Picking is a very important part of warehouse operations, as fast order fulfillment is vital for a warehouse’s productivity. So figuring out how to improve your warehouse picking efficiency should be very important to your company. Here are several ways that many larger companies improve their picking.
Organize Items in Groups
Organization is very important for speeding up picking. This is why organizing your items in groups is a great method to improve picking. Placing items together that naturally pair well, such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, can make picking much quicker. Additionally, placing popular items in easy-to-reach places can massively increase your picking speeds.
Stick to Your Organization
Every warehouse uses a different organization system to utilize its space and equipment well. But once you determine a system, you should stick to it. Constantly changing systems and storing things in the wrong places will confuse workers and slow down picking. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t improve your system by rearranging storage. However, keep things orderly and consistent as much as possible.
Use the Best Racks for Your Materials
The storage racks you use to keep all your items in the warehouse hugely impacts your picking efficiency. A good storage system targeted at your materials or products will help with space utilization and make picking these items much easier. For example, a pallet flow rack can help store pallets smoothly and moves the pallet into prime picking position for workers.
Improve Communication
While it may not seem crucial for improving warehouse picking efficiency, communication is vital for a good warehouse. Clear and direct communication helps workers understand the orders quickly and easily. Furthermore, strong communication can help workers navigate the warehouse and reduce picking mistakes.
All these methods are great for improving picking, but they also help your business in other ways. Whether they improve worker safety or reduce mistakes across your warehouse, these improvements significantly better your business.
