The separation of picking and packing processes of a warehouse management system usually brings extra
storage buffers and relatively longer operating time.
This paper develops a hybrid algorithm to generate a
picking sequence for combining picking and packing operations. The algorithm includes three elements:
container selection, loading configuration, and loading/picking sequence. A generic warehouse management
system with the proposed sequential order picking function for a tea factory in central Taiwan has
been implemented to demonstrate the elimination of storage buffers and the reduction of operation time