Some materials handling facilities, such as product distribution or fulfillment centers, process a large amount of inventory, and there can be significant burdens and costs associated with receiving shipment parcels at such a facility. In this regard, for each received parcel, a user often enters tracking information, such as a purchase order (PO) number, a shipment carrier identifier, a vendor identifier, and/or other information that is commonly used to track the parcel for delivery or storage at a materials handling facility. However, different vendors and shipment carriers often use different formats, shipment procedures, and tracking information. In addition, exceptions can further complicate the process for receiving shipment parcels at a materials handling facility. An exception generally refers to a parcel defect or anomaly such as a damaged package or product, defective tracking information, such as an inaccurate, missing, or illegible PO or vendor information, or other shipment errors. Ensuring that the appropriate information has been captured for incoming parcels at a materials handling facility and handling exceptions for such parcels can be extremely burdensome and expensive.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds