How to Master Order Picking and Boost Productivity
Businesses strive to exceed customers’ expectations every day. To satisfy these customers, it is important to be able to pick orders quickly and accurately. Every time we touch products it costs money. So, how can you increase picking efficiency and reduce operating expenses?
Order Picking Basics
Manual picking is the most basic method of ordering. This is usually a picker-to-part method that requires people to travel to the item in shelving or racks. They then check the items and then move on to the next one.
Companies must consider product placement when planning a warehouse or redesigning an existing one. Consider the following when considering picker-to-item scenarios:
- Optimizing the product’s position to be picked will reduce cycle time and help you minimize your delivery times. The delivery time is reduced if items are stored closer to the door or at the point of use. The order picker who walks to pick items consumes 50-70% of the picking cycle.
- Positioning items between the knees and shoulder in the “golden pick zone” reduces effort and speeds up speed.
- To speed up order fulfillment, store family items, kits, and other products in close physical proximity.
- To properly pack the items, it is essential to know their size and weight. The heaviest items are placed on top of the lighter and more fragile items.
Pickers can be assigned warehouse zones, whether responsible for picking individual orders or batching. The pick-and-pass method decreases travel time. They choose products from the picklist and pass the order on to the next zone until it is complete.
Order Picking Technologies
Technologies to enhance your order-picking process are:
- Scan bar codes
- Radio frequency-directed picking
- Wearable scanners
- Warehouse Management Software (WMS).
- Multilanguage voice-directed picking
- Place and pick robots
- Parts to Choose: Vertical and Horizontal Carousels, and Vertical Lift Modules
Each order-picking solution has its own place depending on the various variables involved in the picking application. It is essential to work with a skilled systems integrator to help you develop and implement the perfect solution. While ROI is often calculated based on hard labor savings and space, accuracy and customer satisfaction are the key factors.
