Introduction

Strategies for picking the SKU or material, is of prime importance as it affects performance of the warehouse. This chapter will look at the different types of picking strategy available to warehouse managers and the types of equipment used in storage and picking. One of the main cost areas within the picking operation is the movement between pick locations. Depending on the operation, this can account for up to 60 per cent of a picker’s time. The aim is to reduce the amount of travel within the warehouse.

There are a number of dimensions to the picking process. These include how and when the orders are presented, how the actual items are picked and the equipment required. There can be many interrelationships and many options. For example, if we decide on a picker-to-goods operation this can either be done by, for example, picking individual orders, batch or cluster picking, utilizing trolleys or pallet trucks and a choice of paper, voice or scanning.

A picking operation may require full-pallet picks, pallet-layer picks, outer-carton picks, inner-carton picks or individual-item picks. In most cases the warehouse will be required to pick a combination of the above and, at times, a combination even on the same order. Besides ABC Analysis and Order profiling, basic techniques such as profiling, slotting, pick-route planning, pick-face sizing, proper equipment selection and documented processes will all help to enhance pick efficiency without having to introduce technology and automation in the short term.

Companies are likely to operate a number of different order-picking strategies and techniques depending on the nature of the product, the quantity of items to be picked and the size of order. There are usually four types of pick requirement within a warehouse. However, they do not always occur individually and can be included on the same order. These are as follows:

• piece, unit, item or broken-case pick
• full-case or carton pick
• layer pick
• full-pallet pick

Pick strategies can be split into three categories. These are

• picker to goods
• goods to picker
• automated picking