{"id":839,"date":"2022-07-07T16:31:38","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T14:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cti-fwd.com\/order-picking-what-it-is-and-how-it-works\/"},"modified":"2024-07-23T11:47:12","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T09:47:12","slug":"order-picking-what-it-is-and-how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cti-fwd.com\/en\/news\/order-picking-what-it-is-and-how-it-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Order Picking: what it is and how it works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Order picking<\/strong> is one of the most important<\/strong> steps<\/strong> in the order fulfilment process, but it is also one of the expensive<\/strong> as its costs typically amount to more than half of warehouse management costs. This is precisely why it is important to know how it works and how to make it more efficient. At C.T.I. International Forwarder,<\/strong> we have been doing warehouse order picking for many years, let\u2019s take a look at what this concept is all about<\/strong>, how costs<\/strong> may be kept down, and some useful tips to improve business.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The meaning of \u2018picking\u2019 in logistics<\/h2>\n

Warehouse picking<\/strong> consists in the activity of picking<\/strong>, sorting<\/strong>, and distributing<\/strong> materials from one loading unit to others. Every day, customers order goods that are to be shipped, and the objective of warehouse picking is to group all the items in an order with precision, process them, and send them to the recipients.<\/p>\n

A properly functioning picking process <\/strong>can act as an effective warehouse management <\/strong>and monitoring strategy<\/strong>, especially if it is efficiently integrated with other warehouse operations, such as:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Material procurement<\/li>\n
  • Order preparation and dispatch processes<\/li>\n
  • Packaging and wrapping of goods<\/li>\n
  • Storage and depositing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    How picking works<\/h2>\n

    The picking activity<\/strong> consists of selecting a type of product according to the picking list<\/strong>. This list organizes and orders the gathering activity, giving useful information<\/strong> on the location of the goods in question, the warehouse layout, and the quantity required. Once the items on the list have been picked, they must be packed and packaged for dispatch.<\/p>\n

    Particularly when managing large, well-stocked warehouses, it is important that products are efficiently \u00a0positioned and organized so as to optimize productivity<\/strong> and reduce the onerous costs of warehouse picking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Types of picking: manual and automated<\/h2>\n

    Warehouse picking<\/strong> can be done in different ways<\/strong>, from the traditional, manual picking that sees the physical involvement of an operator, to the more innovative picking approach based on a fully automated system. Both types can be effective, however, depending on the need and size of the warehouse, one will bring more advantages than the other.<\/p>\n

    Manual Picking<\/h3>\n

    Manual picking<\/strong> is a type of warehouse picking that involves an operator selecting and gathering the units of goods on the picking list. This method is subject to the physical limitations of the human body<\/strong>, which is why it is suitable for smaller warehouses.<\/p>\n

    Mainly, the task of a picker<\/strong> is to identify and select the products on the list, check for damage, pack and label the order. Finally, the picker compiles a series of documents<\/strong> necessary for filing the order.<\/p>\n

    Automated Picking<\/h3>\n

    Automated picking<\/strong>, on the other hand, involves the use of advanced technology for the picking of goods. Thanks to digitization<\/strong>, this picking method makes it possible to efficiently cope with the criticalities of a warehouse and aids in improving productivity<\/strong>, optimizing<\/strong> time and reducing the risk of errors<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    This solution requires a more significant investment<\/strong> than manual picking, but automated warehouses will be increasingly indispensable <\/strong>as we move into the future, especially considering the characteristics of today\u2019s logistics: demanding, flexible and digitized.<\/p>\n

    How to improve your order picking<\/h2>\n

    Order picking can exceed 60 percent of a warehouse\u2019s operational costs, which is why it is necessary to be able to implement the activity as efficiently as possible, by adopting more and more technological systems<\/strong>, but also through small measures that can make a difference:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Appropriate training<\/strong> for picking staff<\/li>\n
    • An optimization of the warehouse layout<\/strong> according to logical parameters<\/li>\n
    • Investing in the technologies<\/strong>, from warehouse software to innovative tools such as voice picking<\/strong>, which consists of a voice synthesis device capable of sending commands to the picker, indicating the route to be followed and the tasks to be performed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Order picking is one of the most important steps in the order fulfilment process, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.cti-fwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/iStock-1216207428-1200.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"MindsDeveloper","author_link":"https:\/\/www.cti-fwd.com\/en\/author\/mindsdeveloper\/"},"yoast_head":"Order Picking: what it is and how it works - CTI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out what order picking is and how it works, an important but cumbersome step in the order fulfilment process.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cti-fwd.com\/en\/news\/order-picking-what-it-is-and-how-it-works\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Order Picking: what it is and how it works - 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