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The Seven Keys to Effective Order Picking System Design  

SCDigest editorial staff 

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Order picking in most distribution centers represents the largest area of cost –often 5 percent or more of labor costs – and has become increasing comple! forman" companies in recent "ears#

A recent article on the $aterial %andling &nstitute web site b" 'orman Saen(offers a basic but common sense framework for designing "our order picking

s"stems right# )See also SCDigest column *+he Do,s and Don,ts of a designing a-orld Class Facilit"./

Saen( offers a se0en1step framework2

• Activity Profiling: Defining the product mo0ement in terms of lines

ordered per product3 in other words4 the number of times "ou tra0el to alocation to pick an item# ased on this criterion4 products are classified as2fast )A/3 medium )/3 slow )C/3 or dead )D/ mo0ing items# 6e" is not onl"anal"(ing unit 0olume but also cubic mo0ement and profile b" unit ofmeasure )eaches4 cases4 pallets4 etc#/

• Picking Equipment/Technology: After acti0it" profiling anal"sis4

consider the appropriate storage mode and technolog" support for each

picking area# +"pical technologies used for each4 case and pallet pickingare shown below2

• Slotting Strategy: 7ffecti0e slottingcan increase throughput4 impro0e

labor utili(ation4 reduce in8uries4 impro0e cube utili(ation4 and reduceproduct damage# *+he art of effecti0e slotting is assigning the fast1mo0ingitems to the most ergonomic le0els4 while balancing the 0olume acrossman" aisles to reduce order and labor congestion9+he slotting assignmentmust be re0iewed for its effecti0eness monthl" and:or as the acti0it" ofproducts fluctuates with seasonalit"#

.An important component of slotting is calculating the number of facingsor locations re;uired for each product# +his re;uirement is determined b"

considering the desired da"s on hand for each product# +he da"s1on1hand

0alue is multiplied b" the ;uantit" ordered per da" to calculate the picklocation in0entor"# +his 0alue is di0ided b" the capacit" of the assigned

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location t"pe to calculate the number of facings re;uired#. 

• Replenishing Forwar Pick: 7ffecti0e replenishment of forward pick

slots is ke" to order picking producti0it"4 and often the biggest operationalchallenge#

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-hat would "ou add to this framework for order picking s"stem designB et usknow "our thoughts#