| CPC B65G 1/1375 (2013.01) | 10 Claims |
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1. A method for balancing resources within an automated warehouse facility and assigning work processes to workstations within the facility, said method comprising:
calculating, with a warehouse management system, a production rate for each pending order selected from a database of pending orders;
categorizing each of the pending orders into a plurality of sub-lists based on the shipment configuration required for each order;
for each highest priority order per sub-list, assigning each of the selected orders to one of a plurality of sequencing systems within the facility, wherein each sequencing system comprises a sequencing tower and a plurality of order fulfilment and decant workstations, the sequencing tower and workstations in transport communication with particular aisles of an automated storage and retrieval system that is configured to store and retrieve items within the facility, said assigning each of the selected orders to a sequencing system is performed based on the most efficient resource allocation determined based on the relative positioning between resources of the sequencing system and the position of required items stored in the automated storage and retrieval system;
for each sequencing system within the facility, assigning each order that is assigned to the respective sequencing system to one of the plurality of order fulfillment and decant workstations within the sequencing system, wherein each order fulfillment and decant workstation is adaptable for performing either chosen from order fulfilment operations and decant operations, said assigning each of the selected orders to a workstation is performed based on the most efficient resource allocation determined based on the relative positioning between workstations of the sequencing system and the position of required items stored in the automated storage retrieval system;
buffering the required shipping containers for each of the orders that are assigned to the respective sequencing towers; and
wherein when the required shipping container and all required items for a selected order are available at the respective sequencing tower and the automated storage and retrieval system, releasing all of the required items such that the items arrive simultaneously at the selected workstation.
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