We don’t often think twice about how the items we order are picked and pulled from the warehouse and mailed to our doorstep. Beyond this product arriving at your home, there is a rather elaborate, somewhat scientific process that occurs in warehouses to perfect this method. Our partners at RFgen share best practices for warehouse order picking.
Speed and accuracy are two main impacts of warehouse efficiency. Understanding how to improve these plays into the future of order picking. To seek improvements in these areas, we must first look at the entire order-picking process.
Metrics for review should be:
- Picking accuracy
- Picking rate
- Fill rate
- On-time rate
- Travel time
Once a company can set baseline expectations for these activities, they are ready to seek ways to improve the metrics. For picking speed, analysis of the warehouse layout and implementation of smarter picking methods are two ways companies can improve pick speed. “Strategies for minimizing travel time and distance include optimizing warehouse layout, reducing the number of aisles, and grouping frequently picked items together.” To implement smarter picking methods investment in “intelligent mobile software capable of streamlining pick paths with advanced picking methods like batch picking, wave picking, or multi-order picking, can be especially transformative in this area.”
Order picking accuracy is vital to long-term growth, customer satisfaction, and returns reduction. Improvements can be made both in process and technology advancement. Ensuring that your standard operating procedures are being followed but also have stood the test of time is important. Investing in new technology will enable immediate improvements to be recognized.
Implementing mobile barcode software is one technology update that can help improve both speed and accuracy. Many software solutions include “procedure standardization, quality control, and validated data,” and mobile software can increase speed and accuracy by 30% or more.
If you are looking to optimize your warehouse procedures and are ready to implement a new software solution, Pragmatyxs can be your trusted advisor. Our experience with some of the top labeling solutions and an array of services will help you gain the speed and accuracy you need to be successful.