System and method for management of perpetual inventory values based upon confidence level

Abstract

A priority is dynamically assigned to each of the inventory-related values. A confidence score is determined based upon an evaluation of all of the prioritized inventory-related values. Based upon the confidence score, one or more PI programs for the retail store is authorized for utilization. The number of inventory-related values used and the priorities for these values are dynamically changeable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system that determines the application of perpetual inventory (PI) adjustment programs in retail stores, the system comprising:
 an electronic communication network;   a retail store with a transmitter that is configured to transmit one or more inventory-related values obtained by the sensors from the retail store to the network;   a plurality of electronic sensors disposed at the retail store;   an interface coupled to the network and disposed at a central processing center, the interface having a transceiver circuit that receives the one or more inventory-related values from the retail store via the network, at least some of the inventory-related values having a time stamp;   a database that is configured to store the inventory-related values;   a control circuit that is coupled to the database, the control circuit is at the central processing center and is configured to:
 receive the inventory-related values from the database; 
 dynamically assign a priority to each of the inventory-related values; 
 determine a confidence score based upon an evaluation of all of the prioritized inventory-related values, the score determined based at least in part upon an evaluation of time stamps of some of the inventory-related values; 
 based upon the confidence score, select and authorize utilization of one or more PI programs for the retail store, the PI program being chosen using a data structure in the database that maps dynamically changeable confidence scores to dynamically changeable suites of PI programs; 
   wherein selected ones of the PI programs perform a verification of whether the product is located in the retail store, the verification being performed by an automated vehicle that has a sensing device to determine whether the product is in the retail store;   wherein the number of inventory-related values used and the priorities for these values are dynamically changeable.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inventory-related values are values selected from the group consisting of: shelf availability, back room binning activity, on-shelf customer availability, an inventory value, a forecast accuracy, a sales volume, a turnover amount, a store manager verification of under stock or overstock, a percentage of inventory in a back room, a store size, a store size class, and a store inventory accuracy. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the score is determined by the control circuit based upon a weighted sum of the prioritized inventory-related values. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the control circuit determines a scaled value for each of the prioritized inventory-related values. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time stamp indicates when a process was used or when the inventory-related value was obtained. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the automated vehicle includes a camera. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the automated vehicle is an aerial drone or an automated ground vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . A method for determining the application of perpetual inventory (PI) adjustment programs in retail stores, the method comprising:
 transmitting one or more inventory-related values from a retail store to a central processing center via a network;   receiving the one or more inventory-related values from the retail store at the central processing center, and storing the inventory-related values in a database, at least some of the inventory-related values having a time stamp;   dynamically assigning a priority to each of the inventory-related values;   determining a confidence score based upon an evaluation of all of the prioritized inventory-related values, the score determined based at least in part upon an evaluation of time stamps of some of the inventory-related values;   based upon the confidence score, selecting and authorizing utilization of one or more PI programs for the retail store, the PI program being chosen using a data structure in the database that maps dynamically changeable confidence scores to dynamically changeable suites of PI programs;   wherein selected ones of the PI programs perform a verification of whether the product is located in the retail store, the verification being performed by an automated vehicle that has a sensing device to determine whether the product is in the retail store;   wherein the number of inventory-related values used and the priorities for these values are dynamically changeable.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the inventory-related values are values selected from the group consisting of: shelf availability, back room binning activity, on-shelf customer availability, an inventory value, a forecast accuracy, a sales volume, a turnover amount, a store manager verification of under stock or overstock, a percentage of inventory in a back room, a store size, a store size class, and a store inventory accuracy. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the score is determined by the control circuit based upon a weighted sum of the prioritized inventory-related values. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising determining a scaled value for each of the prioritized inventory-related values. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the time stamp indicates when a process was used or when the inventory-related value was obtained. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the automated vehicle includes a camera. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the automated vehicle is an aerial drone or an automated ground vehicle.