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September 14, 2004
James M. Apple, Jr.The Progress Group, LLC
Case Picking and Cross-Docking Mechanization
Warehousing Short Course
Case Storage/Picking SystemsAgenda
• Picking Rates
• Picking Processes
• Picking Methods
• Special Case Picking Opportunities
Case Storage/Picking Systems
What is a case?
– 5 to 50 pounds
– Generally shippable, without overpack
– Sometimes bags and shrinkwrapped trays
– Most are conveyable
Case Storage/Picking SystemsHow many do you pick?
50 100
100 200
200 300
300 400
400 500
>500
Don't know
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What slows us down?
– Walk between picks
– Cases/pick
– Palletizing
– Bending and reaching
– Labeling and checking
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What slows us down?
– Heavy cases
– Oversize cases
– Fragile product
– Fragile package
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What slows us down?
– Congestion• other pickers• storage and
replenishment
– Can’t find product
– Out of stock
– Waiting for work
Using an orderpicking truck to access more SKUs
Case Storage/Picking SystemsCase Storage/Picking Systems
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What makes us fast?
– Easy to locate• always in the same place• locations logically arranged• location ID easy to read
– Easy to follow instructions• large print• pick with one label per case• radio frequency
– display– voice
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What makes us fast?
– Conveyor take-away• but, who does the
other half of the job?
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What makes us fast?
– Easy to palletize• cases the same size or height• heaviest cases on the bottom
Case Storage/Picking SystemsFactors Affecting Pick Rate
What makes us fast?
– Good ergonomic access to cases
– Monetary or other incentive
– Management expectations
Case Storage/Picking SystemsSystem Design Issues
4 ways to pick
– Single order
– Multiple orders per trip
– Parallel zones
– Batch pick and sort
Case Storage/Picking SystemsForward Order Selection Area Options
• Pick from floor level within storage area
• Forward pick line– Pick to pallet jack– Pick to conveyor
• Selection at all levels - order selector truck or man aboard crane
Case Storage/Picking SystemsSystem Planning Issues
Replenishment
– How much to store at pick face
– Fixed slotting for “n” days/shifts
– Dynamic slotting
– Pallet flow lanes
Pick to Pallet From Pallet Flow Lanes
Ready-reserve of restock pallets for high mover items
Depiction of a pallet jack that carries two pallets for order picking.
Replenishment Aisle
Pallet flow lanes can be installed in the rack bays closest to the conveyor for the fastest moving productsin each product group.
Case Storage/Picking SystemsSystem Planning Issues
Zoning the Product
– By activity
– By throughput cube
– by order categories• commodity• catalog• store department/aisle
Case Storage/Picking SystemsSystem Planning Issues
How are cases loaded and shipped?
– Palletized
– Floor loaded
– Parcel carrier• Order integrity?
– Reverse delivery sequence
Case Storage/Picking SystemsSystem Planning Issues
Manual batch picking
– 2 pallets per trip• One order on each pallet
– Order picking truck• Batch pick slow moving products for
several orders and manually sort after picking
2-10 SKUs/ Pallet
1-2 cases to most stores most days
Every once in a while a case to a store
TotalCaseActivity
100%
Total SKU’s (ranked by activity) 100%
Using Pareto’s Law• Blocks of activity will help to identify appropriate
picking modes.
1 case to some stores some days
Orderpicktruck
by order
Orderpicktruck
by batch Pick Car
Pick to Beltor
Induct FullPallets
@ SorterAutomatic
LayerPicking
Pick to Rider
Pallet Jack
Walk or rideWith PalletJack
Low Medium High
Mechanization Alternatives
Products Ranked By Activity
TotalCases
Shipped
FAST MOVERS
MEDIUM
SLOW
Item Activity
Applying Levels of Mechanization to Classes of Activity
Batch Picking Characteristics
• Picker stays in zone
• Shorter walk distance/pick
• Centralized Palletizing,or
• Direct Truck loading
• Automatic check via scanning
• . . .but, two people handle each case
Case Picking EconomicsHourly Operators RequiredTotal Manual Picking
Case Picking Pick 400 500 500Requirement 100 150 200 Load 400 500 500
1000 10 7 5 5 4 43000 30 20 15 15 13 135000 50 32 25 25 22 20
10,000 100 65 50 50 45 40
Batch Picking
Process Steps• Picking Mechanization
• Transportation
• Accumulation
• Product Identification
• Sortation
• Accumulation in spur
• Palletizing, or truck loading
Balancing Pick Zones
• The picking requirements will not be the same in all zones for each batch.
• Balanced workload can be improved by:– Slotting products carefully, and reslotting
as required– Duplicating the slotting of some very
popular products– Letting zone boundaries float from batch to
batch
CaseFlowTo
Sorter Wave #1 Wave #2 Wave #3
Lost sorter capacityMax sorter capacity
Time During the Day
Sorter Utilization• Carton flow from picking does not arrive at the
sorter immediately.• The sorter operates most efficiently during the
middle of each wave.• Flow slows significantly at the end of the wave,
as all picking zones do not finish simultaneously.
Recirculation
Spurs
Typical Shipping Sorter
• How many spurs should we have?• How long should the spurs be?• How should we use the re-circulation line?
A Cross Docking Case Study
• Features
– Empty dock at beginning and end of day.– Receipts= total of outbound orders.– Processing determined by:
• Receipt schedules• Product groups
– Receipts verified via sorting process
A Cross Docking case study
• The Environment
– Large grocery retailer – Short-life products– 9 Depots, each serving 50 stores– 24-hour operation– 1200 products– 100,000 cases per day– Up to 16 family groups – 5 temperature zones– Product and packaging fragility
A Cross Docking case study
• Current Method
– “Pick by Line” – Receiving count for accurate allocation – Manually distribute to roll cages for each
store
A Cross Docking case study
• The Service Challenge
– Perfect counts and allocation to stores – Finer family grouping– Reduce package damage– Meet extreme end-of-day peaks
A Cross Docking case study
• The Cost Challenge
– Eliminate receiving check• labor intensive• delays processing
– Improve picking productivity– Improve ergonomics
A Cross Docking case study
• The Solution
– High-speed sortation, 12,000/hour – Ergonomic depalletization induct stations– 4 chutes/store for family grouping– Gentle product accumulation in chutes– WMS to manage workload for:
• family grouping• sorter utilization
A Cross Docking case studyA Cross Docking case studyA Cross Docking case studyA Cross Docking case study