment algorithm is implemented at times when the self-service area is closed to customers.
14. The store of claim 1 ,
wherein the storage areas of the G2P area comprise a static storage area and a transient storage area; and
wherein the replenishment plan comprises:
the goods having the velocity of rate of sale above the second threshold are replenished to the static storage area of the G2P area by the case;
goods having the velocity rate of sale below the first threshold are replenished from the self-service area to the static storage area of the G2P area;
goods suitable for storage in the G2P area allocated to non-same day orders that otherwise would have been picked from the self service area to make up same day orders are replenished from the self service area to the transient storage area of the G2P area; and
goods for non-same day orders are picked from both the static and the transient storage areas of the G2P area and wherein goods for same day orders are picked from the static storage area of the G2P area and the self-service area.
15. The store of claim 14 , wherein the replenishment plan further comprises:
goods for non-same day orders that do not fit into the containers of the G2P area are picked from the self-service area.
16. The store of claim 15 , wherein the replenishment plan further comprises:
one or more fresh goods for non-same day orders that would otherwise fit into the containers of the G2P area are picked from the self-service area.
17. The store of claim 1 ,
wherein the automated G2P system is configured to fulfill non-same day orders; and
wherein the replenishment plan comprises:
goods for the non-same day orders are batch picked to order overnight from the self-service area and stored in the containers in the G2P area.
18. The store of claim 1 wherein the replenishment plan comprises:
batches of one or more of same-SKU goods are replenished from the self-service area to the G2P area in response to multiple orders; and
the automated G2P system comprises a control system, wherein the control system is configured to instruct individual orders to be picked at the one or more picking stations from the batches of the one or more same SKU goods replenished from the self-service area.