Understanding the picking process
Picking represents a fundamental warehouse operation where employees or automated systems retrieve items from storage areas to complete customer orders. In modern logistics facilities, picking agents are typically equipped with specialized terminals featuring screens that display comprehensive product lists, or they may use voice picking systems that verbally guide them through the items to be collected. These picking lists are generated through electronic data interchanges (EDIs) after orders have been verified by the company’s IT systems.
Purpose and equipment
The primary purpose of picking is to rationalize and streamline recurring logistical operations, maximizing productivity while minimizing errors. Picking agents utilize various hoisting machines and equipment designed to retrieve items from racks and specialized storage units. Once orders are complete, they move to packaging chains where identification elements are added before final delivery preparation and loading onto transport vehicles.
Types of picking methods
Picking processes vary significantly depending on the logistician’s internal organization, product types, and volume requirements. The three main picking activities include:
Picker-to-Part: A single picking agent collects products from the storage area for multiple orders simultaneously, optimizing movement through warehouse aisles.
Order Completion (Allotment): One or several operators work together to complete full orders, coordinating their efforts for efficiency.
U-Based Orders: A picking agent gathers all items for a single order from one or multiple storage areas, following a U-shaped route through the facility.
Optimization techniques
Modern picking operations employ various methods to enhance productivity. Using portable terminals or computerized internal memory systems, employees and autonomous robots can rationalize their movements throughout storage aisles. They can identify items ordered by different customers being sent to the same destination, consolidating trips and reducing unnecessary travel time.
Advanced techniques like “pick to light” systems guide operators through visual cues, while computerized and manual preparation methods ensure accurate packaging and dispatch of all orders to their correct destinations.
