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The Seven Keys To Effective Order Picking System Design
The Seven Keys To Effective Order Picking System Design
Layout/Pick Zone Design: The basic choices for picking area design are
U-shaped and straight-through. Picking and replenishment lanes/paths
should generally be kept separate to avoid congestion. The development
of pick zones within the active picking area is crucial to the productivity of
the picking operation. A common philosophy is "items that are shipped
together are also stored and picked together." Other pick zone
philosophies include storing by a product's physical characteristics or
specific product category. A newer philosophy introduced as a result of
growing e-commerce business is creating pick zones by business type or
order size. The driving factors behind selecting a philosophy include
volume-balancing, labor congestion, pick travel distances, routing, and
order consolidation. Layout planning is closely knitted to the development
of picking methods. The development of pick zones within the active
picking area is crucial to the productivity of the picking operation. A
common philosophy is "items that are shipped together are also stored
and picked together." Other pick zone philosophies include storing by a
product's physical characteristics or specific product category. A newer
philosophy introduced as a result of growing e-commerce business is
creating pick zones by business type or order size. The driving factors
behind selecting a philosophy include volume-balancing, labor congestion,
pick travel distances, routing, and order consolidation.
Picking Methods: Picking methods are defined in terms of: (a) pickers
per order - the number of pickers that work on a single order at one time;
(b) lines per pick - the number of orders a single item is picked for at one
time; and (c) periods per shift - the frequency of order scheduling during
one shift.
The most common pick methods are illustrated in the following table:
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