Order Picking

Common Types Of Order Picking

Depending on warehouse size, inventory, and the number of customer orders, there are various types of order picking methods. Some of the most common examples are: 

• Single order picking or discrete order picking enables pickers to focus on one item at a time. This basic order picking style is ideal for smaller operations with fewer SKUs.
• Batch picking involves groups of orders simultaneously, is also called multi-order picking, and is helpful for small items or orders with minimal SKUs. This type of picking reduces the amount of time needed to process SKUs.
• Wave picking is where one worker picks one order, one SKU at a time, but orders are scheduled to be picked at certain times in a specific wave to maximize picking and packing operations. This method is very efficient when large numbers of SKUs are picked because it significantly reduces travel time.
• Zone picking is when pickers are assigned to one specific warehouse zone to pick within, filling orders with the SKUs in that area.

Best Practices to Improve Order Picking

Following order picking best practices will ultimately improve customer service, boost worker productivity, reduce costs, and increase the overall bottom line.

There are simple steps businesses can take to ensure order picking operations are running at peak efficiency like improving speed, reducing labor costs, increasing storage density, and improving overall picking processes.