Knowledge Base

A pick list is a list of items to be retrieved from warehouse to fulfill customer orders as part of the picking process. At the very least, the line items on the list consist of items, quantity, location and order ID. The warehouse picker uses the pick list while traversing the warehouse to collect items onto a pick cart or tote bag. Once all the items on the pick list are picked, the picker proceeds to the packing station where the pick cart is unloaded and the picked items are handed over to the packers for packing before returning to the floor again to begin another pick trip. To maximize picking efficiency, a picker could also be assigned to a designated zone within the warehouse where s/he is responsible for. In this case, the pick list would only contain items located in the zone and the pick trip is also confined to the zone.

Depending on the size of the warehouse and how the picked items are scattered across the warehouse, a picker can spend a lot of time criss-crossing the warehouse in search of the items to collect. In the worse case, the picker could end up revisiting near the same picked locations many times during a single pick trip, or the pick list may require visiting locations which are far apart. One way to address this is by sorting the pick list by location. For example, it could be sorted by aisle alphabetically and the picker would then traverse aisle by aisle according to the pick list. While this crude approach may help reduce the pick trip time a little, it neglects the actual layout of the warehouse so the savings will always be suboptimal. An efficient pick list must consider how far the picked items are apart in planning the shortest pick routes.

At SolvingMaze, our Batch Pick software helps you optimize pick lists so that the total travel distance required for picking is significantly reduced. You upload your warehouse layout, order items and pick cart capacity to the software, and it generates optimal pick lists for you. The order items are intelligently grouped into pick lists in a way that the overall pick trip time is minimized. The software also provides step-by-step visual navigation for your pickers so s/he knows precisely where and how to get to the next location. All you need is a web browser on any device whether it’s mobile phone or tablet to use the online Batch Pick software. If you would like, your programmers can also integrate our advanced Batch Pick technology to your own WMS or ERP system via the Batch Pick API seamlessly.

Ready to give our software a try without commitment? Why not register for a free 30 day trial account today and see what our Advanced Pick and Pack software can do for you. You will be amazed!