The core objective of a warehouse is to store goods until picked and shipped and to make it as cost-effective as possible. It’s also in the interest of the warehouse to ship goods out of the warehouse as quickly as possible. A major cost in a warehouse is the labour component that moves the goods around in operations such as putaway, replenishment and picking.
In this blog post, we will discuss the different styles of picking techniques used in warehouses to pick and ship the sales orders. No one style of picking is right or wrong, it depends upon many factors that determine which style of picking will be more suited to your warehouse. The style of picking best suited to your warehouse will vary depending on factors such as warehouse layout, type of goods, equipment used and type of orders. Some different style of picking include:
- Discrete or Regular Picking is a picking style where one picker picks an order at a time. This style of picking is generally used in small warehouses with a low number of SKUs. This is the simplest way of picking and hence easy to implement. This picking style also allows warehouse managers to easily track picker accuracy.
- Wave or Cluster Picking is when picker picks multiple orders on one pick run. This style of picking is more efficient then regular picking as multiple order will be picked at the end of one pick run. This picking style is also relatively simple and easy to implement. Generally, the picker has multiple cartons on a trolley and pick the required inventory as they go. A WMS would guide them along the best pick path to reduce the travel time. This picking style also allows to easily track picker accuracy.
- Batch or Consolidated Picking is when a batch of orders are released to the warehouse for picking and pickers first collect all the inventory required to fulfil the batch of orders. This allows pickers to pick an item to fulfil all batched orders and hence reduce the travel time throughout the warehouse. Once all the SKUs are picked, picker puts the inventory into the packing station where multiple pickers/packers pick the goods into respective boxes and ship it. This type of picking is generally used in the warehouse with bigger order volume and a large number of SKUs in the warehouse. Hence this picking style provides efficiency but requires 2 stages to fulfil an order.
- Zone picking is a picking style where the order is picked in zones by various pickers. Large warehouses and distribution centres are divided into smaller zones. Some examples of zones in the warehouse are, the zone for fast or slow-moving items, the freezer zone, the hazardous goods zone, the high-value item zone with extra security. Pickers are assigned to particular zones. Then when orders are released to the warehouse for picking, pickers from the required zones in the warehouse will pick the same order. Zone picking can be implemented where pickers can pick the same order at the same time. Alternatively, zone picking can be implemented where different pickers pick the same order one after another.
- Combination of picking Methods could also be considered to achieve the best outcome for the warehouse. For example, batch picking and zone picking can be implemented together where respective pickers in zones will pick multiple orders at one time and pass on the orders to the next zone.
A well planned and implemented picking technique in a warehouse operation will provide benefits such as increased picking performance, accurate order picking, on-time delivery, improved inventory demand planning management, more efficient physical space utilisation.
Modern technology also plays a vital role in optimising order picking process in a warehouse. In combination with the correct picking style, modern technology delivers outstanding results. The use of automation in a warehouse can significantly increase the efficiency of warehouse operations. However, it’s important to not consider automation as a silver bullet that will solve all the problems in your warehouse.
“Automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency”
Bill Gates
Some leading technologies used in today’s modern warehouse operations are:
- Barcodes and RFID Scanners – when a warehouse has barcodes/RFID on all SKUs and warehouse locations (bin), there will be an increase in picking rate and accuracy.
- Pick to light – is another technology that can reduce warehouse picking errors. Once set up when a carton is passed to picking, a light in the aisle guides the picker to pick the correct inventory to the correct order.
- Voice Picking – is a voice-enabled picking technology which allows pickers to pick the orders using both hands and still pick accurately. The warehouse system guides the picker using voice and detects what they are picking by voice. Hence it improves picking efficiency significantly.
- Conveyor – in a warehouse where cartons for order move from one warehouse zone to another and pickers in those respective zones will pick the item into those moving cartons. In other worked, its an order to person system, where the order automatically moves to the product location in the warehouse and this reduces pickers travel time.
- Goods to Person – This post will be incomplete if we do not mention robotics. Semi or fully automated warehouse can be controlled by robots. In semi-automated warehouses, modern robotic technology helps warehouses and pickers by bringing goods to the picker and eliminating warehouse pick paths. This enables the warehouse to achieve highly efficient picking process and high pick rates. On the other hand, large distribution centres could implement fully automated warehouse solutions where large orders could be picked without any human intervention. Now that leads to another discussion altogether “How much technology?”.
Note: Views in this article are generic in nature, please talk to your consultant or warehouse expert before deciding on Implementing new WMS solution or changing your existing warehouse policies.
