QUICK FIRE TIPS
Stores management
No time for picking errors
One of the biggest challenges faced by successful e-commerce operations stepping up to their rst ful lment
centre will be minimising pick errors. Edward Hutchison, MD of BITO Storage Systems, highlights four key areas
where picking mistakes are commonly generated
Order picking is the central function of
any logistics operation, which in turn
is of great importance for the overall
economic success of a business. This
is particularly true for e-commerce
operations, which may have started o
as small ‘cottage industry’ before rapidly
developing and moving into a warehouse
or ful lment centre for the rst time.
Alongside the tremendous
opportunities for further growth arising
from up-scaling, a new warehouse
environment can generate a risk of order
picking errors – with the potential to
damage a young, growing business.
The further into the process that a
picking error is discovered, the more
serious and expensive its impact is likely
to be. If, for example, an error occurs
during picking, this will not impact the
customer, but will cause additional time
and cost for troubleshooting. Discovering
the error within the scope of an internal
control process, such as the outgoing
goods control – which most companies
have today – it is simply a case of
generating a completely new picking
order. If, however, the error only becomes
apparent at the customer end, the
consequence is likely to be cost-intensive
subsequent deliveries or even customer
loss. So, how can this can be avoided?
1Concentration and control: The
‘person-to-goods’ principle remains
the most common order picking method.
This has the clear advantage of exibility,
thanks to the ability of people to adapt
to constantly changing systems. Goods
are provided in static
shelves and orders
are compiled by
means of a pick list.
But this is precisely
the cause of almost
all the common
errors that should
be avoided when picking.
The rst of these is the quantity error.
Under time pressure or due to lack
of attention, an employee can easily
assemble the wrong number of items
during picking, resulting in a customer
receiving more or fewer items than
requested. Then there is the omission
error; if the order picker has not
processed the paper list correctly or has
acknowledged a process step before
executing it, an item may end up being
unprocessed, resulting in an order with
the incorrect quantity arriving at the
customer’s door.
2Long journeys between picks:
A ful lment facility that is too
large, untidy and has poorly structured
stock levels will quickly develop into a
confusing mass of over lled containers
with stacked goods. This can make
the pickers’ job unnecessarily timeconsuming.
In excessively large storage
areas, time and energy is wasted on long
journeys between the shelves, which
in turn puts employees under time
pressure, increasing the risk of mistakes.
The advice here is either minimise the
storage space through re ning the
logistics supply and disposal strategies
or invest in e cient storage.
3Organisation of order picking:
When beginning to plan storage,
produce a detailed list of operational
requirements. What types of goods and
materials are in what quantities in the
warehouse? If necessary, the assortment
should also be
subdivided into
groups of goods
according to their
turnover frequency
– the so-called ABC
analysis. These
aspects are crucial
for getting the correct dimensions and
installation. It is advisable to plan for a
reserve to ensure su cient capacity
during peaks. In practice, a maximum
storage capacity of 80-90% tends to be
the optimum. A higher lling level is often
counterproductive in everyday operation.
It is also worth investigating the di erent
shelf types required, such as pallet
racking or metal shelves.
4The human factor: People make
mistakes. Carelessness, time
pressure or incorrect handling of picking
systems can lead to errors and have a
signi cant negative impact on picking.
Ignoring the human factor is one of the
biggest mistakes made. Clear operating
instructions, transparent and simple
processes and a small number of
process steps will make the daily work
of employees easier and boost their
motivation. This, in turn, promotes a
good working atmosphere and minimises
stress-related sources of error.
Finally, do not neglect ‘dead time’.
This describes the unproductive but
unavoidable time that occurs during
picking due to pre- and post-processing
activities. Examples might include
searching for a storage bin for an item.
Clear labelling with manual pick
systems or the addition of technology,
such as pick-to-light, pick-to-voice
or barcode scanning, will further
reduce errors. The use of warehouse
management software should not be
underestimated either.
Autumn 2020 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 19
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