The majority of warehouses in Arizona are still utilizing RF or paper based order picking systems, despite the enormous efficiencies and expense decreases that are possible with automated picking solutions. In fact, just about 20% of storage facilities across the nation use advanced options like voice directed or pick to light systems. These kinds of systems can have a tremendous effect on productivity.

The Business Case For Automated Picking Systems

In most warehouses, picking is a labor-intensive job where a picker gets an actual paper list of directions laying out the products to be picked and their specific locations. They move to the specified storage slot, review their paper list to figure out the number of items they require from that pick face, get the items, scratch the product off of the checklist, and then transport the products for fulfillment.

Simply moving around a storage facility can take up to 65% of a manual order picker's day as they walk or drive around the facility. These inefficiencies make order picking the most labor-intensive task in a conventional warehouse. In most cases, over half of a typical Tucson storage facility's operating costs can be attributed to order fulfillment. That number is effectively increasing as e-com drives additional picking demand from warehouses.

Nearly all storage facilities have some picking requirements. Almost 50% handle a mixture of pallets, cases, split cases and pieces. Less than 10% of all warehouses across the country deal with strictly entire pallet orders. And although most warehouses bear huge picking costs, only 20% have moved away from conventional RF and paper-based picking systems.

Developments in Picking Technology

In the last 10 years there have been excellent advances in picking innovation, ranging from IoT+ RFID to enhanced reality smart glasses. The 2 most extensive and seasoned innovations, however, are light directed and voice directed picking options. Each has a persuasive use case in certain situations, and some storage facilities even employ both technologies.

Fully actualizing technology-based picking systems can be capital intensive. However, ROI models for picking automation can be convincing. Most projects have a quick payback and can create considerable cost reductions in labor and pick inaccuracies for many years to come. A 2018 study revealed that organizations that used voice, light or RFID based picking solutions lowered pick errors by an average of 67%.

Pick To Light

Pick to light solutions are perfect for zone picking or high order volume, high speed operations. Racks are furnished with LEDs that signal selection quantities and slots, and employees tap these lights to verify picks and quantities as they make their way along a pick path.

Light directed solutions are less flexible and more costly than voice directed systems, yet when carried out effectively they can considerably enhance picking velocity and precision. As reported by MHI, most pick to light implementations gain approximately 30-50% in pick rate performance.

Voice Picking System

Voice picking solutions are perfect for storage facilities that keep a more substantial variety of SKUs dispersed throughout larger facilities. Workers can move about a warehouse hands-free--they do not need to carry a portable device or sheet of paper.

Picking instructions are communicated by the warehouse management system through earphones, and the order-picker responds verbally to confirm each pick. There is no device to hold, no screens to view, no barcodes to scan, and no verification buttons to click. The entire process is completed through voice commands and spoken verification.

Order Selecting Automation Systems Near Me

If you would like more details on order picking technology for your business, call a Raymond West Inc automation consultant today at (520) 729-4222.

Raymond West Inc
Tucson Service Area:
Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita, South Tucson, Green Valley
(520) 729-4222