EP-4742124-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPARING AND ANALYZING PRODUCT EFFICIENCY

EP4742124A1EP 4742124 A1EP4742124 A1EP 4742124A1EP-4742124-A1

Abstract

A method may include receiving sensor data of task(s) performed using product(s) at each business. A quantity of each task and an amount of consumed product in performing each task may be determined. An amount of time spent per task per guest and an amount of product consumed per task per guest for each product may be determined. For each business, the amount of time spent per task per guest and/or the amount of product consumed per task per guest are compared. The amount of time spent per task per guest at each business may be compared with an average amount of time spent per task per guest among all businesses. The amount of product consumed per task per guest at each business may be compared with an average amount of product consumed per task per guest among all businesses. Feedback may be provided based on the comparing step.

Inventors

BUENO ROMO, Laura
WARDLE, IAN ROBERT
MCGOWAN, STEVEN BALDWIN

Assignees

The Procter & Gamble Company

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241106

Claims (13)

A method comprising: receiving, at a processor, first data that comprises sensor data captured by a sensor of one or more tasks performed on a surface using one or more products at each of a plurality of businesses; determining, with the processor, second data that identifies a quantity and a duration of each of the one or more tasks based on the sensor data; determining, with the processor, third data that indicates an amount of the one or more products consumed in performing the one or more tasks, based on the sensor data; determining, with the processor, fourth data that indicates an amount of time spent per task per guest for each of the one or more products based on the second data and a number of guests at each business; determining, with the processor, fifth data that indicates an amount of the one or more products consumed per task per guest for each of the one or more products based on the second data, the third data and the number of guests; for each of the plurality of businesses, comparing, with the processor, one or more of; the fourth data for each of the one or more products to identify one of the one or more products having a minimum value of the amount of time spent per task per guest, and the fifth data for each of the one or more products to identify one of the one or more products having a minimum value of the amount of product consumed per task per guest; for the plurality of businesses, determining, with the processor, one or more of; sixth data that indicates an average of the fourth data across the plurality of the businesses; seventh data that indicates an average of the fifth data across the plurality of businesses; for each of the plurality of businesses, comparing, with the processor, one or more of; the fourth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the sixth data, and the fifth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the seventh data; and providing, with the processor, eighth data that indicates feedback to one or more of the businesses based on the comparing step.
The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data is image data captured with a camera of the one or more tasks performed at each business.
The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises capturing, with the camera, the image data of the one or more tasks performed at each business.
The method of any of claims 2 and 3, wherein the image data comprises: video data captured by a first camera at each business, wherein the determining the second data comprises processing, with the processor, the video data to identify the quantity and duration of the one or more tasks; and still image data captured by a second camera at each businesses, wherein the still image data comprises still images captured at regular time increments, wherein the determining the third data comprises processing, with the processor, the still image data to determine the amount of the one or more products consumed in performing the one or more tasks.
The method of claim 4, wherein the processing the video data comprises identifying, with the processor, the action of the one or more tasks and the object of the action of the one or more tasks based on the video data; and wherein the processing the still image data comprises identifying, with the processor, each product based on identifying one of a label on a container of each product or a shape of the container and identifying, with the processor, the amount of each product consumed for each task based on comparing still images captured over the regular time increments during the duration of each task.
The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of businesses comprise businesses of a same type and wherein the identifier of each business uniquely identifies each business within the plurality of businesses having the same type.
The method of claim 6, wherein the same type of the businesses comprises one or more of a restaurant type, a hotel type, a hospital type, and a nursing home type.
The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more tasks are performed in one of a kitchen area or a bathroom area within each business.
The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more tasks comprise at least one of: hand washing dishes within the kitchen area; automatically washing dishes within the kitchen area with an automatic dishwasher; loading dishes into the automatic dishwasher; unloading dishes from the automatic dishwasher; polishing glasses removed from the automatic dishwasher; cleaning a surface within the kitchen area or the bathroom area; and cleaning a floor within the kitchen area or the bathroom area.
The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more products are one or more cleaning products used to clean the surface within a kitchen area or a bathroom area or used to clean the surface of dishes within the kitchen area.
The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the comparing the fourth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the sixth data comprises determining whether a deviation between the fourth data for each business and the sixth data exceeds a first deviation threshold; and wherein the comparing the fifth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the seventh data comprises determining whether a deviation between the fifth data for each business and the seventh data exceeds a second deviation threshold.
The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the providing step comprises outputting, on a display located at each of the one or more businesses, ninth data that indicates the feedback to the one or more businesses.
A method comprising: receiving, at a processor, first data from each of a plurality of businesses, wherein the first data indicates sensor data of one or more tasks performed on a surface at each business, a capture date of the sensor data, a capture time of the sensor data, an identifier of each business, a number of guests at each business, and an identifier of one or more products used at each business; determining, with the processor, second data that identifies a quantity and a duration of each of the one or more tasks in the sensor data comprising determining an action of the one or more tasks and determining an object of the action of the one or more tasks based on the sensor data and the capture time of the sensor data; determining, with the processor, third data that indicates an amount of the one or more products consumed in performing the one or more tasks, based on the sensor data; determining, with the processor, fourth data that indicates an amount of time spent per task per guest for each of the one or more products based on the second data and the number of guests; determining, with the processor, fifth data that indicates an amount of the one or more products consumed per task per guest for each of the one or more products based on the second data, the third data and the number of guests; for each of the plurality of businesses, comparing, with the processor, one or more of; the fourth data for each of the one or more products to identify one of the one or more products having a minimum value of the amount of time spent per task per guest, and the fifth data for each of the one or more products to identify one of the one or more products having a minimum value of the amount of product consumed per task per guest; for the plurality of businesses, determining, with the processor, one or more of; sixth data that indicates an average of the fourth data across the plurality of the businesses; seventh data that indicates an average of the fifth data across the plurality of businesses; for each of the plurality of businesses, comparing, with the processor, one or more of; the fourth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the sixth data, and the fifth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the seventh data; and providing, with the processor, eighth data that indicates feedback to one or more of the businesses based on the comparing step.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to comparing and analyzing product efficiency and more specifically to a system and method for comparing and analyzing product efficiency at one or more business locations. BACKGROUND Algorithms are known which analyze worker efficiency at one or more business locations of a similar type and similar layout. For example, these algorithms routinely monitor an elapsed time for workers at different locations to perform similar tasks. The algorithms then compare the average elapsed time for the workers at different locations to perform similar tasks. The algorithm may then provide feedback to certain locations, such as those locations whose workers have a higher average elapsed time to perform each task. The discussion of shortcomings and needs existing in the field prior to the present disclosure is in no way an admission that such shortcomings and needs were recognized by those skilled in the art prior to the present disclosure. SUMMARY Various embodiments solve the above-mentioned problems and provide methods and devices useful for comparing and analyzing product efficiency at one or more business locations having a similar business type and/or similar layout. Although conventional algorithms are known which can be used to monitor worker efficiency at various business locations of a similar layout and/or similar type, it was recognized that these conventional algorithms have drawbacks. For example, these conventional algorithms do not compare and analyze product efficiency (e.g. cleaning products) utilized at multiple business locations. Thus, the system and method disclosed herein were developed in order to compare and analyze product efficiency (e.g. cleaning products) utilized at multiple business locations with a similar business type and/or layout. Such a comparison and analysis may provide feedback, such as to those business locations having a much smaller product efficiency than other business locations that use a same product, in order to address this deficiency. Also, these conventional algorithms do not compare and analyze the efficiency of multiple products (e.g. multiple cleaning products) being used by workers at a same business location to perform a similar task. Such a comparison may help to identify which of the products is the most efficient. Thus, the system and method disclosed herein were developed in order to compare and analyze product efficiency (e.g. cleaning products) of multiple products used at a same business location. Such a comparison and analysis may provide helpful feedback to the business location, such as to identify which of the multiple cleaning products has the most efficiency, so that the business location can focus on using the identified product in order to maximize efficiency. In a first set of embodiments, a method for comparing and analyzing product efficiency may be provided. The method may include receiving, at a processor, first data that comprises sensor data captured by one or more sensors of one or more tasks performed on a surface using one or more products at each of a plurality of businesses. The method may also include determining, with the processor, second data that identifies a quantity and a duration of each of the one or more tasks based on the sensor data. The method may also include determining, with the processor, third data that indicates an amount of the one or more products consumed in performing the one or more tasks, based on the sensor data. The method may also include determining, with the processor, fourth data that indicates an amount of time spent per task per guest for each of the one or more products based on the second data and number of guests at each business. The method may also include determining, with the processor, fifth data that indicates an amount of the one or more products consumed per task per guest for each of the one or more products based on the second data, the third data and the number of guests. For each of the plurality of businesses, the method may include comparing, with the processor, the fourth data for each of the one or more products to identify one of the one or more products having a minimum value of the amount of time spent per task per guest, and/or the fifth data for each of the one or more products to identify one of the one or more products having a minimum value of the amount of product consumed per task per guest. For the plurality of businesses, the method may include determining, with the processor, one or more of sixth data that indicates an average of the fourth data across the plurality of the businesses and/or seventh data that indicates an average of the fifth data across the plurality of businesses. For each of the plurality of businesses, the method may include comparing, with the processor, the fourth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the sixth data, and/or the fifth data for each of the plurality of businesses with the seventh da