TABLE OF CONTENTS A small-item order-fulfillment operation has to pick multiple SKUs for COs, which may be either single COs or COs that are batched or grouped.
If your operation picks multi-line or multiple SKUs as single COs, there is one picker who picks all SKUs for a CO. Pick options are:
To pick one CO per trip
To pick multiple COs on each trip, and place them into a separated container
To pick en masse each SKU for a CO group and sort each piece into a separate container, carton, or tote
The first method has low picker and packer productivity, additional pick cart and tote cost, less than optimum completed CO flow from a pick area to a pack area, increased pickers per aisle with wider pick aisles, no sortation labor, does not require a computer program or advanced pick instruction formats.
The second pick method has one picker with a four-wheel shelf cart pick multiple CO SKUs onto one shelf or into a multiple compartment tote. Depending on volume, a shelf has several totes or a tote is subdivided into smaller compartments. Each shelf, shelf section, tote, or tote compartment has a CO identification. With this order-fulfillment concept, a picker uses a pick and sort instruction format that is a paper pick document, paper self-adhesive labels, pick (sort) to light, or RF device. When a shelf, shelf section, tote, or tote compartment is full or all assigned COs...
