Picking is one of the most basic and fundamental processes for your warehouse storage. However, although it may be a simple function alone, the process of picking relies heavily upon order profiling. Management systems for your warehouse storage can help you decide on an effective picking strategy for the best available routes within your facility. They should also hold a fundamental place for coordinating and controlling the storage and movement of your stock.
A few basic pick requirements exist within the warehouse, from piece picking, to case picking, to pallet racking. There is also a wide range of equipment for you to choose from. This includes a variety of shelving options, racking choices, conveyors and barcode scanners.
How to Tell if you have made the Right Picking Strategy for your Warehouse Storage
Though it is true that warehouses differ in size, type, location and even their function, the basic principles for your picking strategy are universal. Here we have a few of the most common picking strategies for you to choose from.
Single Order Picking
This is perfect if you need to pick inventory that is stored in fixed locations on static shelving or pallet racking. Following a route along each aisle, until the entire order is picked, this strategy assigns picks for one order at a time, to a picker employee.
Single Order Picking is quite an organised approach, making it ideal to implement when looking to achieve efficiency with a consultant picking requirement throughout the day with little variation.
Batch Picking
If your warehouse requires picking multiple orders within the same SKU and involves managing high-throughput, small single-pick orders, then batch picking is perfect for primarily consolidating tasks amongst a combination of order lines.
Pick-By-Line
This picking strategy is associated with the grocery industry. This type of picking mostly benefits ambient FMCG stock and high-value goods which must be handled quickly due to the short life of the product and high-cost.
Zone Picking
Implemented in high-throughput operations, zone picking is essentially used for preparing a small order with a limited number of order lines and short delivery times. Employees are responsible for a zone that is designated to them and are to only pick the items from this area upon receipt of an order.
Wave picking
Associated with managing orders line by line; multiple orders are grouped together into small clusters and are referred to as “waves”. Warehouse storage environments that are in need of achieving an improved streamlined strategy tend to opt for wave picking. This is to ensure that all orders are picked within collective waves, in one picking journey.
Deciding on the best configuration for your facility should be rationalised against how and when orders are received, what method is chosen to pick the required items and what equipment may be used during the picking process. When it comes to selecting a picking strategy, it is important to keep in mind that there is no single strategy that will match everyone’s requirements perfectly.
Talk to Monarch Shelving Ltd
If you would like to get the most out of your warehouse storage through the use of brand-new or second-hand pallet racking, as well as other warehouse storage solutions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Monarch Shelving Ltd today.
