Methods and systems for prioritizing retrieval of products from stock room bins

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of bins at a retail sales facility are described. The methods include receiving an identification of a product being binned at a retail sales facility, then determining the size of the product, and then ranking the products in the bins based on the time stamp of a time of binning of the product. The physical size of the product and the ranking of the product are correlated to a size of the bins to determine the relative physical locations of the products in the bins. A pick of a product from a bin is generated based on a determination that the location of the product to be picked in one of the bins is higher than a location of at least one identical product in at least another one of the bins.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of storage bins located in a stock room at a retail sales facility, the method comprising:
 providing an inventory management database configured to store electronic information associated with the products located at the retail sales facility, the electronic information associated with the products located at the retail sales facility including at least one of bin identifier data uniquely identifying each one of the storage bins and product identity data uniquely identifying each one of the products;   scanning, via an electronic device of a worker at the retail sales facility, at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail sales facility;   in response to the scanning step, obtaining, via an electronic inventory management device including a processor, and from the inventory management database, the product identity data;   determining, via the processor of the electronic inventory management device and based on the at least one electronic time stamp and the product identity data, a physical location of at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins relative to a physical location of other products stored in the at least one of the storage bins;   determining, by the processor of the electronic inventory management device, that another one of the products that is identical to the at least one product is stored in another one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility, and that a physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility is higher up within the at least one of the storage bins in comparison to a physical location of the other one of the products in the other one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility;   based on a determination by the processor of the electronic inventory management device that two identical ones of the products are located in two different ones of the storage bins located in the stock room of the retail facility, and that the physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility is higher up within the at least one of the storage bins in comparison to a physical location of the other one of the products within the other one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility, generating, via the processor of the electronic inventory management device, a pick instruction indicating that the at least one product is to be picked from the at least one of the storage bins instead of the other one of the products being picked from the other one of the storage bins; and   transmitting an electronic signal including the pick instruction from the electronic inventory management device to the electronic device of the worker at the retail sales facility,   by the electronic device of the worker and in response to receipt of the electronic signal including the pick instruction from the electronic inventory management device:
 generating, on a display or via a speaker of the electronic device of the worker, a visible or audible output, the visible or audible output indicating to the worker the pick instruction to the worker to pick, from the at least one storage bin, the at least one product for which the pick instruction was generated by the processor, the pick instruction including the bin identifier data identifying to the worker the at least one storage bin located in the stock room at the retail facility from which the at least one product for which the pick instruction was generated by the processor is to be picked according to the pick instruction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic scanning device is one of a mobile hand-held scanner and a stationary scanner, and wherein the receiving step including scanning the at least one product using one of the mobile hand-held scanner and the stationary scanner at a time when the at least one product was scanned by the electronic scanning device during placement of the at least one product into the at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the scanning of the at least one product includes scanning the at least one product using at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an optical reader, and a barcode reader. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving step further includes receiving, by the electronic inventory management device, electronic data indicating that the at least one product has an expiration date. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the generating step further includes generating, using the electronic inventory management device, a pick instruction for the at least one product having an expiration date from the at least one storage bin located in the stock room at the retail facility based on a determination by the electronic inventory management device that the at least one product having an expiration date was placed into the at least one of the storage bins before at least one product that is identical to the at least one product having an expiration date and that was placed into at least another one of the storage bins. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the receiving of an indication that the at least one product has an expiration date further includes receiving, using the electronic inventory management device, a time stamp of a time of delivery of the at least one product to the retail sales facility. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the generating step further includes generating, using the electronic inventory management device, a pick instruction of the at least one product having an expiration date from the at least one storage bin located in the stock room at the retail facility based on a determination by the electronic inventory management device that the at least one product having an expiration date was delivered to the retail facility before at least one product that is identical to the at least one product having an expiration date and that is located in at least another one of the storage bins. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining a physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins relative to a physical location of other products stored in the at least one of the storage bins step further includes determining the physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the bins relative to the physical location of at least one other product in the at least one of the bins. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the generating step further includes indicating a location in the stock room of the at least one storage bin including the at least one product for which the pick instruction is generated. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the steps of receiving, ranking, determining, correlating, determining, and generating includes one of transmitting data from the electronic inventory management device to and receiving data from a server in communication with the electronic inventory management device. 
     
     
         11 . A system of prioritizing retrieval of products from a plurality of storage bins located in a stock room at a retail sales facility, the system comprising:
 an inventory management database that stores electronic information associated with the products located at the retail sales facility, the electronic information associated with the products located at the retail sales facility including at least one of bin identifier data uniquely identifying each one of the storage bins, storage bin size data, product identity data uniquely identifying each one of the products, product physical attribute data, and product shelf life data;   an electronic scanning device of a worker at the retail sales facility, the electronic scanning device of the worker including a reader that scans at least one product being placed into at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail sales facility to obtain identification data associated with the at least one product, wherein, in response to a scan of the at least one product by the electronic scanning device, the electronic scanning device generates at least one electronic time stamp indicating a time when the at least one product was scanned by the electronic scanning device during placement of the at least one product into the at least one of the storage bins;   an electronic inventory management device including a programmable processor and configured to:
 receive, from the electronic scanning device, a signal including the identification data associated with the at least one product obtained by the electronic scanning device and the at least one electronic time stamp indicating the time when the at least one product was scanned by the electronic scanning device during placement of the at least one product into the at least one of the storage bins; 
 obtain, from the inventory management database, the product identity data and the product physical attribute data and the storage bin size data; 
 determine, via the processor of the electronic inventory management device and based on the at least one electronic time stamp, the product identity data, the product physical attribute data, and the storage bin size data, a physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins relative to a physical location of other products stored in the at least one of the storage bins; 
 determine that another one of the products that is identical to the at least one product is stored in another one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility, and that a physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility is higher up within the at least one of the storage bins in comparison to a physical location of the other one of the products in the other one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility; 
 based on a determination by the processor of the electronic inventory management device that two identical ones of the products are located in two different ones of the storage bins located in the stock room of the retail facility, and that the physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility is higher up within the at least one of the storage bins in comparison to a physical location of the other one of the products in the other one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility, generate, via the processor of the electronic inventory management device, a pick instruction indicating that the at least one product is to be picked from the at least one of the storage bins instead of the other one of the products being picked from the other one of the storage bins; and 
 transmit an electronic signal including the pick instruction from the electronic inventory management device to the electronic scanning device of the worker at the retail sales facility; 
   wherein, in response to receipt of the electronic signal including the pick instruction from the electronic inventory management device, the electronic scanning device of the worker generates, on a display or via a speaker of the electronic scanning device of the worker, a visible or audible output, the visible or audible output, the visible or audible output indicating to the worker the pick instruction to the worker to pick, from the at least one storage bin, the at least one product for which the pick instruction was generated by the processor, the pick instruction including:
 the product identity data uniquely identifying to the worker the at least one product to be picked by the worker from the at least one storage bin located in the stock room at the retail facility; and 
 the bin identifier data identifying to the worker a unique number associated with the at least one storage bin located in the stock room at the retail facility from which the at least one product is to be picked according to the pick instruction. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the reader is at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, an optical reader, and a barcode reader. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor of the electronic inventory management device is programmed to determine a physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins located in the stock room at the retail facility relative to a physical location of other products stored in the at least one of the storage bins step via a determination, by the processor of the electronic inventory management device of the physical location of the at least one product in the at least one of the storage bins relative to the physical location of at least one other product in the at least one of the storage bins.