Georgia Patent of the Month – September 2024

Pollen Technologies Inc., a whitelabel banking and payments platform, has been granted a patent for their approach to automated product return and exchange processing. This system addresses one of the most time-consuming aspects of retail—handling returns—by streamlining and optimizing multiple return requests.

The process begins when a customer electronically initiates a return or exchange. The system immediately associates this request with product details and begins to group similar requests from other customers. This aggregation allows for efficient optimization of pickup and delivery routes. A driver is assigned to collect the products based on proximity and vehicle capacity, ensuring the most cost-effective and timely pickup.

Upon pickup, the driver follows specific validation instructions, including visual inspection and product authentication through image recognition. This thorough verification helps retailers by reducing errors in the return process and prevents the mishandling of items. Notifications are sent to both the customer and retailer throughout the process, keeping them informed of each step—from pickup to product drop-off at designated locations. 

Pollen’s system not only improves the overall customer experience by offering faster returns and exchanges but also reduces operational costs for retailers through route optimization and aggregation. Additionally, its blockchain integration enhances transparency, allowing retailers to track every returned item through a secure digital fingerprint.

With this technology, Pollen is pushing the boundaries of retail logistics, creating a more efficient, automated solution for an otherwise complicated process.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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