Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Caroline F Mallary

Peter R Wurman

Michael Cordell Mountz

Joseph W Durham

Steven Augustine Wilson

Zhouzhou Peng

A system includes a inventory pier and a mobile drive unit. The inventory pier includes a first side and a second side. The first side includes defined areas at which inventory holders are designated to be stationed. The inventory pier is operable to receive inventory items from at least one of the inventory holders at least one of the defined areas. The mobile drive unit is operable to transport an order holder along the second side of the inventory pier, wherein the order holder is operable to receive an inventory item from the inventory pier at a location along the second side of the inventory pier.

Filling an order at an inventory pier

A system includes an inventory pier, a mobile drive unit, and a management module. The inventory pier includes a defined area arranged to station an inventory holder. The inventory holder stores an inventory item. The mobile drive unit is operable to transport an order holder. The management module is operable to calculate a metric associated with demand for the inventory item. Based at least in part upon the metric, the management module is operable to select, from a plurality of inventory holders, the inventory holder storing the inventory item to be stationed at the defined area of the inventory pier. The management module is further operable to receive an order for the inventory item and instruct the mobile drive unit to transport the order holder to the inventory pier. The order holder is operable to receive the inventory item from the inventory holder proximate to the defined area.

Growing community of inventors

Reading, MA, United States of America

Caroline F Mallary