1. NASHVILLE STATE Community College
Warehouse & Inventory Management
LOGI 1030
Order Picking Operations
2. A Reminder on Why We Focus On Order Picking Setup
Order picking accounts for 50-55% of warehouse costs
Therefore we must establish an efficient operation by:
Controlling picking costs by reducing travel time, while we
maintain a high degree of responsiveness to changing customer
demands, all while we ensure order integrity.
3. Why We Focus On Order Picking Setup
Picking is where the “rubber meets the road” in a distribution center.
The core of all order fulfillment is the actual placing of product the
customer wants into a carton or tote.
In a short while, we will see that there are many different ways to
pick product and there are advantages to each. The organization
must select the method that matches its specific order profile,
business goal, equipment needs, and efficiency standards.
First, we must first recognize that order picking is part of a larger process.
Second, order picking is a combination of processes and supporting
technologies.
4. Why We Focus On Order Picking Setup
We need to look at how well picking integrates with all process from
receiving through shipping and try to optimize the entire process.
Need to consider: Is the distribution center prepared to deal with the
increased productivity/output and reduced labor requirements often
associated with new and improved processes?
Can the upstream/supplying departments adequately prepare
the inventory for picking?
Can the downstream departments handle the increased volume
coming from picking into their areas without creating bottlenecks
which could back up into picking?
Does the organization have a plan to “deal” with too much available
labor and associated labor costs?
5. Why We Focus On Order Picking Setup
Order picking does not occur in a vacuum, it is a team effort which begins
in…
…Receiving: Where inventory is received correctly
…Stocking: where inventory is placed in locations that are ideal
for picking and stocking transaction are completed in a timely manner
Remember, slotting or the act of assigning inventory to a location should be
done with picking’s benefit in mind and NOT what is easiest for stocking.
6. How can we reduce costs and reduce travel time?
1. Organize the work flow so that the flow:
• Creates high pick density picking tasks
• Reduces cycle time. The time from when the warehouse receives
the order to the time the order is loaded on a truck for shipping.
2. Improve process efficiency via removing obstacles, correctly locating
inventory in a picker friendly format, using the correct technology, and possibly
offering incentives.
3. While we use the appropriate process to maintain order integrity.
7. How do we increase pick density?
1. Create a storage environment with high SKU density (many
SKUs per storage foot.
2. Create a “forward pick” area.
A forward pick area is generally composed of the most popular
SKUs (SKUs with an established level of demand) and is
organized to be picked in “eachs” vs. case picked.
3. Batch orders: have pickers retrieve more than one order during
each trip through the forward pick area.
This will most likely require some form of a sorting process:
Sort-while-pick
Downstream sorting
8. Different Picking Processes
Discrete Order Picking
How it works:
The most basic form of picking
One picker starts one order and completes the entire order
The picker goes to each location required for the order
The picker picks and then places the product into a tote or onto a cart
Primarily used in low order volume distribution centers
Or, for sufficiently large orders
Allows for order accuracy and ease of tracking errors back to the picker
Less viable option for smaller orders as travel time between locations
is increased
10. Different Picking Processes
Pick and Pass Order Picking
As volume increases Pick and Pass is generally the next type of picking used.
Used to balance the workload between areas.
How it works:
When a picker finishes all picks in their area they pass the task to the picker in
the next area.
Minimizes travel time for each picker
Pickers become familiar with inventory and locations in their area reducing
search time
Like Discrete picking, errors are easily tracked back to the picker.
12. Batch Picking
Fulfilling multiple orders at one time
Groups of orders picked at the same time to minimize repeat visits
to the same location
Beneficial when there is commonality of SKUs across multiple orders or
groups of orders
For multi-SKU orders this may result in the order being spread across
more than one picking task (cart)
13. How it works:
Each item in the group of batched orders being picked is picked from their
respective locations and placed on a cart or in a tote.
When picking is complete, the individual items will go through a sorting
process to combine the items into their respective orders.
Batch picking improves productivity by reducing walking time.
Batching makes it so a picker makes one trip through a pick area to pick a
number of orders (or pieces of orders) at one time.
A properly configured batch will generate highly dense picks along the pick
path.
14. Batch Picking
Order Next stop: Sorting
1
Order
2
Order
3
Order 4
Batch cart 1 Batch cart 2
15. Warehouse Zoning
Zone: A section of the forward pick area to which a picker is confined.
Zoning Patterns
Progressive Zoning
To packing and shipping
Parallel/Simultaneous Zoning
To sorting and consolidation
Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5
Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5
Order
Order
Adapted from: Spyros Reveliotis
16. Combining Batching with Zoning
• Single-order pick: One picker works one order at a time until the order is filled.
• Pick-sort, no zoning: One picker picks multiple orders at a time to completion
using a cart with multiple containers for maintaining order integrity.
• Batch picking with down stream sorting, no zoning: One picker picks several
orders all together to completion. The picking task then goes to a sort.
• Single-order pick with zoning: An order is split into sub-orders by zone and a
picker in each zone fills the corresponding sub-order.
• Batch picking with downstream sorting and zoning: Several orders are split
into sub-orders and the sub-orders for each zone are filled by the picker(s)
operating in that zone. Sub-orders are then taken to a downstream sorting
process to rebuild the sub-orders into the original order.
Adapted from: Spyros Reveliotis
17. Pick to Carton
How it works:
Pick product directly into a carton as the picker moves through the pick path
Eliminates the need for packing the order after picking.
Works best for one carton sized orders
Picking may be slightly slower, but overall order through put (cycle time) is
faster.
18. Technology
As the volume increases through the facility and orders become more
complex, the use of technology becomes necessary.
Three common technologies used for picking:
Paper pick lists:
* Items to be picked are listed in location sequence
* Does not allow for “live” productivity monitoring
* Limited quality checks
RF Scanners:
* Pickers are directed to pick locations via instructions on
RF screen.
* Allows for “live” productivity monitoring.
* Can be cumbersome and is not “hands free”.
* Built in quality checks
19. Technology
Voice Picking:
* Pickers are directed to picking locations via voice commands
* Allows for “live” productivity monitoring
* “Hands Free” and “Heads Up” operation
* Built in quality checks
Light Directed Picking:
* Lighted display indicates what and how much to pick
* Built in quality check
20. Technology
Carousels:
* Brings work to the picker
* Offers high density storage solution
* A limitation: Allows only a limited number of pickers
