Patent ID: 9342063
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: G05B,G06Q,Y02P

Claim Text:
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in at least one computing device, comprising: code that determines respective past work cycles for individual ones of a plurality of stages in a pipelined materials handling process in a fulfillment center, the pipelined materials handling process including respective work buffers between successive ones of the plurality of stages; code that determines respective staffing levels for the individual ones of the plurality of stages; code that predicts a workflow variance for the pipelined materials handling process; code that generates respective optimal buffer capacities for individual ones of the respective work buffers based at least in part on a target buffer capacity confidence, the predicted workflow variance, the respective staffing levels, and the respective past work cycles; and code that generates a report indicating the respective optimal buffer capacities.