UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW

Course

WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION

Instructor: Dr. Nguyễn Duy Quang

Email: quangnd@[Link]
2024
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
Introduction
“Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it’s deliberately
choosing to be different” (Michael Porter)
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
Introduction
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Pickers
* Pickers to Goods
Pick to order (Individual pick):
The picker takes one order or part of an order
(assignment) and travels through the warehouse either
on foot with a cage or trolley or with a pallet using a
pallet jack or fork lift truck, collecting items until the
whole order or assignment is completed.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Pickers
* Picker to Goods
Cluster Picking (Sort whilst pick)
In order to reduce overall travel time, operators can take
a number of orders out into the warehouse at the same
time and pick into individual compart ments on their
trolleys or cages.
Case study – Consumer electronics – Cluster pick cart
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Pickers
* Picker to goods
Batch Picking
Batch picking is where operators pick products for a
number of orders at the same time.
It is similar to cluster picking however rather than have a
cluster of separate orders, these orders are consolidated
into one pick list and once picked are later broken down
into their constituent orders.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Picker to goods
Zone Picking: products are picked from defined areas in
the warehouse and each picker is assigned to a specific
zone or zones and only picks items from Warehouse
Management 102 within those zones.
The level of activity will determine the number of
zones/pick locations allocated to each picker.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Picker to goods
Wave Picking: orders are combined and released at
specific times during the day or to associate them with
vehicle departures, replenishment cycles, shift changes,
product locations, product commonality, value-adding
service requirements and priorities.
The use of wave picking can also balance work load by
time or by area by logically grouping and releasing
orders.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Pickers
* Goods to Picker (GTP)
(Videos on Youtube)
Benefits of goods-to-person:
. Eliminate picker travel time, use less labour
. Omit the dedicated pick face
. Reduce system footprint.
. Product security.
. Ergonomic workstations.
. Speed in order selection.
. Accuracy.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Goods to Picker (GTP)
Benefits of goods-to-person (cont.)
. Decoupled workstations.
. High-utilization workstations.
. Sequencing.
. Order profile.
. Efficiently accommodates SKU growth.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Types of automated pick
Advantages of pick automation:
. Increased space utilization and reduced space requirement;
. High bay, narrow aisle systems (up to 30 metres high);
. Random storage; higher density storage for refrigerated
products, leading to cost reduction through lower energy
requirements;
. Improved control; pallet tracking through enhanced WMS;
. Labour and energy savings;
. No heat and light requirement unless required for product
integrity;
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Types of automated pick
Advantages of pick automation:
. Minimum supervision required;
. Continuity;
. 24 hours, 7 days per week operation;
. Product security;
. High bay areas, use of first in, first out principles;
. Less human intervention;
. Safety;
. Elimination of manual handling;
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Types of automated pick
Advantages of pick automation:
. Reduction in accidents;
. Ability to cope with hazardous/harsh environments such as
refrigerated storage;
. Integration;
. Coordination of product flows, avoiding bottlenecks;
. Constant performance levels;
. Continuous review
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Examples of Automating pick system
. Compact pick system
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Examples of Automating pick system
. Order distribution system:
Totes or cartons of single-line products are transported to
operators who distribute goods into order totes controlled by put-
to-light displays.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Examples of Automating pick system
. Mini-load AS/RS system
A mini-load automatic storage and retrieval system handles loads
that are contained in small containers or totes, with load weights
typically falling in a range Picking strategies and equipment 107 of
40 to 250 kilograms.
The capacity range can go to 350 to 1,000 kilograms at the high
end.
The system is ideal for storing small quantities of large numbers of
SKUs.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Examples of Automating pick system
. Mini-load AS/RS system
A mini-load automatic storage and retrieval system handles loads
that are contained in small containers or totes, with load weights
typically falling in a range Picking strategies and equipment 107 of
40 to 250 kilograms.
The capacity range can go to 350 to 1,000 kilograms at the high
end.
The system is ideal for storing small quantities of large numbers of
SKUs.
3D shuttle technology (example)
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Examples of Automating pick system
. Mini-load AS/RS system
Auto store (example)
Case study (Read and discuss)
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Examples of Automating pick system
. Ergonomic workstations
As with all goods-to-person systems the comfort and safety of
staff are paramount. Ergonomic workstations are therefore used in
conjunction with goods-to-picker solutions.
Case study (read and discuss)
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Robotics
Robots in the form of automated guided vehicles utilized for
transferring pallets within the warehouse have been in use for a
number of years, but they have been a rarity within picking
operations.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
1. Picker
* Robotics
Robots in the form of automated guided vehicles utilized for
transferring pallets within the warehouse have been in use for a
number of years, but they have been a rarity within picking
operations.
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
2. Handling equipment
* Manual and mechanical handling equipment
Trolleys/cages/carts/garment rails
Hand pallet truck, pallet jack, powered pallet truck, manual stacker
truck, Forklift truck
Low-level order pickers (LLOP) and towing tractors
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
2. Handling equipment
* High-level order pickers (HLOP)
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
2. Handling equipment
* Conveyors
 Chapter 5. Picking Strategies and Equipment
2. Handling equipment
* Storage equipment
Floor/bulk storage
Standard and narrow aisle pallet racking
Very narrow aisle pallet racking (≥ 1.6–1.8 m) metres
Carton flow racking
Shelving
Mobile shelving and racking
Carousels: Horizontal carousels; Vertical carousels
Vertical lift module (VLM)
A-frames