Did you know that the major carriers alone deliver around 534 million products in the United States—every day?
Especially these days, delivering items to customers is an essential part of any business. And if you run a warehouse, you need to make sure you’ve got an efficient system for order picking, to make sure everything gets processed and delivered in a timely fashion.
With that in mind, here are five of the best order picking systems to use in your warehouse.
1. Zone Order Picking
Under a zone order picking method, warehouse pickers are assigned to a specific “zone,” or physical section of the warehouse. As orders come in, these pickers will grab each stock keeping unit (or SKU) in their zone.
Often, an order will call for SKUs from two or more zones. In that case, pickers simply pass an order from one zone to the next until it is complete.
2. Discrete Order Picking
Discreet order picking is the simplest order picking strategy—and for warehouses that are smaller or don’t stock such a large variety of products, it can also be the most efficient.
With discreet order picking, one picker is assigned to one order. The picker then fills all SKUs in that order, then moves on to the next order. It’s as simple as that!
3. Cluster Order Picking
Under a cluster order picking model, pickers will fill multiple different orders with different items at once.
A cluster order system is one of the more complicated options, but it can also be very efficient when done right. With the help of solutions like Picking Operation Products, the system can streamline your warehouse’s order picking system.
4. Batch Order Picking
Batch order picking is essentially just what it sounds like: Orders as assembled in batches, with a picker selecting each SKU individually.
Batch order picking works especially well when you’re dealing with multiple orders that all include the same SKU. The process cuts down on unnecessary repetition because your pickers won’t have to travel to a particular SKU location multiple times for different orders.
5. Go With a Combo
In addition to these individual order picking systems, there are also several methods that combine the best of each world.
For example, there’s zone-batch picking, where orders are fulfilled within batches while also passing through different zones. Then there’s zone-wave picking, where zone picking is combined with a schedule-based SKU picking system.
Learn More Strategies for Your Business
Finding the right order picking system for your warehouse might take some trial and error—but once you find the right flow, you’ll be glad you invested the time in it.
Now that you know the five best order picking methods, you can select the option that works best for your warehouse. And if something isn’t working, don’t hesitate to switch things up and try a new method!
If you want to learn more strategic tips for your business, spend some time checking out the other articles on our site! The more you know, the more potential you have for achieving success.