PICKING SYSTEMS
Material Handling
AS PRESSURE MOUNTS TO GET PRODUCTS OUT THE
door faster and with more precision, company leaders are
increasingly looking for ways to improve the warehouse
picking process, and technology is often the answer to
the problem. Industry experts say most picking processes
involve some type of automation these days, and that companies expect those processes to evolve over time, increasing in technological complexity. But in today’s fast-paced
business world, experts also say it helps to slow down and
get back to basics. When it comes to picking, that means
examining your company’s process, workflow, information
systems, and metrics before jumping into advanced forms
of automation—especially robotics—when considering a
system upgrade or enhancement.
“Everything is getting faster. We’re really at the edge of
moving into the next generation of technology in the ware-
house,” says Norm Saenz, managing director for material
handling systems integrator St. Onge Co. Saenz says he is
seeing growing interest in high-tech automated systems
that can speed up and streamline picking, especially as
companies struggle to develop their e-commerce and omni-
channel business strategies. And although technology can
solve many of those problems, he cautions that companies
should not “jump to the technology before making sure
process and flow is good. You don’t want to automate a
bad process. It’s important to take a good look at everything
[involved in the picking process] so [you can] make the
right decision on the next step.”
“Everything” includes process design, information sys-
tems capabilities, facility layout and equipment, and feed-
back for measuring progress and identifying problems.
Once a company has all of that buttoned up, technology is
the next natural step, experts agree.
“Once you’ve done all [the other] things, it’s time to ask
‘What are the pieces of technology and automation that
might make sense to invest in?’” Saenz says. “Most of this
is driven by the push into e-commerce. Large companies
that are used to shipping large amounts now have to handle
smaller, more frequent orders, and automation gives them
the support they need.”
Here are four steps Saenz and others say can help companies evaluate their existing picking systems and determine
their future requirements.
1START WITH A PROCESS The first step to improving any picking system is for
4
A sound process and solid design are fundamental to the picking operation in
a distribution center—long before automation comes into play, experts say.
back-to-basics
steps for picking
