ORDER PICKING AND REPLENISHMENT

Peter pipper pick a pack of picked pepper. A pack of pickled pepper peter pipper pick. If Peter pipper pick a pack of pickled pepper, where the peck of pickled pepper Peter pipper pick.

ORDER PICKING CONCEPTS pick-to-order This is basically where a picker takes one order and travels through the whole warehouse untill the whole order is picked.

batch picking This method can achieved great benefits in terms of picking time, ut of course the goods then need to be sorted at the end of the picking run into the different customer order.

pick by line or pick to zero

The exact numbers of cases or items are presented for picking.

Zone PickingThis is wherewaehouse is split into different zones with specific order pickers dedicated to each zone.

WAVE PICKINGOthers may be released in waves

in order to control the flow of goods in terms of replenishment, picking, packing, marshalling and dispatch.

ORDER PICKING EQUIPMENT

This may be classified under three categories – picker to goods to picker, and automated system.

Picker to goodsThis category involved the oder

picker travelling to goods in order to pick them. As with all categories, consideration needs to be given as to what storage equipment the picker n is picking from what the picker is picking into or on to.

Fixed – path high – level picking trucks

Pick cars Conveyors

GOODS TO PICKER 

These systems are normally controlled so the precise SKUs are presented to the picker in the required sequence.

Horizontal and vertical carousels Miniloads Totes –to-picker systems Pallet-to-picker system Shelf modules – to picker systems

AUTOMATED SYSTEMS Layer pickers Dispensers Robotic applications

Sortation

Sortation may occur immediately after picking so that items can be assembled into the appropriate orders ready for packing or dispatch. Where there is a separate packing operation sortation may also occur after packing so that the packed Goods can be assembled into vehicle loads – picking area layout

PACKING AREA LAYOUT The layout of the picking area is

critical to achieving high levels of productivity. One of the first decisions that needs to be taken is whether to have separate reserve inventory and picking locations for individual SKUs or to combine all the inventory into a single location. This will largely depend on the total amount of inventory for an SKUs.

Slotting

The slotting of inventory is a term used for identifying the individual SKUs that should be located in each location

  Pick Routes

Another factor that affects picking productivity in picker-to-good operation is the actual route taken around the pick face.

INFORMATION IN ORDER PICKING This information exchange is necessary for the picker to complete the task and also to ensure that the pick is completed accurately. The design of the information exchange therefore needs to achieve high productivity while ensuring high levels of accuracy.

Paper pick lists Pick by label Bar codes Radio frequency identification

Voice technology

E-FULFILMENT

The orders that result from internet ordering tend to have rather different characteristic, in that they are often small orders, with few order lines, few items per line, and often requiring individual units rather than whole cases

PICKING PRODUCTIVITY Picking Productivity is a very important

component of overall efficiency if may be measured in quality terms or in terms of the number of locations visited.

Replenishment Replenishment is the activity of transferring goods from reserve stock to the picking face it is important to design the replenishment task not only so that it is effective but also so that it does not interfere with the picking task, particularly in high throughput operation. Otherwise the replenishment operatives may interfere with, and slow down, the order pickers methods to overcome this problem include:

Setting out separate replenishment and picking aisles.

Undertaking the replenishment and picking tasks of different times of day

Having multiple locations for fast – moving goods, so that replenishers and pickers are not operating at the same pick slot.

RECEIVING AND DISPATCH  Receiving Processes

The receipt of good into a warehouse needs to be a carefully planned activity. In most large warehouses, incoming vehicle loads are booked in advance so that the appropriate resources can be allocated to the activity.

DISPATCH PROCESSES 

After order picking, the goods for a particular order need to be brought together and made ready for dispatch. This may involve added value activities, such as labelling, tagging, assembly, testing, and packing into cartons. Where production postponement is undertaken, these activities may be quite extensive.

CROSS-DOCKING

Cross-ducking is an activity whereby goods are received at a warehouse and dispatched without putting them away into storage. The goods may thus be transferred directly from the receiving bay to the dispatch bay. This normally involves some from of sortation.

EQUIPMENT

The equipment types required for unloading and loading tend to be similar in nature for both receiving and dispatch, and these are therefore described together.

Boom Conveyors Pallet trucks Fork-lift trucks Automated loading/unloading systems Automated tote bin loaders Pallet scissor lift tables

Dock levellers Doors Dock shelters and seals Bumpers Lighting Warning lights Vehicle restraints Wheel guides and bollards

LAYOUTS 

The receiving of goods on to the warehouse site begins at the gatehouse. The layout thus needs to include all the external areas within the perimeter fence, such as:

Vehicle roadways Parking areas Ancillary areas

The actual vehicle bays themselves may be:

Level intake – this is warehouse floor is at the same level as the external roadway.

Raised dock – with a raised dock, the warehouse floor is at the same level as the bed of the vehicle, so that a pallet truck or lift truck can drive directly on to the vehicle by means of a dock leveller.