Order Picking And The Essential Parts

When placing an order for clothing, equipment or supplies, most people do not think about what happens to it so that it will arrive as requested. They just assume that what they have ordered will magically appear on their doorstep with the right type, size, quantity and material. Part of what makes the order come together is the ability of the team at the facility where the orders are put together.

Purpose
Order picking is a means of getting product from its storage location to the next stopping point in the supply chain. Each order is put together according to what is requested. It may require a certain number of one product or a certain number of many different products.

Location
Order picking can take place at a number of different types of facilities. Depending on the business, this may be in warehouse storage, at the factory or even a retail outlet. The product is usually located in a large area with the items to be shipped grouped together by type or stock number. The product may be brought to the person picking, or that individual may go to a certain zone within that facility to fill orders.

Manpower
Without workers to assemble orders, most companies would struggle to survive. There are several different methods for pickers to retrieve their products for filling orders. Most companies use an automated ticket or digital system to inform their workers of exactly what must be compiled.

Efficiency
Efficiency in arranging orders can be increased by using innovative designs in machinery and techniques. The tilted pick shelf, for example, makes it easier for the products to be seen and chosen. More items can fit on the tilted shelf than a flat one, requiring fewer reloads on the shelf.

Use of a wide, flat, moving conveyor bed can allow multiple products to be set up for picking without having to change the equipment each time the products change. Use of a flow bed is also more efficient when the size of the products used varies widely. Guides can be added quickly and easily without much down time.

Stations can be set up so that workers can fill cartons with product at their station, then move the box on a roller track or conveyor to the next station. This saves time by eliminating the need for workers walking around or sending a large number of cartons to the next station in groups.