Walmart Inc.
Order fulfillment management

Abstract:

A system receives an order from a user and evaluates a plurality of potential sources for items of an order as well as delivery options. Combinations of sources and delivery options are assigned a score according to factors such as cost, delivery time, and supply chain factors. A prior-used delivery option for the user is determined and the scores are adjusted to indicate higher desirability for combinations including the prior-used delivery option. A combination is selected and fulfillment of the order is invoked. The source and/or delivery option for an order may be adjusted after fulfillment has begun in response to user instructions or detected disruptions. A user may specify a preferred delivery option that will be used unless a combination not including the preferred delivery option meets a threshold condition. The system may analyze past orders of a user and identify lower cost delivery intervals and/or destinations.