JP7585265B2 - Delivery management device, delivery management method, and delivery management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inventory management device, an inventory management method, and an inventory management program.

In recent years, electronic commerce has become very popular. Businesses that conduct electronic commerce store a wide variety of products in warehouses, pick up products according to orders, and ship them to customers. A picking system is known as a device that collects the necessary items from among multiple stored items and delivers them to the customer (for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a picking system that includes a multi-tier sorting device that sorts and discharges items into one of multiple tiers of openings based on an order, a container support device that can support storage containers on multiple tiers of container support sections until a group of items that is a collection of items for each order is collected, and a transport device that removes storage containers containing items from the container support sections and transports empty storage containers into the container support sections.

The picking system described in Patent Document 1 uses a conveying device to automatically remove containers containing items for each order and to automatically remove empty containers, allowing for efficient removal of items after sorting and preparation for the next removal.

However, conventional picking devices determine the location to collect the ordered products regardless of the characteristics of the products, which creates a burden on workers when transporting the collected products, resulting in problems such as not necessarily high productivity in the product shipping process.

JP 2021-121569 A

The present invention aims to provide an inventory management device, an inventory management method, and an inventory management program that can improve productivity in the product shipping process.

An output management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a device for removing one or more products included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse that stores multiple products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position on a sorting device, and is characterized by having an order information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for each of the one or more products included in each of the multiple orders, a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information including information regarding the weight of each product based on the identification information, a sorting position determination unit that uses the product information to determine a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, or to determine a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the total weight of the one or more products included in each order, and an output unit that outputs information regarding the predetermined position.

The shipping management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a shipping management device for removing one or more products included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse that stores multiple products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position on a sorting device, and is characterized by having an order information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for each of the one or more products included in each of the multiple orders, a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information including at least one of information regarding the weight of each product, information regarding the number of products, and information regarding the size of the products based on the identification information, a sorting position determination unit that uses the product information to determine a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on at least one of the weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, the total weight of the one or more products, the number of products, and the size of the products, an output unit that outputs information regarding the predetermined position, and a removal order determination unit that determines the order in which products are removed from the automated warehouse for each individual order included in the multiple orders based on the product information.

In an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the removal order determination unit may determine the removal order based on the weight of the products included in each order.

In an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the product information includes information regarding product characteristics that should be considered when sorting products, and the removal order determination unit may determine the removal order based on the product characteristics included in each order.

In an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the removal order determination unit may determine the removal order based on the number of items of the same type included in each order.

In an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the removal order determination unit may determine the removal order based on the size of the items included in each order.

In an inventory management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, information about product characteristics may include information about product quality.

In an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an automated warehouse that stores multiple products has multiple stations for removing the products, and further has a station determination unit that determines one of the multiple stations based on acquired product information, and an output unit may output information regarding the station for removing the products to the automated warehouse.

An output management method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for removing one or more products included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse that stores multiple products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position in a sorting device, characterized in that an order information acquisition unit acquires identification information for each of the one or more products included in each of the multiple orders, a product information acquisition unit acquires product information including information regarding the weight of each product based on the identification information, a sorting position determination unit uses the product information to determine a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, or determines a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the total weight of the one or more products included in each order, and an output unit outputs information regarding the predetermined position.

An output management program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an output management program for removing one or more products included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse that stores multiple products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position in a sorting device, and is characterized in that the program causes a processor to execute the following steps: acquiring identification information for each of the one or more products included in each of the multiple orders, acquiring product information including information regarding the weight of each product based on the identification information, using the product information to determine a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the weight of each product included in each of the multiple orders, or determining a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the total weight of the one or more products included in each order, and outputting information regarding the predetermined position.

The shipping management device, shipping management method, and shipping management program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can improve productivity in the product shipping process.

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a top view of an automated equipment station and a sorting device in an inventory management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure for determining a predetermined position in a sorting device for sorting products based on a total weight of the products by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the ranking of products by total weight and a predetermined position in a sorting device, the ranking being determined by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. A figure showing an example of a specified location for storing products included in three orders whose total weight exceeds a specified threshold in an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A figure showing an example of a predetermined position in a sorting device where the remaining orders are determined based on the number of items when there are three orders whose total weight of items exceeds a predetermined threshold, as determined by an inventory management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A figure showing an example of a specified location for storing products included in 10 orders in which the number of products exceeds a specified threshold, as determined by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a predetermined location for storing items included in eight orders in which the number of items exceeds a predetermined threshold, as determined by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the number of openings of the sorting device is 16. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure for determining the order in which products are to be removed from an automated warehouse based on the weight, size, and characteristics of the products by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 11 is a table showing an example of the order in which items are removed from an automated warehouse based on the weights, sizes, and characteristics of multiple items in one order by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a series of work procedures from picking up a product to shipping it out by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The following describes the shipping management device, shipping management method, and shipping management program of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, please note that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but extends to the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[Outline of the inventory management system]
First, an output management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 shows a configuration block diagram of an output management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The output management system 1000 includes an output management device 100, an automated warehouse management system 200, an automated warehouse 300, a sorting device 400, a warehouse management system 500, and a core system 600.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as an example, the inventory management system 1000 is a system that receives product orders from customers, picks up products stored in the automated warehouse 300, packs them, and ships them to the customers.

The core system 600 is a network system that receives product orders from users and the like. Information about product orders may include identification information for the ordered product, the number of products, identification information for the user who placed the order, and information about the delivery address of the product. In addition, when the ordering of the received product is completed, the core system 600 may send information to the orderer that the shipment has been completed.

The warehouse management system 500 manages the inventory of goods and the incoming and outgoing of goods. Specifically, it receives information about ordered goods from the core system 600 and issues goods incoming and outgoing instructions to the outgoing management device 100. The warehouse management system 500 may manage the inventory amount of goods stored in the automated warehouse 300. Therefore, the warehouse management system 500 may not only instruct the outgoing management device 100 to outgo ordered goods from the automated warehouse 300, but may also monitor the inventory of goods and instruct the automated warehouse 300 to receive goods if there is a shortage of goods. The warehouse management system 500 may also receive information about the actual incoming and outgoing goods from the outgoing management device 100 and manage the goods stored in the automated warehouse 300 based on the received actual incoming and outgoing goods.

The shipping management device 100 instructs the automated warehouse management system 200 to retrieve one or more products included in multiple orders from the automated warehouse 300 that stores multiple products. Furthermore, the shipping management device 100 controls the sorting device 400 to sort the products 10 that have been shipped from the automated warehouse 300 by order.

Figure 2 shows a top view of a work station (hereinafter simply referred to as "station") 30 and a sorting device 400 of an automated warehouse 300 in an outbound management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Multiple containers 11 are arranged inside the automated warehouse 300, and one or multiple products (10, 10a, 10b, ...) are stored inside a given container 11. One type of product 10 may be stored inside one container 11. Also, multiple products 10 may be stored inside one container 11.

The automated warehouse management system 200 controls the container 11 storing the product 10 that has been instructed to be shipped from the shipping management device 100 to be removed to the station 30, as shown by arrow A in FIG. 2. One automated warehouse 300 may be provided with one or more stations 30.

The inventory management device 100 may display instructions for the worker 20 performing the sorting work on the display unit 7. The worker 20 may move the product 10 removed from the station 30 to a predetermined opening 401 of the sorting device 400, as shown by arrow B in FIG. 2, in accordance with the instructions displayed on the display unit 7.

In addition, instead of displaying the position of the predetermined opening 401 of the sorting device 400 on the display unit 7, the warehousing management device 100 may allow the worker 20 to recognize the position of the predetermined opening 401 of the sorting device 400 at the sorting device 400. For example, a shutter may be provided at each of the multiple openings of the sorting device 400, and only the shutter of the opening 401 where the goods are stored may be opened. Also, a light source such as an LED may be provided at each of the multiple openings of the sorting device 400, and only the light source of the opening 401 where the goods are stored may be turned on. Alternatively, a light emitting device for irradiating light to the multiple openings of the sorting device 400 may be provided, and the light may be irradiated only to the opening 401 where the goods are stored.

The sorting device 400 has a structure including multiple rectangular parallelepiped boxes with one side open, including multiple horizontal plates arranged parallel to a horizontal plane and multiple vertical plates extending approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plates. The sorting device 400 has multiple openings (openings), and can store ordered products in each opening for each order. For example, if the sorting device 400 has 20 openings, it can sort ordered products for each order into each opening for up to 20 orders. Therefore, since the products stored in each opening of the sorting device 400 can be shipped together, there is no need to separate the products stored in the sorting device 400 by shipping destination again. After the sorting work for all the products is completed, the sorting device 400 may be moved to a predetermined position as shown by arrow C in FIG. 2 to perform shipping work for the orderer.

A printer 8 may be disposed in the station 30. The printer 8 may print an order invoice and a shipping label in accordance with the order. The order invoice may be included with the product to be shipped, and the shipping label may be affixed to a box or the like in which the product to be shipped is packed.

The worker may transmit to the output management device 100 that the sorting work is complete by pressing a button displayed on the display unit 7. However, this is not limited to the above example, and the worker may transmit to the output management device 100 that the sorting work is complete by pressing a physical button or the like installed separately from the display unit 7. The output management device 100 may transmit information regarding the actual product incoming and outgoing shipments to the warehouse management system 500. The warehouse management system 500 may perform inventory management of the products stored in the automated warehouse 300 based on the received information regarding the actual product incoming and outgoing shipments.

The core system 600 notifies the customer that the ordered items have been shipped, completing the series of operations.

[Configuration of the delivery management device]
Next, a warehousing management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the warehousing management device 100 has an order information acquisition unit 1, a product information acquisition unit 2, a sorting position determination unit 3, a station determination unit 4, an output unit 5, a storage unit 6, and a take-out order determination unit 9. The order information acquisition unit 1, the product information acquisition unit 2, the sorting position determination unit 3, the station determination unit 4, and the take-out order determination unit 9 are realized by a processor (CPU) provided in the warehousing management device 100 executing a program stored in the storage unit 6.

The inventory management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure retrieves one or more items included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse 300 that stores multiple items, and sorts one or more items for each order into a predetermined position on the sorting device 400.

The order information acquisition unit 1 acquires identification information for one or more products included in each of the multiple orders. The identification information may include information for identifying each product from other products, such as product name and product number. The order information acquisition unit 1 may acquire information related to the orders received by the core system 600 via the warehouse management system 500. Since the inventory management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure sorts multiple products included in multiple orders into multiple openings of a single sorting device 400, the number of orders sorted at one time may be equal to or less than the number of openings provided on the sorting device 400. For example, if the sorting device 400 has 20 openings, products related to a maximum of 20 orders may be sorted.

The product information acquisition unit 2 acquires product information including information regarding the weight of each product based on the identification information. This product information may be the weight of a single product, or if multiple products are included, the weight may be the weight of a single product multiplied by the number of products.

The sorting position determination unit 3 uses the product information to calculate the total weight of one or more products included in each order. The reason for focusing on the total weight of the products is to reduce the burden on the worker 20 who transports the products 10 from the station 30 to the sorting device 400, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, for products with a large total weight, it is preferable to determine the predetermined position of the sorting device so that the worker can sort the products without having to bend over. This ensures the safety of the worker.

The sorting position determination unit 3 determines a predetermined position in the sorting device 400 corresponding to each order based on the total weight of one or more items included in one order. Here, based on the total weight of the items, it may determine whether or not the items are "heavy items" that are items that weigh more than a predetermined value, using the following method.

This is a method of determining a predetermined position with priority for an order when the total weight of items contained in the order calculated by the sorting position determination unit 3 is in the top Y% of the total weight of all the orders to be sorted. This takes into consideration the fact that even if the weight of each individual item is not large, if an order contains a large number of items and the total weight is greater than a predetermined value, this may impose a burden on the worker. For example, if the total weight of items contained in an order is within the top 10% of the total weight of all the orders, the order may be determined to be an order that contains heavy items. However, the value of 10% is merely an example and is not limited to such an example.

Note that the predetermined position of the sorting device 400's entrance is not limited to being determined based on the total weight of one or more items included in each order as described above, but may be determined based on the weight of each individual item included in each of the multiple orders. In other words, the predetermined position of the sorting device 400's entrance may be determined based on the weight of each individual item, so as to give higher priority to heavier items. By doing so, even if the weight of a single item is heavy, the burden on the worker when moving the item from the station 30 to the sorting device 400 can be reduced and the safety of the worker can be increased. Here, whether or not the item is a "heavy item" that is an item that weighs more than a predetermined value may be determined based on the weight of the individual item in the following manner.

This is a method of determining the predetermined position of the sorting device 400's entrance as a priority for orders that contain a certain item, when the weight of the individual item is within the top X% of the weight of all items contained in all orders to be sorted. This takes into consideration the fact that even if an order is lighter than other orders when compared based on the total weight, which is the combined weight of the items contained in the order, if the weight of the individual item is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it may impose a burden on the worker. For example, if an order contains an item whose weight is within the top 5% of all items, the order may be considered to contain heavy items. However, the value of 5% is merely an example and is not limited to such examples.

Whether or not an item in an order is heavy may be determined by at least one of the methods based on the total weight of the items and the weight of each item. However, this is not limited to the above example, and an operator may set whether or not the total weight of the items in an order is heavy, and whether or not the items in an order are heavy. For example, if an order contains items with a total weight of 10 kg or more, the order may be deemed to be an order containing heavy items and a weight flag indicating that the order contains heavy items may be attached. Alternatively, if an order contains items with a weight of 5 kg or more, the order may be deemed to be an order containing heavy items and a weight flag may be attached to the order information. However, the values of 10 kg or more and 5 kg or more are merely examples and are not limited to these examples.

The output unit 5 outputs information about the above-mentioned predetermined position in the sorting device 400. For example, the output unit 5 may output information about the predetermined position to the display unit 7. The worker 20 can visually confirm the predetermined position in the sorting device 400 displayed on the display unit 7, thereby storing the product 10 in the opening 401 of the predetermined position in the sorting device 400.

In addition, instead of displaying the position of the predetermined opening 401 of the sorting device 400 on the display unit 7, the output unit 5 may output information about the predetermined opening 401 to the sorting device 400. For example, a shutter may be provided at each of the multiple openings of the sorting device 400, and a signal may be sent to open only the shutter of the predetermined opening 401. Also, a light source such as an LED may be provided at each of the multiple openings of the sorting device 400, and a signal may be sent to turn on only the light source around the predetermined opening 401. Alternatively, a light emitting device may be provided to irradiate light onto the multiple openings of the sorting device 400, and a signal may be sent to the light emitting device to irradiate light only onto the predetermined opening 401.

[Method of determining a predetermined position in a sorting device based on total weight]
Next, a method for determining a predetermined position when sorting ordered products into the sorting device 400 using the delivery management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 3 shows a flowchart for describing a procedure for determining a predetermined position in the sorting device for sorting products based on the total weight of the products by the delivery management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

First, in step S101, the order information acquisition unit 1 acquires identification information for one or more products included in each of the multiple orders. The product identification information may be included in the product entry/exit instruction information received by the shipment management device 100 from the warehouse management system 500.

Next, in step S102, the product information acquisition unit 2 acquires product information including information regarding the weight of each product based on the identification information. The product information may be pre-recorded in the storage unit 6. The storage unit 6 may store a database that associates product identification information with product information.

Next, in step S103, the sorting position determination unit 3 calculates the total weight of one or more products included in each order based on the product information. The calculation result of the total weight for each order may be stored in the memory unit 6.

Next, in step S104, the sorting position determination unit 3 determines a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on the total weight. The relationship between the total weight and the predetermined position for storing the products related to each order will be described later.

Next, in step S105, the output unit 5 outputs information about the predetermined position. For example, the output unit 5 may output information about the predetermined position to the display unit 7. By referring to the display unit 7, the worker can store the product in the predetermined position in the sorting device 400.

Figure 4 shows an example of the relationship between the ranking of the total weight of the products determined by the warehousing management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure and the predetermined position in the sorting device. Figure 4 is a view of the sorting device 400 as seen from the frontage side, and shows an example in which a total of 20 frontages are provided, with five vertical stages (stages A to E) and four horizontal rows (rows I to IV). Here, stage A is located closest to the floor surface 700 and at the lowest position. Meanwhile, stage E is located farthest from the floor surface 700 and at the highest position. Also, an example is shown in which the station 30 is located on the row I side. In order to allow the worker to store products in all the frontages of stages A to E, the height of the sorting device 400 may be about 2 m. However, this is not limited to such an example. Also, for example, as shown in Figure 4, if the sorting device 400 has 20 frontages, it can sort products for 20 orders by order.

As an example, a case will be described in which, as a result of calculating the total weight of the items contained in each of 20 orders, there are 10 orders whose total weight exceeds a predetermined threshold, i.e., there are 10 orders that are determined to contain heavy items whose placement position in the sorting device 400 should be considered. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, for orders containing heavy items, predetermined positions may be set in 10 hatched areas near the center of the sorting device 400 so that workers can carry the items to the entrance without bending over. In this way, by setting the position of the entrance for storing items related to orders containing heavy items to a predetermined position, workers can store the heavy items without bending over, and the safety of the workers can be ensured. However, the position of the entrance determined with consideration for the safety of the workers shown in FIG. 4 is one example, and is not limited to such an example.

Of the 10 orders determined to contain heavy items, the item related to the order determined to be the heaviest may be stored in column I, row C, marked as "1" in Figure 4, i.e., entrance 400a at coordinates (I, C). This is because the worker moves the item from station 30 to the sorting device 400, and entrance 400a is closest to station 30, so it is considered that the burden on the worker will be the least.

The product related to the order with the second largest total weight may be stored in column II, row C, marked "2" in FIG. 4, i.e., in the opening 400b at coordinates (II, C). Similarly, the product related to the order with the tenth largest total weight may be stored in column II, row B, marked "10" in FIG. 4, i.e., in the opening 400c at coordinates (II, B).

In this way, items related to orders whose total weight is greater than a predetermined value may be stored primarily in the middle shelf of the sorting device. However, this is not limited to this example. For example, the layout may be adjusted to reduce the burden on the worker depending on the size and layout of the entrance of the sorting device 400, the height of the worker, etc.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, for the 11th to 20th orders out of the 20 orders, the location of the entrance for storing the orders may be determined based on factors other than the total weight. Factors other than the total weight may be the number of items, the size, and the characteristics of the items. Here, the information on the characteristics of the items may include information on the quality of the items. For example, the information on the quality of the items may include information that the items are fragile and require careful handling. Note that if the weight of each item of all items is equal to or less than a predetermined value (e.g., X kg), the weight may not be taken into consideration from the beginning, and the location of the entrance in the sorting device 400 may be determined based only on the other characteristics. In this case, it is possible to omit the determination of whether the items included in each order are heavy, and the predetermined location can be determined quickly.

[Method for determining a predetermined position in a sorting device based on the number of products]
Next, a method for determining a predetermined position in a sorting device based on the number of items included in an order will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a predetermined position for storing items included in three orders in an output management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when there are three orders in which the total weight of the items exceeds a predetermined threshold. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a predetermined position in a sorting device determined based on the number of items for the remaining orders in a case in which there are three orders in which the total weight of the items exceeds a predetermined threshold, as determined by an output management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Assume that there are 20 orders, and that there are three orders in which the total weight of the items included in the order exceeds a predetermined weight. In this case, for the three orders with the largest total weight, the items are stored in the openings I to III of the middle tier indicated by "C". Here, the numbers 4 to 20 in the sorting device 400 shown in FIG. 5 are assigned based on the total weight so that the items are placed first on tier C (number "4"), then on tier D (numbers "5" to "8"), tier B (numbers "9" to "12"), tier A (numbers "13" to "16"), and tier E (numbers "17" to "20"). However, if there are only three orders that are determined to be heavy, there is no need to determine the storage positions for the remaining orders based on the total weight. Therefore, in this embodiment, a method of determining the sorting positions based on the number of items included in the order will be described.

When an order contains a large number of items, the number of movements between station 30 and sorting device 400 increases depending on the number of items, which is likely to increase the burden on the worker. Therefore, it is considered preferable to store the items in an entrance that is closer to station 30 for an order containing a larger number of items.

As shown in FIG. 6, after determining the entrances for the three orders with the largest total weights, the order with the greatest number of items stores its products in the entrance at coordinates (I, D) marked with the number "4" which is closest to station 30. Next, the order with the second greatest number of items stores its products in the entrance at coordinates (I, B) marked with the number "5" which is second closest to station 30.

Similarly, for orders with the fewest number of items, the items are stored in the entrance at coordinates (IV, A) marked with the number "20", which is the furthest from station 30. In this way, by determining the position of the entrance for storing the items according to the number of items included in the order, the distance traveled by worker 20 between station 30 and sorting device 400 can be shortened, and the burden on the worker can be reduced. Note that for orders excluding orders containing heavy items, orders with the same number of items may be stored in the entrance closest to station 30 in descending order of weight.

In the above example, the position of the frontage in the sorting device is first determined for an order that includes heavy items, and then the position of the frontage is determined based on the number of items, but this is not limited to the example. In other words, if the order does not include heavy items, the position of the frontage may first be determined based on the number of items or the size of the items.

Figure 7 shows an example of the predetermined locations for storing items included in 10 orders in which the number of items exceeds a predetermined threshold, as determined by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. First, for the 10 orders in which the number of items exceeds the predetermined threshold, it is preferable to place the items in the middle row, close to station 30, at the left-hand entrance. In Figure 7, these 10 entrances are shown hatched.

The order with the greatest number of items will have its products stored in the entrance closest to station 30, at coordinates (I, C) marked with the number "1." The order with the second greatest number of items will have its products stored in the entrance next closest to station 30, at coordinates (II, C) marked with the number "2."

Similarly, for the following 10 orders in which the number of items exceeds the predetermined threshold, the order with the fewest number of items will have the items stored in the opening at coordinates (III, B) marked with the number "10" in the hatched area, which is the furthest from station 30.

In this way, by determining the position of the opening for storing the products according to the number of products included in the order, the distance traveled by the worker 20 between the station 30 and the sorting device 400 can be shortened, thereby reducing the burden on the worker.

For the remaining 10 orders, where the number of items is less than the predetermined threshold, the location of the storage opening may be determined based on the size or characteristics of the items, excluding the weight and number of items.

In the above example, a case where the number of openings of the sorting device 400 is 20 has been described, but this is not limited to such an example. FIG. 8 shows an example of the predetermined locations for storing the products included in eight orders in which the number of products exceeds a predetermined threshold, as determined by an inventory management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the number of openings of the sorting device is 16.

First, for the eight orders in which the number of items exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is preferable to place them in the middle entrance area, which is closer to station 30. In FIG. 8, these eight entrance areas are shown hatched.

The order with the greatest number of items will have its products stored in the entrance at coordinates (I, C) marked with the number "1" which is closest to station 30. The order with the second greatest number of items will have its products stored in the entrance at coordinates (I, B) marked with the number "2" which is second closest to station 30.

Similarly, for the next eight orders in which the number of items exceeds the specified threshold, the order with the fewest number of items will have the items stored in the hatched area at the entrance to coordinates (IV, B) marked with the number "8," which is the furthest from station 30.

In this way, by determining the position of the opening for storing the products according to the number of products included in the order, the distance traveled by the worker 20 between the station 30 and the sorting device 400 can be shortened, thereby reducing the burden on the worker.

For the remaining eight orders, where the number of items is less than the predetermined threshold, the location of the storage opening may be determined based on the size or characteristics of the items, excluding the weight and number of items.

[How to determine the order of goods issue]
In the above explanation, the position of the frontage in the sorting device for sorting products for each order has been described. After the position of the frontage is determined for each order in this way, the order in which the products are stored in the frontage will be described.

Previously, when sorting products, the order in which products were taken out of the automated warehouse was not taken into consideration. As a result, for example, if sweets in easily crushed boxes were stored at the frontage, and then a heavy product such as an encyclopedia was stored in the same location, the box of sweets stored earlier would be crushed. This meant that it was necessary to move the sweets stored earlier before storing the encyclopedia, which resulted in an increase in the number of workers' man-hours.

In view of this, the warehousing management device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that it further includes a take-out order determination unit 9 that determines the order in which products are taken out of the automated warehouse for each of the multiple orders based on product information. The order information acquisition unit 1 acquires identification information for each of the one or more products included in each of the multiple orders. The product information acquisition unit 2 acquires product information including at least one of information on the weight of each product, information on the number of products, and information on the size of the products based on the identification information. The sorting position determination unit 3 may determine a predetermined position corresponding to each order based on at least one of the weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, the total weight of one or more products, the number of products, and the size of the products. In other words, the sorting position determination unit 3 may determine a predetermined position of the entrance for storing products based on product information related to the number of products included in an order or the size of the products, without being limited to the weight of a single product or the total weight of the products included in an order.

Here, the order in which the removal order determination unit 9 removes products from the automated warehouse may be determined based on various characteristics of the products. For example, the removal order determination unit 9 may determine the removal order based on the weight of the products included in each order.

The product information may also include information regarding product characteristics that should be taken into consideration when sorting the products, and the removal order determination unit may determine the removal order based on the product characteristics included in each order.

The take-out order determination unit 9 may also determine the take-out order based on the number of items of the same type included in each order.

The take-out order determination unit 9 may also determine the take-out order based on the size of the items included in each order.

Figure 9 shows a flowchart for explaining the procedure for determining the order in which products are removed from an automated warehouse based on the weight, size, and characteristics of the products by an output management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 10 shows an example of the order in which products are removed from an automated warehouse based on the weight, size, and characteristics of multiple products in one order by an output management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Here, we will take an example where one order contains nine different products. As shown in Figure 10, there are nine products, numbered 1001 to 1009, and the product information acquisition unit 2 acquires information on the size (length, width, height), weight, and characteristics of each product as product information. The volume of a product can be calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height.

First, in step S201, the order is determined so that heavy items are shipped first within the order, regardless of the volume of the item. For example, if items weighing 5 kg or more are set as heavy items, then items 1002 (weight 5.10 kg) and 1006 (weight 5.60 kg) correspond to heavy items. Of these, item 1006 is the heaviest at 5.60 kg, so it is set to be shipped first. Also, item 1002 is the second heaviest at 5.10 kg, so it is set to be shipped second.

Next, in step S202, the order is determined so that fragile items are shipped last in the order, regardless of the volume of the items. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, if the information registered as the characteristic of items 1003 and 1005 is "fragile," item 1003 may be set to be shipped last, i.e., ninth, and item 1005 may be set to be shipped second to last, i.e., eighth.

Next, in step S203, the order for the remaining items in the order is determined so that they will be shipped in descending order of volume. For example, the shipping order for the remaining five items 1001, 1004, and 1007 to 1009 other than the items whose shipping order has already been determined in steps S201 and S202 is determined in descending order of volume. For example, item 1007 has the largest volume of the remaining five items, so its shipping order is set to third. Similarly, based on the product volume, the shipping order for items 1009, 1008, 1004, and 1001 is set to fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively.

Next, in step S204, the order in which the multiple items in the order will be shipped is determined. That is, the order in which items 1001 to 1009 will be shipped is determined according to the procedure in steps S201 to S203 described above.

Next, in step S205, products 1001 to 1009 are removed from the automated warehouse 300 in the determined removal order. The removed products can then be stored by workers in a designated opening.

In this way, the order in which items are removed from the automated warehouse is determined for each individual order contained in multiple orders based on the product information, reducing the burden on workers and improving productivity.

[Determining pick-up order based on product weight]
9, an example has been described in which the order in which products are taken out of the automated warehouse 300 is determined based on the weight, size, and characteristics of the products, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. That is, in the inventory management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the take-out order determination unit 9 may determine the order in which products are taken out of the automated warehouse 300 based on the weight of the products included in each order.

For example, among the products 1001 to 1009 shown in FIG. 10, the products may be removed from the automated warehouse 300 in the order of weight from heaviest to heaviest. Also, if each product contains multiple identical items, the removal order may be determined based on the total weight of the multiple items.

This can prevent situations where lighter items stored first in the front case are crushed by heavier items stored later.

[Determining the pick-up order based on product characteristics]
In the inventory management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the removal order determination unit 9 may determine the order in which to remove products from the automated warehouse 300 based on the characteristics of the products included in each order.

For example, if information regarding fragility is included as a feature of each of the products 1001 to 1009 shown in FIG. 10, the more fragile the product may be taken out of the automated warehouse 300, the later it will be. Here, information regarding fragility may include, for example, "information such as material, shape, and hardness registered for each product (for example, that the product is made of vinyl, or that the product is shaped like a bag)." However, information regarding fragility is not limited to these examples and may include other information.

This can prevent fragile items stored in the front case from being damaged by items stored later.

[Determining the pick-up order based on the number of items of the same type]
In the inventory management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the removal order determination unit 9 may determine the order in which to remove products from the automated warehouse 300 based on the number of products of the same type included in each order.

For example, if each of the products 1001 to 1009 shown in FIG. 10 contains multiple items of the same type, the products may be removed from the automated warehouse 300 in descending order of the number of items of the same type.

This can prevent a situation where a small number of products stored earlier in the front case are buried under a larger number of products stored later.

[Determining the pick-up order based on product size]
In the warehousing management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the take-out order determination unit 9 may determine the order in which to take out products from the automated warehouse 300 based on the size of the products included in each order. Here, the take-out order may be determined based on the maximum value of any one of the product's length, width, and height as the product size. Alternatively, the take-out order may be determined based on the volume obtained by multiplying the product's length, width, and height.

For example, among the products 1001 to 1009 shown in FIG. 10, the products may be removed from the automated warehouse 300 in order of their individual volume.

In this way, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a smaller-volume product stored first in a case placed at the front is obscured by a larger-volume product stored later. Furthermore, it is possible to store larger-volume products first at the back of the case placed at the front, and store smaller-volume products at the front of the case, allowing for efficient product storage.

[Example of a series of work procedures]
Next, an example of a series of operations from picking up a product to shipping it out will be described. Fig. 11 shows a flowchart for explaining a series of operations from picking up a product to shipping it out, which is performed by the shipping management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

First, in step S301, the ID, which is the identification number of the cart to be installed in the sorting device, is scanned. Here, the cart is a box-shaped container for storing products, and may be provided with an ID, which is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional barcode. The carts may be placed at each of the multiple entrances of the sorting device.

Next, in step S302, the invoice and address labels are printed in ascending order of the entrance number. The invoice may include information on the order number, purchaser, product number, product name, quantity, and sender. For example, if the sorting device 400 has 20 entrances and processes 20 orders, an invoice and address labels may be printed for the orders corresponding to each entrance.

Here, the example of printing the invoice and address labels in advance in order and distributing them to the fronts in order as described above is just one example, and is not limited to this example. In other words, the invoice and address labels can be printed in ascending order or randomly, and as described below, when distributing to the fronts, a unique frontage ID (e.g., a barcode) attached to the frontage linked to the frontage number (No.) is scanned to match with the unique ID (e.g., a barcode) printed on the invoice and address label.

Next, in step S303, a container from the automated warehouse arrives at the station. The container contains products to be stored at the entrance of the sorting device.

Next, in step S304, the worker checks the location from which the product is to be removed from the container, as well as the product and the number of products, on the display unit 7. Note that if the display unit 7 does not show the location from which the product is to be removed from within the container, the product may be removed from any location.

Next, in step S305, the worker removes the specified number of items and places them in the entrance where the sorting device has opened the gate. When placing the items in the entrance, all items may be scanned, or if there are multiple items, one representative item may be scanned, or if the item does not have a barcode or the like, no scanning is required. Furthermore, a scan of the entrance where the items are placed may be performed. Note that if there is no gate at the entrance, the position of the entrance where the items should be placed may be confirmed by turning on a light-emitting device around the entrance, etc.

Next, in step S306, the worker places the product at the entrance and presses the button on the sorting device. This allows the sorting device to return the entrance gate to the closed state.

Next, in step S307, the container departure button for the automated warehouse displayed on the display unit 7 is pressed. This allows the container to be returned to the designated position in the automated warehouse.

Next, in step S308, picking by the sorting device is completed.

Next, in step S309, the sorting device opens the gate of the frontage where the products are stored. By opening the gate of the frontage, it is possible to put invoices and address labels into a cart from the front side of the frontage, and to remove the cart containing the products.

Next, in step S310, the worker distributes the invoice and address labels to each outlet. If the contents of the invoice are to be communicated to the purchaser by email or other means, a barcode or other method for identifying the order may be used instead of the invoice.

Next, in step S311, the worker transports the cart in the sorting device 400 to the packing area. In the packing area, the worker scans the invoice and other documents, then packs the products in the cart together with the invoice into a box, and may attach an address label to a designated location on the outer surface of the box. In this way, a series of operations from removing the products from the automated warehouse to packing is completed.

[How to set up a station]
In the above description, the case where one station is arranged in the automated warehouse has been described as an example, but the automated warehouse may have multiple stations. That is, the automated warehouse 300 storing multiple products may have multiple stations for removing the products, and the warehousing management device 100 may further have a station determination unit 4 (see FIG. 1) that determines one of the multiple stations based on the acquired product information. In this case, the output unit 5 may output information regarding the station for removing the products to the automated warehouse 300.

For example, when there is a large variation in the size of items contained in multiple orders, the orders can be divided into groups of orders with large volume items and groups of orders with small volume items, and each group of orders can be set to be shipped from a different station. Also, a sorting device with a large front volume can be placed in a station that picks up items for an order group with large volume items, and a sorting device with a small front volume can be placed in a station that picks up items for an order group with small volume items. In this way, it becomes easier to avoid a situation where the volume of the items exceeds the front volume, and it is also possible to avoid the creation of empty areas in the front volume.

[How to determine where an ordered item will fit within the opening]
In the above explanation, it is assumed that all items included in the order will fit within the volume of the sorting device's frontage, but prior to the sorting operation, it may be determined whether the ordered items will fit within the volume of the sorting device's frontage.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, first, based on information regarding the length, width, and height of each product, it may be determined whether each side fits within the length, width, and height of the frontage.

If each individual item fits within the frontage, then for each of the multiple orders, it may be determined whether the total volume of all items included in one order fits within the frontage capacity.

If the total volume of the products in all of the multiple orders fits within the capacity of the frontage, the sorting process may begin. On the other hand, if the total volume of the products in all of the orders does not fit within the capacity of the frontage, another sorting device with a larger frontage may be prepared.

A computer program that causes a computer to realize the functions of each part of the processor (not shown) of the inventory management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure described above may be provided in a form stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Order information acquisition unit 2 Product information acquisition unit 3 Sorting position determination unit 4 Station determination unit 5 Output unit 6 Memory unit 7 Display unit 8 Printer 9 Pick-up order determination unit 10 Product 11 Container 30 Station 100 Warehouse delivery management device 200 Automated warehouse management system 300 Automated warehouse 400 Sorting device 401 Frontage 500 Warehouse management system 600 Core system

Claims (9)

A warehousing management device for taking out one or more products included in a plurality of orders from an automated warehouse storing a plurality of products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position of a sorting device, comprising:
an order information acquisition unit that acquires identification information for each of one or more products included in each of the multiple orders;
a product information acquiring unit that acquires product information including at least one of information regarding the weight of each product, information regarding the number of products, and information regarding the size of the products based on the identification information;
a sorting position determination unit that uses the product information to determine the predetermined position corresponding to each order based on at least one of the weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, the total weight of one or more products, the number of products, and the size of the products;
an output unit that outputs information regarding the predetermined position;
a take-out order determination unit that determines an order in which products are to be taken out of the automated warehouse for each of the orders based on the product information;
A delivery management device comprising: The inventory management device according to claim 1 , wherein the take-out order determination unit determines the take-out order based on weights of the products included in the individual orders. The product information includes information regarding product characteristics to be considered when sorting the products;
The inventory management device according to claim 1 , wherein the take-out order determination unit determines the take-out order based on features of products included in the individual orders. The inventory management device according to claim 1 , wherein the take-out order determination unit determines the take-out order based on the number of products of the same type included in each of the orders. The inventory management device according to claim 1 , wherein the take-out order determination unit determines the take-out order based on sizes of the products included in the individual orders. The inventory management device according to claim 3 , wherein the information on the characteristics of the merchandise includes information on the quality of the merchandise. An automated warehouse that stores multiple products has multiple stations for picking up products.
The method further includes a station determination unit that determines one of a plurality of stations based on the acquired product information,
The output unit outputs information regarding a station for picking up the product to the automated warehouse.
The delivery management device according to claim 1 . A method for managing inventory for removing one or more products included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse that stores multiple products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position on a sorting device, comprising the steps of:
The order information acquisition unit acquires identification information for each of the one or more products included in each of the multiple orders;
a product information acquisition unit acquires product information including at least one of information regarding the weight of each product, information regarding the number of products, and information regarding the size of the products , based on the identification information;
a sorting position determination unit uses the product information to determine the predetermined position corresponding to each order based on at least one of a weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, a total weight of one or more products, a number of products, and a size of the products ;
an output unit outputs information relating to the predetermined position;
a take-out order determination unit determines an order in which the products are to be taken out of the automated warehouse for each of the orders included in the plurality of orders based on the product information;
A method for managing inventory. A warehousing management program for retrieving one or more products included in multiple orders from an automated warehouse that stores multiple products, and sorting the one or more products for each order to a predetermined position on a sorting device, comprising:
The processor:
obtaining identification information for each of one or more items included in each of the plurality of orders;
acquiring product information including at least one of information regarding the weight of each product, information regarding the number of products, and information regarding the size of the products based on the identification information;
determining the predetermined location corresponding to each order based on at least one of the weight of a single product included in each of the multiple orders, the total weight of one or more products, the number of products, and the size of the products , using the product information ;
Outputting information about the predetermined position;
determining an order in which the products are to be taken out of the automated warehouse for each of the orders based on the product information;
A shipping management program that executes each step.

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