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Order picking process at warehouses

Article  in  International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management · January 2010

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2010.030958

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162 Int. J. Logistics Systems and Management, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2010

Order picking process at warehouses

Aurelija Burinskiene
Faculty of Business Management,
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,
LT-10223, Sauletekio 11, Vilnius, Lithuania
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Order picking process is the most laborious activity in warehouse.

The target of this paper is to identify the opportunities how to reduce order
picker’s travel distance in Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) shelf area warehouse.
In pursuance of the targets of this paper, various different aspects are taken
into account herein as follows: size of warehouse, storage, layout, routing.
For optimisation of order picking process, the paper suggests some new
approaches: volume-based storage method ‘across-floors’; usage of correlation
between order picking efficiency and stock accuracy. Research provided
herein defines combinations of best individually applied strategies resulting
in minimising travel distance.

Keywords: order picking; simulation models; warehouse; layout; routes;

distance; optimisation; accurate stock; efficiency in operations.

Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Burinskiene, A. (2010)

‘Order picking process at warehouses’, Int. J. Logistics Systems and
Management, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp.162–178.

Biographical notes: Aurelija Burinskiene has received Management

Master Degree in Kaunas University of Technology at Economics and
Management Faculty. Now, she studies at Vilnius Gediminas Technical
University for Doctoral Degree. Her research is focused on innovations
at international trade, logistics and electronic business. Her job background
covers 10 years experience at wholesale and retail trade logistics and supply
chain; for last four years – logistics projects within Baltic countries.

1 Introduction

Nowadays, the main question for warehouses is how to increase the picking productivity.
To address this issue, the order picking process is studied in this research, which seeks
to determine efficiency of operations.
The research focuses on the manual picking process when the picker receives
a picking list from the computer station, picks an empty cart at the pick-up point, travels
to the picking locations to pick the products (Petersen and Schmenner, 1999), delivers
them to a drop off point and completes the picking with the computer station. In the
research the meaning of the depot consists of the computer station, pick-up and drop
off points. Two simulation models: Interactive Erasmus Logistica Warehouse Website
and Excel model (created by Aurelija Burinskiene) are used in the research.

Copyright © 2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

 Order picking process at warehouses 163

2 Order picking process and simulation environments

2.1 Order picking process

Order picking is the retrieval of products from specified storage locations on the basis
of customer orders. In general, the order picking process is the most laborious activity
in a warehouse. On average, the costs of order picking may amount to 55% of operational
costs in the warehouse, as measured by Tompkins et al. (1996) and Roodbergen (2001).
Also order picking is significant in terms of its influence on the service level
of customer orders. This relation is determined mostly by the order picking efficiency
and accuracy. Efficiency shows how fast an order may be retrieved and how soon
it is available for shipping to the customer (De Koster et al., 2006).
The efficiency of the order picking process depends on such main factors as:
• Size of warehouse
• Picking systems
• Storage strategies
• Layout strategies
• Routing strategies.
Order picking accuracy shows human errors, which depend on:
• Storage methods
• Picking methods: picking the products from multiple locations, having multiple picks
per stop, using picking tools: paper, picking scanners, light or voice technology.
• Other factors: light, noise, package, design of the picking list, coordination among
people, etc.
The correlation between picking efficiency and stock accuracy is presented later in the
study.
Size of warehouse. The size of the warehouse influences the floor and height space,
which are critical to order picking efficiency. The optimal size of warehouse was studied
by Roodbergen and De Koster (2001a) and Dukic (2004). They studied different aisles
amounts and length combinations as follows: they took the original warehouse (1 × 1),
the number of aisles, which was doubled (2 × 1), the length of the aisles – doubled (1 × 2)
and aisles length – tripled (1 × 3).
Picking systems. Modern Material Handling magazine made survey with regard to order
picking systems. Representatives from different sectors (electronics, automotive,
medical, paper, industrial products, and others) responded and shared information about
the picking systems of reassembling products for customers’ orders. Some of the results
are presented here:
Most of the respondents were interested in how efficient and how accurate order picking
is by using different types of picking systems. Throughput, inventory, space utilisation,
handling criteria, requirements for the system and costs are crucial for the selection
164 A. Burinskiene

of the picking system. The order picking process through picking systems (presented
in Figure 1) was studied by
• Sharp (1992) who studied different types of carousels, pallet and miniload AS/RS
picking systems.
• The AS/RS picking system warehouse was analysed by Le-Duc (2005) in a doctoral
thesis.
• De Koster et al. (1998) studied Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) stock picking.
They compared several routes (S-shape and optimal) in VNA pallets (high-bay)
and VNA shelf area (floor picking) warehouses (Roodbergen and Petersen, 1999).

Figure 1 Types of picking systems used

Source: Logistics Simulation Ltd. (2006)

According to Goetschalckx and Ashayeri (1989), the main target of picking systems is to
maximise the service level based on resource constraints such as labour, machines and
capital (De Koster et al., 2006).
Storage strategies. In the literature, storage strategies are classified as follows:
• Random storage. Petersen’s (1997) random storage definition: all empty locations
have an equal probability of being filled (De Koster et al., 2006), (‘random storage’
Roodbergen, 2001; Le-Duc, 2005; ‘purely random’ Dukic, 2004).
• Storage in the closest open location to the depot (Roodbergen, 2001; Dukic, 2004;
Le-Duc, 2005).
• Dedicated storage. The location is reserved for the product, even if the product is out
of stock (De Koster et al., 2006).
• Class-based storage. Classes are assigned to a dedicated area of the warehouse.
It is essentially a combination of random and volume-based storage (De Koster et al.,
2006; ‘class based storage’ Dukic, 2004; ‘family grouping’ Roodbergen, 2001;
‘group based storage’ Le-Duc, 2005). Class-based storage in a single block
warehouse was studied by Roodbergen and Petersen (1999). In third party
warehouses, products could be placed by client and by classes.
• Volume-based storage (which also could be called full turnover storage strategy).
Products with the highest sales rates located closest to the depot location or close to
each other by the ABC rule:
 Order picking process at warehouses 165

A products: high volume

B products: medium volume
C products: low volume. (Saenz, 2005; Roodbergen, 2001; Dukic, 2004;
Caron et al., 2000).
Heskett (1963, 1964) used COI ‘cube-per-index’ term (De Koster et al., 2006).
Volume-based storage methods are presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Volume based storage methods (its modification is based on studies made by
Roodbergen and Petersen (1999); the third approach of ‘Across-Aisles’ proposed by
Dukic (2004)). (Black colour – A products; grey – B products; white – C products)

Methods definitions presented by Roodbergen and Petersen (1999):

• Diagonal storage means that the highest volume products are located in the locations
closest to the depot and the lowest volume products in the farthest locations from
depot.
• The Within-Aisle method rule means that the highest volume products should be
located in the aisle closest to the depot, whereas the lowest volume products should
be in the aisles furthest from the depot.
166 A. Burinskiene

• The Across-Aisle storage method is based on the rule that the highest volume
products should be located along the front aisle and the lowest volume products
along the back aisle.
• Across-Floors storage means that the highest volume products are located in the
lowest floors and the lowest volume products in the top floors.
• The Perimeter storage method is based on the rule that the highest volume products
should be located around the perimeter of warehouse, and the lowest volume
products in the middle of the aisles (Petersen and Schmenner, 1999).
Layout strategies. The layout strategies are classified as follows:
• The place of the depot (left, right, middle, without computer station, decentralised
depositing. In the case of decentralised depositing, if an order has been completed,
it can be dropped off; at the end of every aisle could be a conveyor; the pickers
electronically communicate with the depot or warehouse (Roodbergen and Petersen,
1999; Petersen and Schmenner, 1999; Roodbergen, 2001)).
• The number of blocks in the warehouse (Roodbergen, 2001).
• Size of the aisles, number of aisles (De Koster et al., 2006) and cross-aisle
positioning.
• Standard and non-standard layout configurations, when the layout should be adapted
to the possibilities of facility.
• Rack combinations (presented in Figure 3) (Kator et al., 2006).

Figure 3 Traditional and modern placed racks combinations

Source: Kator et al. (2006)

 Order picking process at warehouses 167

Routing strategies. Routing strategies suggest the route for the picker and the picking
sequence of the products on the picking list. The most famous routing strategies were
introduced by Roodbergen (2001) and Dukic (2004). They are:
• S-shape (or traversal). Any aisle containing at least one product is transferred
through the entire length. Aisles without any pick are not entered.
• Return. The aisle will be left from the same side as entered. It was noted by
Roodbergen and Petersen that the return route is not effective in random storage and
central depot single block warehouses (Roodbergen and Petersen, 1999).
• Mid-point. This essentially divides the warehouse into two areas. Picks in the front
half are accessed from the front cross-aisle and picks in the back half from the back
cross-aisle (De Koster et al., 2006).
• Largest gap. Similar to midpoint strategy except that the picker enters an aisle as far
as the largest gap within an aisle, instead of the midpoint (De Koster et al., 2006).
• Combined. Aisles with picks are either entirely traversed or entered and left at the
same end (De Koster et al., 2006), in such a way that it makes it possible to look one
aisle ahead.
• Optimal. This obtains the shortest route strategy, which is capable of considering all
possibilities for travelling in and between aisles (Roodbergen and Petersen, 1999).
De Koster and Van Der Poort (1998) noted that optimal route usefulness is limited,
because the equipment requires time to change aisle (Roodbergen and Petersen,
1999) in VNA pallet warehouses.
• Aisle by aisle. Every main aisle is visited once. The route was created for multi-block
warehouses by Vaughan and Petersen (1999) and Le-Duc and De Koster (2004).
• Combined*. Used for multiple blocks warehouses by Roodbergen and De Koster
(Le-Duc and De Koster, 2004).
• Composite. Combines S-shape and return routes. Proposed by Petersen (1995) and
Le-Duc and De Koster (2004).
In single block warehouses, several routing strategies were introduced by Hall (1993)
and Petersen (1997) (De Koster et al., 2006). Roodbergen and De Koster (2001b)
adapted routes with some modifications for multi-block warehouse (Le-Duc and
De Koster, 2004).
When studying routing strategies, warehouses are often chosen with aisles narrow
enough for the picker to retrieve products from both sides without changing position
(De Koster et al., 2006). Caron et al. (2000) studied the order picking process in
warehouses with wide aisles. They modified the traversal route and incorporated it
in the return.
Two types of travel distance for order picking are used: average picking route
distance and total travel distance (for a set of orders). By minimising the average picking
route distance, the total travel distance (De Koster et al., 2006) is also minimised.
According to Caron et al. (2000), the average picking route distance in a wide aisle
warehouse is based on the centreline for travelling along the aisle and additional
travelling (zigzag) inside the aisle, when picking is on both sides.
168 A. Burinskiene

For example, optimisation of the average picking route distance could be studied
in the following different aspects:
• For picking list size, for number of picks per route (Roodbergen, 2001; Dukic, 2004).
• For layout components: number of aisles, length, width of aisles, number of blocks
and depot location (Roodbergen, 2001).
• For pickers and machines.

2.2 Reference warehouse

To study efficiency for order picking, a VNA stock picking system shelf area warehouse
(with traditional racks combination layout) was chosen as a reference warehouse. A shelf
area warehouse is a warehouse with aisles, which usually have a width between 1.2 m
and 1.5 m. The products are stored on shelves and are usually ordered in small quantities.
The basic warehouse layout is parallel aisles and two cross-aisles at the front and at
the back of the warehouse. The picker can retrieve products manually from both sides
of aisle. The products have to be reached:
• From a ground position if the top shelves are not higher than 2 m
(Oudijk et al., 2002). In such a warehouse a small cart is used to collect
the products. Basically, this system is suitable for raw material, finished
and non-finished product picking in production warehouse.
• From a man-up position if the shelves are higher than 2 m. The products can then
be reached with man-up driving and lifting technology. Basically suitable for client
order picking in distribution warehouses, when the products are received from
suppliers.
Two types of shelf area warehouse (presented in Figure 4) order picking were simulated
with the following models:
• Floor picking with Interactive Erasmus Logistica Warehouse Website model.
• Man-up (Piasecki, 2002–2003) vertical and horizontal picking with Excel model.

Figure 4 VNA shelf area warehouse man-up picking (see online version for colours)
 Order picking process at warehouses 169

The study presented in this paper is based on one order picker who retrieves all products
for a single customer. The customer order received at the warehouse is forwarded to the
order picker via a picking list. An order picking list shows the sequence in which
locations should be visited.

2.3 Interactive warehouse simulation environment

The Interactive Erasmus Logistica Warehouse Website model offers opportunities to
discover more efficient ways to pick orders (Oudijk et al., 2002) in the Microsoft Internet
Explorer environment. There are different possibilities to compare different scenarios
regarding:
• Warehouse type (wide aisle pallet, shelf area pallet, shelf area)
• Layout (number of aisles and cross-aisles, length of aisles, position of depot)
• Storage strategy (volume-based, random storage strategies)
• Routing strategy (S-shape route; the combined route presented in Figure 5; other
routing strategies). The average order picking route distance is calculated based on
the horizontal picking distance. The model gives the possibility to make your own
route for picking all products from storage by moving the mouse through the virtual
warehouse or select picking locations randomly by choosing the number of order
lines. The maximum number of locations per aisle is limited to 68.

Figure 5 Combined route (see online version for colours)

The target of the interactive warehouse simulation model is to achieve savings on order
pickers and their equipment by optimising the order picking routes. It is given that
the order picker has to collect a number of products in specified quantities at known
locations, and in what sequence the order picker should visit these locations to minimise
the distance travelled (Oudijk et al., 2002). There are several main routes: S-shape and
combined route for calculating the average picking route distance.
170 A. Burinskiene

S-shape route: The order picking route starts at the depot (Oudijk et al., 2002), goes to
the front of the main aisle closest to the depot that contains at least one product; this aisle
is traversed up and the procedure is repeated for all aisles that have at least one product,
and, finally, returned to the depot.
Combined route (Figure 5): this is a visit to every aisle that contains products, for one
time only. For combined route, the following 6 transitions are depicted (Figure 6).

Figure 6 Six transitions used for the combined heuristic

Source: Roodbergen (2001)

The extra travel distance for both routes occurs if the number of aisles that have to be
visited is an odd number (Roodbergen, 2001).

2.4 Excel simulation environment

The structure of the Excel simulation model is based on:
• Warehouse plan
• Picking list database. Customer orders (for one month period) are entered into a
picking list database, which contains the number of the picking list and location, the
name of the customer and the quantity ordered by the customer. One picking list
represents one customer order.
• Picking simulation on warehouse plan (see Figure 7).
For the research, three Excel simulation model files with the same structure were used.
Two files of the model were used for testing different sizes of warehouse strategy.
The third file of the model was used for simulation algorithm changes regarding stock
availability strategy tests. The model is going to be available on the internet.
Excel simulation model:
• Displays statistical data about each location on the warehouse plan (Figure 8)
• Utilises Visual Basic macro command and simulates the dynamic order picking
process
• Displays customer and the locations visited in the picking process (Figure 7).
 Order picking process at warehouses 171

Figure 7 Excel simulation model: picking simulation on warehouse plan on the left side
and picking simulation algorithm on the right (see online version for colours)

Figure 8 Excel simulation model displays statistical data (see online version for colours)

First functionality of the model. The functionality gives the ability to check statistical
information about each location (how often the location is visited, the quantity picked per
week). The data is received as summarising information from the picking lists database.
By these criteria, locations are categorised. The results obtained by such categorisation
of locations may be seen by each rack floor choosing its appropriate number (Figure 8).
The second functionality of the model. In the simulation, the order picking process is
simplified so that only one picker is picking. The algorithm of the route decides
the shortest way for each aisle individually: the picker needs to return back to the front
cross-aisle or the transfer aisle through the entire length to the back cross-aisle. The route
is called a composite route (see Figure 9). In reference warehouse, completed picking
orders are used in the model to measure the total travel distance of the picker. Pressing
the Visual Basic macro command button activates the second functionality.
172 A. Burinskiene

Figure 9 Composite route

The third functionality of the model. The picking simulation algorithm updates the name
of the customer and the locations automatically.
The total travel distance is a summary of different order picking routes, either
horizontal or vertical. The horizontal distance calculation is based on simulated picker
movements by which completed picking orders are repeated. The vertical distance is
arithmetically calculated as the positive difference of floors in metres between previous
and current locations (see Figure 10).

Figure 10 Vertical picking distance

The model summarises the simulation results of the picker’s travel distance, picked
orders, locations visited separately and they show in what way exactly the picker
travels. The model also allows evaluating and deciding on storage strategy by changing
the picking lists and finding out which strategy has the best opportunities to improve the
picking process.

2.5 Strategies for simulation environments

In the research, five strategies are taken into account: size of the warehouse, storage,
depot (chosen from layout strategies), routing, and stock availability heuristic.
Warehouse size strategies:
• Reduced number of aisles and increased length (see Figure 11 first part) for man-up
picking process
• Increased number (#) of aisles and reduced length (see Figure 11 second part) for
floor picking.
 Order picking process at warehouses 173

Figure 11 Strategies of warehouse size

Storage strategies:
• Volume-based storage methods. Three variants of the ABC rule are used: the
Within-Aisle (see Figure 2 method, the volume products are placed from the depot
side in the warehouse (ABC-1); Across-Aisles (see Figure 2 across-aisles at right)
method, the products are placed from the front to back side in the warehouse
(ABC-2); Across-Floors (see in Figure 2) method, the products are placed from
down to top floors in the warehouse (ABC-3).
• Random storage.
Depot strategies:
• Left side placing
• In the middle of front cross-aisle
• Right side.
Without computer station (when the order has been completed, the VNA turret truck
returns to the drop off/ pick-up point; there the full cart is left and a new empty cart
taken) (In Figure 11 named ‘Picking w/o c.st’). Routing strategies:
• S-shape route
• Combined route
• Composite route.
Stock availability heuristic strategy:
Stock level is not taken into account in the models. There is only the possibility
to analyse how stock accuracy influences the efficiency of the picking process, i.e., how
the actually picked volumes differ from volumes allocated to picking lists owing to
out-of-stock issues.
For the Excel model the strategies have been chosen as follows: reduced number of
aisles in the warehouse (from warehouse size strategies), random storage (from storage
strategies), picking without computer station (from depot strategies), composite route
(from routing strategies), and stock availability. Other strategies of warehouse size,
storage, routing and depot were used in the simulation of the interactive warehouse
environment.
Reference warehouse parameters: random storage, left depot and S-shape route.
174 A. Burinskiene

3 Results

The received results from the reference warehouse are shown in Figure 12. An efficiency
analysis of various strategies described in the research was performed. The results were
obtained by comparing the average picking route distances. From the Excel model
we obtained the total travel distance only; it should be divided from the number of picked
orders.

Figure 12 Routing, storage, depot and warehouse size strategy simulation results
(see online version for colours)

It should be noted that in the Interactive Erasmus Logistica Warehouse model the
tested routing strategies were extended to: largest gap, aisle by aisle and optimal one.
Their results – the picker’s travel distance – is equal to the one obtained from the
simulation of combined route strategy. The reason for such an occurrence is the low
number of picks per aisle.
The stock availability heuristic strategy testing results are shown by correlation
between inaccurate stocks in locations and the unnecessary picking distance travelled in
out-of-stock cases (Figure 13).

Figure 13 Influence of inaccurate stock picking process efficiency (X axe- % of locations,

Y axe- % of distance) (see online version for colours)
 Order picking process at warehouses 175

In Figure 13 travelled unnecessary picking distance is shown.

The final research results show:
• Warehouse size strategy: by increasing the number of aisles that the S-shape route
distance is equal to the combined route distance.
• The best storage strategy is ABC-1.
• The best depot allocation strategy is picking without a computer station or middle
depot, if the picking list is manually printed.
• The best routing strategy is combined route.
• High stock accuracy strategy is a priority.
That all pickings are made in the same floor whether first, second or higher was assumed
in all the simulations here. Because of this the additional criterion – vertical picking – has
no influence on the results presented here to get an opportunity to compare the results of
both models. But, in general, it should be taken into account that vertical picking is
significant, as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14 Difference in distances between man-up and floor picking (see online version
for colours)

4 Conclusions and future work

In this research, the efficiency of order picking process was studied: total travel distance
and accuracy was analysed. The results obtained from the research lead to the
conclusions described here regarding storage, depot and routing strategies.
The results from the storage strategy analysis show that the volume-based
Within-Aisle (ABC-1) storage method should replace the random storage method in the
reference warehouse.
The depot strategy analysis shows that the most effective strategy is picking in a
middle depot or picking without computer station strategies being used (also confirmed
by Petersen and Schmenner, 1999) (the second one could be used if picking lists are
electronically received by picker).
176 A. Burinskiene

The routing strategies analysis shows that the combined route strategy in the original
size warehouse is the best one (but it is strongly recommended to test the strategy with
lifting VNA turret trucks in real warehouse).
In the research, two simulation models supplemented each other in simulating the
chosen strategies.
Each of the above-mentioned best warehouse size, storage, depot and routing and
accuracy strategies was tested individually owing to the reduction of average picking
route distance.
However, practical implementation of increased number of aisles strategy may not be
possible because of warehouse building imperfections. In such cases, a combination of
the other best strategies mentioned earlier may help. Several of them are revised to obtain
more effective results. Some results of such analysis are presented in Figure 15.

Figure 15 Combination of several storage, depot and routing strategy results (see online version
for colours)

To obtain further efficiency, the author suggests analysing the picker travelling time and
VNA turret truck utilisation. Regarding VNA turret truck utilisation, the strategy of one
way driving in the aisle could be revised, when a large number of pickers are working:
odd aisles could be entered only from the front (depot side) and even aisles, only from the
back. The strategy of one way driving in the aisle could be compared with the strategy of
drive-in on both sides for picking operations.
Regarding storage strategies, the perimeter volume-based storage method needs to be
tested and compared with Within-Aisle storage.
With respect to layout strategies, efficiency could be studied for modern rack
combinations. As modern material handling maintains that the fishbone modern rack
combination is the most efficient, this could be revised for the reference warehouse.
In terms of picking methods, multiple picks (combined volume of multiple
customers) per stop could be checked against single customer picking. Picking with voice
technology could be analysed owing to its higher accuracy.
To achieve efficiency and accuracy in the order picking process, picking operations
could be combined with stock counting operations.
 Order picking process at warehouses 177

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my thanks to K.J. Roodbergen for permission to use the
Interactive Warehouse model for the research paper and G. Dukic for providing
materials.

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