|
|
||||||
![]() |
||||||
![]() |
||||||
![]() |
||||||
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
Best Practices for Order Picking in DistributionGetting products into hands of the customer quickly and efficiently is quickly moving from a differentiator to table stakes. As expectation of buyers increase, distribution centers must look for new ways to get things done correctly and efficiently. Consider these realities:
Bringing a variety of best practices to bear can create nearly instantaneous benefit.
Follow location sequence for the pick path When pickers pick travelling in a well-defined location sequence, the picking process becomes efficient because:
Establishing multiple zones that group locations Dividing the pick locations into zones and assigning pickers to specific zones contributes to even better picking process because:
SKU velocity classification
Non conveyables Non conveyables refers to SKUs that don’t ride the conveyors because they are:
These items should be separated into their own zone, so that they can be picked and shipped separately. Isolating the picking process for the non conveyables ensures that the they do not interfere with the picking process for the conveyable SKUs. Non sortables Non sortables are the SKUs that don’t ride the Sorters because they are:
These items should be separated into their own zone, so that they can be picked and shipped separately. Isolating the picking process for the non-sortable items ensures that the they do not interfere with the picking process for the sortable SKUs. Task-based picking Slicing and dicing picking work into tasks based on zones, after sequencing the picks by location and considering capacity of the carts works well. Creating batch picking tasks and then assigning those to pickers makes the process faster, more accurate, and more efficient. Further confining tasks within specific zones reduces picker’s travel time makes completion of picking tasks even more efficient. More can be done though. By tracking such tasks for different pickers and providing real time feedback on performance in terms of picks per hour. Something as simple as a color indictor of red, green or blue encourages pickers stretch to meet daily departmental goals. ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
More Blogs from Puga Sankara
Much in the legal and financial world remains constant, but technology tools can provide ways of doing things in innovative ways.
A recent wedding trip made me think about some one of the biggest complexities of moving products around the supply chain.
Data integrity is key to success. Here's a look at how to think about the topic.
An IoT deployment in a distribution center can teach everybody some good lessons.
A labor management system can leverage IoT capabilities to get the most out of workers.
EBN Newswire
EBN Dialogue / LIVE CHAT
![]() EBN Dialogue enables you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Open to the entire EBN community of electronics supply chain experts, these conversations see ideas shared, comments made, and questions asked and answered in real time. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats. Stay tuned and join in!
Archived Dialogues
![]() Live Chat 01/15: CPOs Re-Shape Their Business Roles
Increasingly chief procurement officers (CPOs) are re-shaping their organizational role to focus on creating results far beyond cost controls. A new IBM survey explores how. ![]() Live Chat 11/12: Examining the Cyberthreat to Supply Chains
The number of cyberattacks is on the rise and hackers are targeting the supply chain. Drew Smith, founder and CEO of InfoArmor, will be on hand to discuss the reality of today's threat landscape and what to do about it. |
||
![]() |
||||||
![]() |
||||||
|
||||||
![]() |
||||||
![]() |
||||||
![]() |