Automated order fulfilment with opportunistic decant operations

Abstract

A method and system for opportunistically picking order items during decant processes. An order management system determines which items required for a pending order are depleted within a decant function or storage system and orders replenishment, such as inbound vendor cases containing the depleted required items, to the decant function. Operators at decant workstations pick the required items from the inbound vendor cases into order containers while simultaneously decanting any remaining, non-required vendor items into inventory containers. The order containers and the inventory items are stored in a storage system until all required items for an order are present therein. Once all required items are present, the items are released to a downstream picking workstation, sorter, and/or packing station. The method with opportunistic decant may enable minimized facility space requirements, labor reductions, and resource reductions while improving facility throughput.