According to a study done by the Warehousing Education and Research Council, order picking accounts for around 50% of warehouse operation costs. This means that the overall operational efficiency of a distribution warehouse is heavily dependent on how efficient its order-picking operations are.
One way to address the efficiency of order-picking operations is through adapted order picking methods.
Each warehouse or distribution center has different inventory moving and packaging strategies. In this article, we’ll look at the variety of order picking methods and their suitability for different businesses.
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Table of Contents
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1. Single-order picking or discrete picking
Single order picking, as the name suggests, is the most basic type yet the most common type of order fulfillment technique – fulfilling orders one by one.
An order is complete when each of the products has been picked and packed for shipment. This technique can help to reduce errors in fulfilling orders but increases order fulfillment time as well as travel distance when workers handle this process manually without any automation or technology assistance.
Best suited for: warehouses that have a low order volume and a high pick density (probability that a worker will pick from any given location during his tour. Higher pick density translates to higher pick productivity) since this requires going from one inventory location to another, for warehouses that have their inventory stocked in quickly accessible aisles and sorted by Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) and for warehouses that stock more luxurious or heavy products.
2. Batch picking or Pick-to-cart
Batch picking combines products destined for multiple orders into one batch. So, rather than handling each order individually, the worker will pick one or multiple items for other order fulfillment as well, and bring them to a sorting area to get packaged.
For example, a worker will pick the necessary number of items that are needed for order A, B and C and take them for sorting and packaging, rather than taking only the items that are necessary for order A.
Best suited for: warehouses with larger order volumes, more SKUs and high order similarities (meaning the orders often contain similar items)
3. Wave picking
The wave picking method is essentially a batch picking method that happens simultaneously in so-called ‘waves’. Wave picking is more complicated than other methods since it requires careful planning and coordination with every aspect of your business.
Wave picking involves grouping multiple orders together into "waves" based on certain criteria such as order size, order priority, or item location. These waves are then processed simultaneously, allowing for more efficient picking operations.
Best suited for: warehouses that have high order volumes, a large inventory, and a sophisticated warehouse management system in place.
4. Zone picking or Area picking
In zone picking, each worker picks the necessary inventory from their own designated area or zone. Once order items are picked from one of the warehouse zones, the cart or bin of items will go to the next zone (sometimes via a conveyor belt) where it will continue its journey until the entire order list is fulfilled.
The zone picking method reduces traffic through aisles since the worker is only responsible for picking the inventory in their assigned zones. This can result in workers picking faster and more efficiently.
Best suited for: larger warehouses where a worker would have to travel very large distances to fulfill an order on their own. This method also requires warehouses to organize their inventory by product type.
5. Cluster Picking
Cluster picking is a method where multiple pickers collaborate to fulfill a single order. Each picker is responsible for a subset of items within the order, and they work together to assemble the complete order.
Best suited for: large warehouses that handle complex or high-value orders. It ensures accuracy and allows for quality checks during the picking process, making it suitable for warehouses where order precision is critical.
6. Pick-To-Box
Using the Pick-To-Box method, the picked inventory goes straight into the shipping container, whether it’s a box or a pallet, instead of merely being transported to a packing station for cartonization. This eliminates the need for order splitting and repacking because it already is in the final shipping container.
Pick-To-Box is implemented in combination with other picking methods.
For example, in single order picking, the worker could go through the order list and pack the inventory in a ready-to-ship container. Pick-to-box could also work for zone picking using the same 3D bin packing concept – packing the inventory straight into the final packaging. However, for batch and wave picking this method wouldn’t work since the inventory is picked in bulk or batches and taken to a packing station.
We’ve got another article that talks more in-depth about Pick-To-Box.
Which of These Methods Is Best Suited For You?
Businesses must choose order picking methods that are well suited for their operations. The optimal picking methods change depending on company order volumes as well as item types.
The type of goods your company delivers, your warehouse size, your order volume, the size of the orders, the size of your items and the item diversity all have to be taken into account to evaluate which order picking method or combination would work best for your company.
Conclusions
Adopting the most suitable warehouse order picking method will grant you benefits such as saved time, and money, and increased worker efficiency. If you’re a business looking to expand, changing your warehouse picking methods shows that you care about optimizing operational processes and making your customer the priority.