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Between the high demand for home delivery options and the ever rising ecommerce industry, effective warehouse order picking strategies are critical. Whether you’ve got a peak season frenzy coming up, or your company has suddenly gone viral, let’s go over what methods could work for you.
Key Takeaways
Today, I’ll go over the seven core methods behind all order picking and the circumstances in which they are best applied.
Order picking refers to the process of collecting items for packaging and fulfillment at a distribution center or warehouse.
As the ecommerce industry continues to evolve, there has been a need to fine-tune the picking process. Of course, it’s not a one-method-fits-all situation.
A furniture business and a fitness clothing vendor are going to have different picking needs. The same is true of a business that processes 500 orders a day versus one that does 15 a day.
To choose the best picking method for a business, there are a few factors to consider.
We’ll go over seven order picking methods currently in use by various logistics professionals. I’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each to see what would be a good fit for your business and circumstances.
To keep things clear, all products will be referred to as stock keeping units (SKUs) to indicate they are part of warehouse inventory.
Related: How to Handle Shipping for Your Ecommerce Business
Batch picking, also referred to as multi-order picking, is used when pickers are gathering the SKUs for more than one order at a time. To enable this, there must be a warehouse management system (WMS) in place capable of grouping orders by SKU and then providing a sorting list.
The goal behind this method is to save time when multiple orders of the same or closely related items are frequent. The SKUs are then sorted by order after multiples have been collected.
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Warehouses set up for simultaneous zone picking keep SKUs organized into sections, with pickers assigned to each. When an order comes in, pickers gather what matches from their section and then take them to a central packing location. Other workers will sort and pack, so pickers can go grab the next set.
Pickers stay in their designated areas, allowing them to become familiar with everything there. Zone-style picking is also commonly combined with other strategies, particularly batch picking.
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A wave picking strategy is commonly used in warehouses that manage frequent and high-volume orders. Picking is on a timed schedule according to how orders are sorted. Consider the following possibilities:
Whichever sorting method is used, each one becomes a ‘wave’ that is given a designated time. For example, let’s say that a high-volume auto parts fulfillment center separates orders by customer location according to geographic region. Each region’s orders would be filled during a set time frame in the day.
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Single order picking is exactly that - one complete order at a time getting picked by a single worker. This can be for a single item or for multiple SKUs within the same order. It’s also referred to as discrete picking since it’s all handled by the same person.
This method is most useful in small warehouses with low order volumes and limited product diversity.
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This method is most common among B2B companies or bulk distributors that are more likely to ship out entire pallets of supplies for restocking purposes. Large scale manufacturers are also likely to use pallet picking.
Workers are mostly equipped with pallet jacks or forklifts to retrieve orders and can typically only gather one pallet at a time.
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Cluster picking is when pickers select the SKUs for multiple orders at a time, but they sort them as they go. In cases where the warehouse is still on the smaller side, but orders are coming in more frequently, this method can improve a picker’s productivity levels.
Provided they’re equipped with a means to easily sort and move multiple items, it’s a good next step from single-order picking as a business scales up.
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This is actually a sequential form of zone picking. Like zone picking, workers are assigned to specific sections of the warehouse. However, instead of taking the bin to a central area after gathering the right SKU, they simply hand it over to the next section.
For orders with high variety, and therefore multiple zones, SKUs can be gathered quickly and be sorted already by the time the bin gets to the end of the process.
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Any of the order picking solutions I’ve discussed here could be best for your business. Many of them can be further streamlined through advanced technology like robotics or voice controls.
However, even taking into account the number of orders you need to fulfill or the type of products, there is one major factor that makes all the difference.
Proper implementation.
If you’re trying to get your own fulfillment warehouse up and running, this will be the biggest hurdle no matter what method you choose. It means investing time and money on the right WMS, equipment, personnel, and training. Even after getting started, you may realize that the method you tried to implement isn’t quite working.
Related: How Are Warehouses Organized To Maximize Efficiency?
If that’s a hassle you’d rather avoid so you can focus on your actual business instead, then consider outsourcing to a third party logistics company that offers fulfillment and distribution services. Having more experience and already being set up, they can implement the best possible strategy for your business.
The right order picking strategy will have a trickle-down effect for the rest of your business, especially customer satisfaction. Get it right from the start by partnering with Fulfillment and Distribution for your business needs.
Our attention to detail and trained staff will work to find the ideal solutions for your business and customers. We offer various services in logistics, including:
Give us a call at (866) 989-3082 or complete an online request for specific services. Get started today and keep building your business to new heights.
