and between storage locations bringing pick locations to the order picker As a result, a man-machine balancing problem is introduced. If the initial design of STP systems is not accurate, a significant portion of the order picker's time may be spent waiting on the storage/retrieval machine to bring pick locations forward Travelling and Documenting Because a person-aboard storage/retrieval machine is programmed to automatically transport the order picker between successive picking locations, the order picker is free to document picking transactions, sort material, or pack material while the storage/retrieval machine is moving.
Picking and sorting If an order picker completes more than one order during a picking tour, picking carts equipped with dividers or totes may be designed to allow the picker to sort material into several orders at a time.
Picking, sorting, and Packing when the cube occupied by a completed order is small, say less than a shoe box, the order picker can sort directly into a packing or shipping container Packing or shipping containers must be setup ahead of time and placed on picking carts equipped with dividers and/or totes.
Order Batching
Batch orders to reduce total travel time
By increasing the number of orders(and therefore items picked by an order picker during a picking tour, the travel time per pick can be reduced. For example, if an order picker picks one order with two items while travelling 100 feet, the distance travel led per pick is 50 feet. If the picker picked two orders with four items, the distance travel led per pick is reduced to 25 feet. Single line orders are a natural group of orders to pick together.
- Single line orders can be batched by small zones in the warehouse to further reduce travel time. A profile of the number of lines requested per order helps identify the opportunity for batching single line orders. An example profile is illustrated in Figure 8-34
- Other order batching strategies are depicted in the order batching decision tree in Figure 8-35 and described in the following text. Note that when an order is assigned to more than one picker, the effort to reestablish order integrity is significantly increased The additional cost oafs must be evaluated with respect to the travel time savings generated with batch picking
single order Picking In single order picking. each o picker completes one order at a time. For picker-to-stock systems. single order picking is like