Goods-to-person vs. person-to-goods: 10 picking techniques revealed

Paper picking, RF picking, voice picking, electronic tag picking, Carousel picking, Miniload picking, AutoStore, Kiva, Multi-Shuttle, various picking technologies are essentially no good or bad. The key point lies in the matching of cost and efficiency or benefit, in other words, the matching degree of input and output.

1. Paper order picking

Description: Paper order picking is still the solution used by most warehouses.

Advantages: simple operation; low price.

Disadvantages: many documents; low efficiency, high error rate; low productivity/accuracy; not real-time.

Usage scenarios: small warehouse operation volume; temporary warehouse facilities; small batch shipments of low-value products; low salary level of warehouse operators; difficult to evaluate warehouse operation costs.

2. RF picking

Description: Guided by RF instructions, the picker arrives at the designated picking location and scans the location and/or product barcode for verification.

3. Picking by picking cart

Description: Voice or RF directional wave picking to a mobile cart with picking lights. Usually used in wave picking environment (e.g., 12 orders per trip); multiple orders assigned to picking container at a time; operator passing through conveyor line; RF or voice or light confirmation of picking.

Pros: Reduced travel time by picking multiple orders in one trip; Flexibility to easily add more item variety over time.

Cons: Long picking paths by SKU; Carts are heavy and difficult to maneuver, requiring wider aisles; Process requires a high degree of discipline to sort sub-orders/quantities into the correct containers.

We Kingmore racking as one of the top three racking manufacturers in China, besides normal selective rack, drive-in rack, longspan shelving, mezzanine, radio shuttle rack, we also operate ASRS projects, four way shuttle projects and mini load projects etc. Welcome to contact us for more information!

---By Zita Jian

29th, MAY 2024