Picking as a Key Logistics Function
Whether it is dynamic provisioning, item picking, or order consolidation, picking is a crucial area where automation can significantly boost effectiveness and efficiency. Tasks like retrieving, provisioning, picking and assembling partial orders from warehouse stock are often labor-intensive and time-consuming.
How Do Picking Systems Work
To reduce the burden on workers in logistics and distribution centers and streamline order processing, various technical aids are used, including manual or semi-automated picking systems.
A fully automated warehouse system working in conjunction with picking vehicles and robots can significantly increase the degree of automation: from dynamic provisioning through to product retrieval and order consolidation.
Efficient Picking Methods
Picking systems help warehouse workers efficiently retrieve products from storage for distribution. There are two main methods to pick orders:
Person-to-Goods
Using this method, the items stay in place, and the picker moves around the warehouse to collect them. Picking technology can help improve efficiency for this kind of manual order processing. This approach is common in e-commerce. It is also popular for central warehouses, where goods are picked daily for distribution to restock regional warehouses or stores.
Goods-to-Person
In this method, the goods come to the picker. Automated warehouse systems and conveyor bands bring the requested items to the picking station. This approach is common in automated Small Parts Warehouses. In larger automated warehouses, robots or picking vehicles transport items to packing zones, eliminating the need for walking and saving time.
Assistance Systems for Manual Picking
In person-to-goods picking, workers walk or travel to the storage locations. In the past, navigating and locating items was done using signs and clipboards. Today, pickers find their way faster with the help of displays, terminals and handheld scanners.
Since the worker moves through the warehouse instead of the goods, this method is referred to as static provisioning. Upon arrival at the location, technical interfaces often assist with the retrieval of the items. These paperless picking methods are commonly used.
This method uses voice generation and recognition software. Pickers receive instructions and are directed to the correct storage locations via a headset attached to a mobile computer. A voice engine provides the necessary information from the warehouse management system. Workers can also communicate with the software using voice commands, such as confirming the successful retrieval of an item.
In this method, lights at storage bins light up in sequence, guiding pickers on the items to pick and their quantities. The blinking lights provide direction, and the numbers on displays help ensure accurate picking.
Automated picking is often done by robots paired with an automated warehouse system. This method maximizes efficiency, as no human intervention is required. Fine-turning the coordination between the warehouse and the robots can bring effective error rates down to zero — while maintaining a constant processing speed.
Accelerated Picking
With these picking systems, workers can retrieve ordered quantities more quickly and confirm their picks. After placing the items in a picking container, they deliver it to the packing stations (single-stage picking). In some cases, items are packed directly into shipping boxes at the storage location, a method known as pick and pack.
Batch Order Consolidation
For a high volume of orders with low item quantities, batch picking can be used. The picker first retrieves the entire quantity of a specific item without regard to individual orders, then hands it over to a sorting and distribution system. The system, often called a sorter, divides the items into individual customer orders (multi-stage picking).
Shorter Walking Times with Conveyor Technology
In person-to-goods picking, a single person typically processes an entire order, which often leads to long walks — especially if the warehouse inventory is spread across different storage areas. Conveyor technology and warehouse management software can speed up order processing in manual picking.
Automated Goods-to-Person Picking
Goods-to-person picking helps automate material flow. Automated systems provide items dynamically. Tasks are performed by robots, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), vertical and paternoster lifts, spiral conveyors, and other conveyor modules.
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