Order picking

Table of Contents

Warehouse Layout Location codes Sorting and labelling Sales order entry and Stock allocation Picking by Location Picking without order entry Picking orders from external packages Picking e-commerce orders

Warehouse Layout

The efficiency of an order picking system depends on how the warehouse organization, size and weight of the products and the codes for the locations. In a warehouse where there are aisles and bins and levels it is only possible to pick from the lower levels without using a forklift so the upper levels should only contain bulk stock and the pick lists should not allow picking from these upper levels . The numbering system must make it easy to pick with minimum travel.

Location codes

The aisles will have two sides and maybe no exit at the far end so setting the codes must reflect this. For example, let us assume there are 20 aisles from 01 to 25 with 20 bin locations on the left and 20 on the right, so a total of 40 bins. Each bin location has 5 levels A,B,C,D,E. There is no exit at the far end of the aisles so the picking for each aisle must reduce the travel between picks. There is a choice therefore of numbering the left side 01 to 20 and right side 21 to 40 so that 01 and 21 are opposite one another. Alternatively, you could number the whole aisle with odd numbers on the left, 01,03,05 and even numbers on the right 02, 04, 05. The levels are then added to the code so that and example of the final code for each bin would be 0101A indicating aisle 1, bin 1 level A. The most popular products should be in bins at the near end of the aisle.

Sorting and Labelling

The items on the order picking trolley will be for several orders and so need sorting into completed orders and labelling with the destination details before dispatch. To enable fast sorting the picked orders display as a list on the PDA and by selecting any one, you can see all items for that order enabling the dispatcher to sort the goods on the pick trolley. Packaging labelling can then take place by selecting the order item and sending the destination details to the label printer. The same applies when printing the dispatch note and optional invoice . When loading the goods on the carrier a single scan of the dispatch note confirms dispatch and this adjusts the stock records.

Sales Order Entry and stock allocation

The module is designed to provide either local data entry of orders in the warehouse or imported orders from the sales order department. This depends on the size and structure of the organisation as which method is preferred but both can be used. When a sales order is raised it checks that stock is available in the warehouse and creates a lock on the amount of product entered so that there can be no duplication which could result in two orders fighting for the same amount of stock.

After raising the order, you then generate a pick list, allocate and ring fence that stock automatically. The stock item may be in more than one location so the pick list will guide the picker to either the oldest stock first (FIFO) or the location where there is sufficient stock to cover the order. This avoids the picker having to pick from two locations in the event that the first location has insufficient stock to cover the order. In PASS there are settings to operate either method. PASS uses PDAs or tablets with a Bluetooth scanner like Proglove to guide the pick in a logical order round the warehouse, picking multiple orders simultaneously so that the pickers only visit a bin once. This cuts down the picking time dramatically.

Picking lists by location

The picking module is generated in the warehouse from the sales order and considers the available stock on hand and the stock that is ring fenced by the sales ordering procedure. It then directs the picker to the appropriate location for the stock items and orders them by location so that the picker does not needlessly go down the same aisle twice.

Ordering sets of goods on the PC

Entering orders for kits means creating for uniform sets of products, for example a predefined food hamper or a set of tools. It enables the order taker to order a quantity of sets without updating each of the individual products. The advantages of this system are twofold. There is only one item of any product in the showroom which keeps the showroom stock to a bare minimum. Secondly you eliminate customer handling of product other than the showroom samples. Stock management is improved because there is no need to take stock of items in the sales area as there is always only one of each item. When entering a kit order, the order entry will automatically expand the kit into its component parts, highlighting any stock problems.

The kit code is selected when entering an order. The order form then automatically expands the kit to its component parts

Sales without order entry

This module enables cash sales to be made in the warehouse without the need for entering the sales order. It works in a similar way to a supermarket till, displaying the products and prices and enabling quantities to be entered. Both Card and Cash payments are permitted, and a receipt is then generated after payment is registered. This system is also used in showroom or retail sales using a PDA to scan the codes and present the electronic cart at the till.
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Link to Showroom and shopping with PDAS

Order Picking from external systems

Most accounts packages are designed to enter sales orders and then pass them to the warehouse for picking. However, they do not register where the product is. The only thing they know is the amount that should be in stock, and it is left to the warehouse to do the order picking. PASS Stock is a warehouse stock management system that has a order picking system which can integrate with accounting packages. PASS opens a view on to the warehouse system that shows allocated stock, free stock and where it all is. This enables the warehouse and accounts department to keep in sync whilst preserving the integrity of the main accounts system.

After the accounts package creates the sales order, The PASS software retrieves it and generates an independent sales order that identifies where all the products are located. It then generates a location guided barcode picking list. An Android PDA or smart phone scans the stock codes, updates the order status to picked returns the information to the accounts package showing picked items and items that remain unpicked due to stock-outs. This enables the accounting package to invoice for all the picked items. When the buyer replenishes the stock, the PDA picks the remaining items and sends the updated data to the account’s software. The PASS engine keeps a complete audit trail of receipts, returns, loans and dispatches.

PASS has two ways of doing the order picking: The first retrieves order data from the host system, converts it to PASS data structures then picks and despatches the order. Completed order flags are then sent to the host. The second method creates the orders within PASS and transfers the completed details back to the accounts package on despatch of the goods.

All accounting packages have different data structures, but the PASS can access most of them. We use a configurable template to update the accounting package data fields. The functions cover Receiving Purchase orders, Order Picking and despatch. The full or partial Stock takes are in real-time .

Order Picking e-commerce

When order picking online orders often product boxes are similar and easily confused. To address this problem, we have created a barcode system that compares the picked products with the stock code of the line item on the order.

Mistakes are often made when order picking online where product boxes are similar and easily confused. To address this problem, we have created a barcode system that compares the picked products with the stock code of the line item on the order.

When the order is received, we scan it and transfer it electronically to an Android pda. The order number and line items are then listed on the pda, and the picker goes to the location where the product is to be found. The picker then scans the sku barcode on the location shelf or on the product itself and the pda compares it with the line item from the e-commerce order. If the codes do not match, then a warning appears on the PDA. IF they do match then the line item is marked as picked and no further pick can be done for that item.

If there is no barcode on the product, the PDA can print a barcode label with sku and line-item description which is then stuck on the location. If there is insufficient stock at the location, then the partial pick is recorded and the balance remaining to be picked is shown on the pda.

Order picking for Royal mail 'pick and drop' is done in the same way. The Royal mail app produces a delivery note and shipping label for the order and we use these to scan and import into the pda app.