What is order picking or picking?
Order preparation, or “picking”, is the warehouse activity in which items or products are collected from their storage áreas, to create a customer’s order.
We usually think about companies that work in the distribution or e-commerce sector, but all companies with a warehouse in their production plant have picking operations.
This process can be carried out in different ways: from the simplest one, in which an operator goes through the warehouse and collects all the ítems; to automated warehouse management systems, through which, warehouse logistics efficiency can be improved.
Despite having different methods, the “order picking” or “warehouse picking” phases are as follows:
The Stages of order preparation in a warehouse
Knowing the phases of an order preparation or picking process is essential in allowing you to have a well organised and properly managed warehouse.
The stages into which this is divided are:
Stage 1: Pre- planning
The collection of orders and all related data, for example, delivery notes. To simplify this phase, WMS (Warehouse Management Systems, like Modula WMS) are responsible for consolidating and prioritizing purchase orders.
Stage 2: Walking
When the picking approach is a “man to goods” one, the walking time can consume/waste much more time and resources, but if we consider a Vertical Lift like Modula and its “goods to man” system, this phase is streamlined, improving productivity.
Stage 3: Picking
The collection time of the goods may change depending on their location: e.g. if they are located on the top level of conventional shelving or at ground level. In addition, in traditional storage systems you must also consider previous stages, such as inventory or storage, and if this has been carried out correctly.
Stage 4: Verification and order preparation for shipment
In this last stage, it is necessary to check that all of the previous steps have been carried out correctly, as well as the labelling of products, and finalizing the order preparation process or picking.
Modula: el almacén automático vertical para un picking eficiente vertical automatic storage for efficient picking
The main benefits of using a Modula Lift Vertical Storage System as part of the picking process is that it is faster and more accurate, than with traditional storage. Due to it’s large variety of options, it can now, more than ever, improve order preparation and help avoid errors.
For example it is possible to define the correct location for an item within the tray, by using special visual aids including:
Laser Pointer
Alphanumeric Led BAR
Having an automated warehouse with intelligent software (WMS) means having a smart and lean order picking process, more efficient logistics and more satisfied customers.
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