Zone picking and tote consolidation are concepts commonly used in warehouse management to optimise the order picking process and enhance overall efficiency, writes Chandru Palaniyandi, Business Analyst at Lucas Systems. Done right, and in the optimal situations, it can bring great gains in productivity to your warehouse operations.
The basics of zone picking
The rationale for zone picking has several foundational elements. By having pickers focus on a specific zone, travel time between different areas of the warehouse is reduced, leading to increased overall efficiency. In addition pickers become experts in the products within their assigned zones, improving accuracy and reducing the likelihood of errors. Zone picking helps distribute the workforce throughout the warehouse, preventing congestion in any one area. The picking process culminates in the consolidation phase, where once all the items are picked from their respective zones, the picked items are consolidated for further processing and shipping.
Situations where zone picking makes sense
Zone picking has several situations where it can make the most sense to utilise. Zone picking is particularly effective in large warehouses or distribution centres with extensive inventory and a high volume of orders. When the inventory includes a diverse range of products, grouping them into zones allows for more specialised knowledge by pickers, enhancing accuracy and speed.
In environments where there is a high volume of orders, zone picking helps distribute the workload and prevent congestion in any one area. Also, if certain products require specialised handling or equipment, assigning a dedicated zone for those products ensures that only trained personnel handle them.
Integration with tote consolidation
The picking process often culminates in the consolidation phase, where once all the items are picked from their respective zones, they are consolidated into a common container or tote for further processing and shipping. The consolidated totes undergo a quality check to ensure that all items for an order are present and accurate. Finally, once the quality check is complete, the orders are finalised for packing and shipping.
Advantages of zone picking with consolidation
Increased picking efficiency – Pickers can focus on specific zones, reducing travel time and increasing the number of picks they can complete per hour. Also, multiple orders can be batch-picked in a zone further improving the picking efficiency. Zone picking with consolidation also reduces the number of individual totes or containers moving through the warehouse, streamlines the packing process by having consolidated orders ready for the next steps, and facilitates easier tracking and management of orders during the shipping process.
Reduced order picking time – Multiple pickers can work on different zones for the same order simultaneously, significantly speeding up order fulfilment.
Improved labour utilisation – Resources are allocated more effectively, with pickers dedicated to zones and consolidators focused on merging items.
Lower pick errors – Pickers specialise in specific zones and items, potentially reducing errors compared to traversing the entire warehouse.
Faster order fulfilment – By picking and consolidating concurrently, orders are prepped for packing and shipping quicker.
To further illustrate the process and efficiencies, let’s review a couple of scenarios mentioned previously, multi-order fulfilment and a large warehouse with a high number of diverse SKU’s.
Scenario #1 – Multi-item order fulfilment
A customer orders a phone case (Zone A), a phone charger (Zone B), and a pair of headphones (Zone C)
Traditional Picking – One picker would need to retrieve all three items, potentially encountering congestion in busy zones.
Zone Picking with Consolidation – Pickers grab items from their assigned zones simultaneously. The consolidator efficiently merges them, reducing congestion and overall picking time.
Scenario #2 – Large warehouse with diverse products
A warehouse stores bulky furniture (Zone A), electronics (Zone B), and office supplies (Zone C).
Traditional Picking – Pickers struggle with navigating large distances and handling different item types, impacting efficiency.
Zone Picking with Consolidation – Pickers specialise in specific zones (furniture handling vs. small electronics), improving picking speed and potentially reducing damage from mishandling. Consolidation ensures all items are combined efficiently.
In summary, zone picking and tote consolidation are strategies employed in warehouses to optimise the order fulfilment process, minimise travel time, and improve overall efficiency in picking and packing operations. These concepts contribute to a more organised and streamlined workflow, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction through accurate and timely order deliveries.
As a business analyst for Lucas Systems, Chandru Palaniyandi optimises warehouse operations and transforms user experience by leveraging his commitment and knowledge in designing innovative solutions to help companies achieve their supply chain goals.
With more than 10 years of experience in the supply chain domain, Chandru started his career as a software engineer building a warehouse management solution for one of the world’s largest sports footwear and apparel brands. That experience has driven a unique ability and insight around warehouse optimisation through effective business processes, labour management, robotics and artificial intelligence.
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