Inventory replication based upon order fulfillment rates

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.

1 . A computer-implemented method for managing an on-line store, including distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center that has a plurality of storage areas, the method comprising:
 determining, by a computing device, how rapidly a product is consumed based on order information of a plurality of customers over a period of time to assist with distributing the product in one or more of the storage areas in the distribution center;   allowing a customer to access information regarding the product via a computer interface of the on-line store;   receiving a current order from the customer via the computer interface, wherein the current order having an order status;   providing to the customer an order history of the customer via the computer interface from a database accessible by the computer-interface, in view of a request from the customer;   allowing the customer to access at least one attribute of the order status of the customer's current order via the computer interface of the on-line store, the order status depending on a status of at least one product in the distribution center;   allowing a representative of the on-line store to access the customer's order history from a database accessible by a customer relationship management system; and   allowing the representative to enter information related to the customer to the database accessible by the customer relationship management system, and   wherein information from the database accessible by the computer interface and information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system are transmitted to a data warehouse system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distribution system has a management system,   wherein the management system of the distribution center manages the movement of a plurality of conveyors in the distribution center, and   wherein at least one conveyor is configured to move a container to a storage area to allow a product in the container to be stored in the storage area.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distribution system has a management system,   wherein the management system of the distribution center manages the movement of a conveyor in the distribution center,   wherein the management system of the distribution center manages the movement of a carousel in the distribution center to store different products, and   wherein the carousel is configured to be proximate to the conveyor to assist moving products from the conveyor to be stored in the carousel.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distribution system has a management system,   wherein the management system of the distribution center manages the movement of a plurality of carousels in the distribution center to store different products,   wherein a storage area is configured to have a plurality of carousels, and   wherein the management system of the distribution center can determine to store the product in each of the plurality of the carousels of the storage area.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distribution system has a management system, and   wherein the management system of the distribution center determines whether a product is to be stored in one storage area or is to be stored in more than one storage area of the distribution center based on how rapidly the product is consumed.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the representative of the on-line store accesses the customer's order history while addressing a request from the customer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising allowing the representative to cancel the customer's current order. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising allowing the representative to issue credits via the customer relationship management system, in view of a customer complaint. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising allowing the representative to process a customer-reported short in delivery via the customer relationship management system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the data warehouse system includes a data store and a data warehouse,   wherein the data warehouse system stores the received information from the database accessible by the computer-interface and the received information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system in the data store, and   wherein the data warehouse includes tables derived from information in the data store.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising allowing the data warehouse system to query the database accessible by the customer interface for a current status regarding the computer interface of the on-line store. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data warehouse system is configured to report on the current status regarding the computer interface of the on-line store in a minute-to-minute manner. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data warehouse system is configured to generate reports, with at least one report on daily and weekly activities of the on-line store based on information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system and from the database accessible by the computer interface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least one report is on customer order activities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customer is allowed to create a shopping list at the on-line store with at least one attribute of the shopping list customizable by the customer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein based on information regarding the customer, the computer interface retrieves a preference of the customer to present customized information to the customer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein based on information regarding the customer, the computer interface retrieves a preference of the customer to present customized information to the customer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the representative is allowed to access the customer's order history via a handheld mobile device to fulfill the current order of the customer. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the handheld mobile device includes a scanner that allows the representative to scan an identification of a product in the current order of the customer. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable medium containing instruction for controlling a computer system to manage an on-line store, including distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center that has a plurality of storage areas, by a method comprising:
 determining how rapidly a product is consumed based on order information of a plurality of customers over a period of time to assist with distributing the product in one or more of the storage areas in the distribution center;   allowing a customer to access information regarding the product via a computer interface of the on-line store;   receiving a current order from the customer via the computer interface, wherein the current order having an order status;   providing to the customer an order history of the customer via the computer interface from a database accessible by the computer-interface, in view of a request from the customer;   allowing the customer to access at least one attribute of the order status of the customer's current order via the computer interface of the on-line store, the order status depending on a status of at least one product in the distribution center;   allowing a representative of the on-line store to access the customer's order history from a database accessible by a customer relationship management system; and   allowing the representative to enter information related to the customer to the database accessible by the customer relationship management system, and   wherein information from the database accessible by the computer interface and information from the database accessible by the customer relationship management system are transmitted to a data warehouse system.   
     
     
         21 . A method of distributing inventory to facilitate order throughput in a distribution center, the method comprising:
 for each type of inventory to be distributed by the method, determining how rapidly that type of inventory is consumed;   identifying a first group of inventory types that are relatively slower moving types of inventory and distributing the inventory types from the first group over multiple pods in a distribution center without replicating a given inventory type in more than one pod; and   identifying a second group of inventory types that are relatively faster moving types of inventory and replicating inventory types from the second group at multiple pods.