Can AI Be Used to Reduce Order Picking Time?
Hamurlabs reduces order picking time by 46%! Thanks to algorithms developed by expert engineers, Hamurlabs has cut order preparation time by nearly half. Request a demo now to see how Hamurlabs achieves this!
What is Order Picking?
The answer is simple: It's the warehouse management process that involves preparing orders for shipment. So, how do you manage the warehouse of a large company that receives thousands of orders daily? In other words, can you prepare and ship all orders on time without causing a shipping bottleneck in the warehouse? Of course, you need to do this efficiently. That means using your resources effectively.
That's why the task of efficiently preparing orders, whether they're a few orders or hundreds of thousands, within massive logistics centers can be a very tedious task.
Discover what Hamurlabs WMS can do to manage your warehouse efficiently!
What Factors Affect the Order Preparation Process?
Storage and shipping are a multi-parameter process. The parameters that affect this process are roughly as follows:
- Order date.
- The number of products in the basket (because having a single product or multiple products will affect the outcome).
- Order type. Is the order coming from a customer, your store, or a wholesale order?
- Order delivery time. Yes, the delivery time for an order is also an important parameter. If it's same-day shipping or express shipping, the ordering changes directly.
- Sizes of the package
- The number of warehouse locations and their connectivity
- Resources: Staff size, number of picking trucks, and their capacity
There are many parameters that can complicate the process, right? As we said, it's not easy 🙂
What Are Product Picking Methods?
A business's needs, resources, and physical conditions also determine order picking methods. While there's no clear definition, product picking methods have established certain standards. To avoid confusion and provide a clear understanding, we'll walk you through the process step by step in this section. Before deciding which order picking method to implement, thoroughly understand the product picking methods and types.
By saying method, we mean the tools and methods used to access the products to be picked. This section doesn't yet address the content of the order lists. We're simply focusing on how the product and the picker will connect. The main methods here are:
-
From Picker to Product:
There are different breakdowns, but in this method, the picker travels to the product with a box, cart, or collection bin.
-
From Product to Picker:
In this method, products arrive at pickers at specific collection points. The Product-to-Picker method requires high-tech equipment such as robotic systems with advanced automation capabilities, carousels, and sorting systems. Despite its cost, it produces impressive results in terms of speed and error rates.
Now that we've accessed the products, let's look at how we can pick the order:
What are the Types of Order Picking Operations?
- Single Order Picking: This system involves each employee picking all the products within a single order. This method is generally preferred in small warehouses with low order volumes. Its disadvantage is inefficiency, causing significant resource loss in high-volume operations.
- Group Picking: This method of picking multiple orders containing the same products by grouping them into small batches. Each picker simultaneously selects multiple products, one SKU at a time, from a batch of multiple orders and places them on the picking truck. This method reduces the repetitive work involved in single order picking and reduces movement within the warehouse. However, it is not suitable for very large quantities of products or orders that are not composed of similar items.
- Wave Picking: This is a more advanced form of group picking. Wave picking focuses on picking all order operations throughout the day in a more efficient manner within specific timeframes, taking into account the factors mentioned at the beginning of this article.
Things are getting more complex, you realize that, right?
- Zone Picking: The goal of this method is to establish specific picking zones to increase efficiency. Pickers collect products from their assigned areas. A picker can pick multiple products for multiple orders simultaneously. This method can create imbalances between picking areas.
In addition to the methods listed here, various product picking methods have been developed by combining or synthesizing these methods.
Which order picking method is best?
Tough question:) This depends entirely on your order volume and distribution method, your warehouse, other physical facilities, and resources. Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Small-scale warehouses can use limited resources to create a single order picking solution, while larger warehouses require multiple, complex picking systems.
Let's add this: By optimizing your warehouse management and order picking process, you can reduce your order picking time by up to 70%.
Check out Hamurlabs WMS solutions, which have been successfully implemented at retail giants like Pazarama, Koton, and Unilever to shorten ordering processes, increase efficiency, and increase profitability!
How Can I Speed Up My Product Picking and Order Preparation Time?
Simplifying the order picking process not only increases customer satisfaction by enabling faster order fulfillment but also reduces costs.
Investing in this process also minimizes errors during order picking.
Investing in software and hardware in order picking systems will enable faster, more efficient, and error-free product picking operations.
Product Picking Equipments
The following equipment supports error-free order picking. The use of these equipments and how they will be used should be analyzed, taking into account the warehouse's physical conditions, order structure, and resources. The decision should be made after expert assessment.
- Barcode Systems
- RFID Devices
- Robots
- Conveyors
- Smart Glasses
- Vertical Lifts
- Lighted Location Markers
Order Management and Order Picking Software
Hardware alone isn't enough for efficient order picking. Suitable software, experienced in warehouses of all sizes, plays a critical role in developing and maintaining an order picking strategy optimized for warehouse and operational conditions. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Order Management Systems (OMS) softwares form the backbone of warehouse operations. The software must be powerful enough to analyze the parameters listed above and provide optimal picking routes. Furthermore, it's crucial that this software integrates with other related software and hardware.
Discover the capabilities that Hamurlabs Order Management System - OMS offers you to manage your orders and returns!
Optimizing Order Picking with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Technological advances have made it possible to process very large amounts of data. Accurately analyzing complex tasks and achieving the expected results has become possible thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence.
Today, studies are being conducted using artificial intelligence to automatically generate optimal picking order waves. These studies aim to accurately calculate the waves created by incoming orders at all hours of the day, taking into account physical conditions and constraints, and to generate picking orders in the most efficient way.
AI is expected to generate work orders that will pick various outstanding orders with the most optimal number of personnel and minimal travel.
Click to read our comprehensive article on the Order Management System!
Go to our Blog page to see all our blog posts.
..
