Somewhere along the line we became convinced that the only way to get the lowest possible picking cost was to pick very large batches of product to fill a large number of orders, then sort them using a high-speed tilt-tray or cross-belt sorter.

Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. I say fortunately because only certain distribution operations have enough volume to justify such mechanization.

If you're not one of those operations, here's what you can do to achieve world class productivity in order picking.

1. Segregate single line orders

One of the most common performance measures in warehousing operations is the average lines per order. Using this measure can be particularly troubling when the number is low, say 2-5 lines. To accurately judge performance, what we really need to know is what percentage of the orders are single-line orders, and what is the average number of lines for multi-line orders.

Single-line orders generally can be picked in large batches. They often can be picked directly into a shipping carton or envelope, eliminating the packing function altogether. In a parcel-shipping environment, moreover, single-line case orders could be batched to allow operators to pull a full pallet, then apply shipping labels to the individual cases.

2. Look for family groups

When it comes to multi-line orders, we sometimes are fortunate enough to pick an entire order without travelling far on the pick path. How can we make that the rule rather than just a matter of luck?

One way is to consider how your customers place their orders when deciding where to store specific products. In one distribution center that handled fragrances, for example, products had been slotted by activity level and a zone picking system routed orders from zone to zone to collect picks for each order. It turned out, though, that every order originated from an order sheet that included all of the products that were related to a single fragrance. If the DC had slotted products related to each fragrance in a single bay of its carton flow rack, it would have resulted in a pick path of just 8 feet for every order!

3. Pick the little stuff first

Generally, if we begin picking all portions of an order at the same time, full-case items will arrive at the dock first. That's because broken-case picking is labor intensive and therefore slower.

At one DC belonging to a medium-sized discount retailer, the case-picking line was so productive that full cases were always waiting for the small picks. Managers considered adding conveyor buffer loop all the way around the warehouse for waiting cases.

How much better it would be to pre-pick the small products and stage those few totes in a flow rack. When all the broken-case picking has been completed, crank up the case-pick line and let the small-pick totes lead the cases straight into the truck.

Do I sound like a Luddite on an anti-automation crusade? I'm not, of course. But instead of going for high levels of automation first, I recommend that you justify them after looking at the best of the simple processes that are available.