Automation of goods picking in the warehouse
Automation of goods picking in the warehouse is designed for more efficient order fulfillment, picking, increasing the level of service, increasing the customer base.
The direct purpose of warehouses is to store goods. Goods picking is a process when, upon receipt of a delivery note, batches are formed for shipment. A batch may contain a different number of assortment items. Algorithm of the picking process: selection of the required amount of goods from storage locations, packing, transfer for transportation.
What is the essence of order picking in the warehouse
Order picking in the warehouse is a rather labor-intensive stage of the logistics process. Wholesale trade is characterized by more frequent shipments of goods batches than the processes of receiving and moving.
Stages of order picking:
- Receipt of the delivery note
- Assembly by name or article
- Kitting
- Preparation for transportation
- Organizing documents for shipment
The picking process is regulated by route maps to understand the order of picking and routes of movement within the warehouse.
Most of the warehouse staff is engaged in picking, 50% of the time is spent on intra-warehouse movements and searching for storage space, 20% of the time is spent on forming shipping documents and only 10% of the time the goods are directly picked.
Methods of picking goods in the warehouse
Let’s consider some methods of picking goods in the warehouse, when choosing which method it is important to take into account the size of the warehouse, the number of goods to be stored, the average number of goods in the delivery note, the number of warehouse employees, and the warehouse equipment.
- Small warehouses often use a discrete picking methodology: the picker forms the next order only after finishing work with the previous delivery note.
- For medium-sized warehouses the batch picking methodology is effective – batches are selected simultaneously for all orders, distributed according to delivery notes and moved to the picking zone.
- The method of picking “by zone” – the picker is responsible only for the warehouse zone entrusted to him, shipment is carried out according to delivery notes.
- The method “in waves” combines both zones and batches – order picking is carried out in batches, goods from different zones are selected one by one.
In order to choose the methodology that suits your hoard, it is necessary to organize a competent system of storing stock of goods, taking into account the location of the walking assortment.
Automation of picking and picking of goods in the warehouse
Automating the picking and picking of goods in the warehouse allows you to significantly reduce the time required to process delivery notes, reduce warehouse costs, minimize errors, and allows you to significantly improve the accounting of product balances.
The picking process is triggered according to shipment schedules for “just-in-time” shipments.
Order picking can be either individual or collective. For simultaneous picking of a large pool of orders, the wave method is used.
By analyzing the stock thresholds in the piece selection cells, a pallet movement task is automatically generated.
The process of replenishing the picking cells is started according to the analytics at the end of the work shift.
As part of the picking process, the forklift driver receives a pallet drop job. When the next wave is picked, the WMS system will account for the residuals on the floor. Pick cell replenishment is initiated by the manager at the end of the shift.
WMS and order picking
Properly designed ABM WMS allows you to use different methods of order picking, taking into account the sequence of execution, priority, tare calculation and so on.
ABM WMS functionality
Pick and ship operations:
- Order planning according to FIFO, LIFO, FEFO
- Ability to complete sets
- Ability to pick, pack, place, load using a variety of methods
- Automation of problem situation handling
- Handling of problem situations
Receiving Operations:
- Ability to monitor quantity and quality online
- Ability to repack, label and form pallets
- Ability to accept oversized goods
- Cross-docking operations
- Control of weight and dimensional characteristics
Storage operations:
- Ability to both address storage and any other type of storage as needed
Consignment accounting and traceability:
- Ability to trace consignment and traceability through the entire logistics chain, accounting for product characteristics
Powerful analytics:
- Various types of reports by parameters
- Convenient printable reporting forms
