Discover the world of Tote Picking, an efficient order fulfilment method that involves grabbing items straight from labelled bins. This game-changing approach is taking the warehouse and distribution centre industry by storm, offering numerous benefits over traditional picking methods. Let’s dive into what Tote Picking is all about, why it’s so advantageous, and some best practices for implementing it.
Unravelling the Mystery: What is Tote Picking?
Tote Picking or tote to pick is like a well-organised shopping spree for warehouse workers; they pick items directly from clearly labelled bins. This method boosts warehouse operations’ efficiency, accuracy, and safety, helping businesses stay on top of their game.
Why Tote Picking is a Game-Changer
Tote Picking boasts several advantages over other picking methods, and here’s why you should consider it for your warehouse:
- Supercharged Efficiency: Tote Picking shaves valuable seconds off workers’ time retrieving items, increasing productivity. For example, Amazon uses a “chaotic storage” method to pick 300-400 items per hour.
- Impressive Accuracy: With everything neatly organised and labelled, the chance of errors decreases significantly. This leads to fewer returns and happier customers, a win for any business.
- Enhanced Safety: Tote Picking minimises heavy lifting, reducing the risk of worker injuries. A warehouse with 100 workers could drop annual injury rates by up to 80%.
- Better Inventory Control: By providing real-time data on stock levels, Tote Picking enables better inventory management and reduces the risk of stockouts or overstocks.
- Cost-Effective: Streamlining the picking process and reducing the need for extra labour can save businesses up to 30% on labour costs.
The Tote Picking Process
The Tote Picking process is as easy as 1-2-3-4: workers retrieve bins, scan items, pick them, and replenish stock. Handheld scanners help identify and grab items from the bins, while a central computer system tracks inventory levels and generates insightful reports.
Strategies for Tote to Pick Success
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for tote to pick. You can mix and match these approaches to find the perfect fit for your warehouse: piece picking, batch picking, zone picking, wave picking, and cross-docking. Each has unique benefits, like picking multiple items at once with batch picking or dividing the warehouse into zones with zone picking.
Key Factors in Tote Picking Implementation
When hopping on the Tote Picking bandwagon, don’t forget to consider these crucial factors: order volume, product types, picking timeframes, worker availability, and warehouse space. Ignoring these factors may lead to inefficiencies and errors, so plan wisely to enjoy all the benefits of Tote Picking.
Don’t Slip Up: Dodge Tote to Pick Blunders
We’ve all seen our share of hiccups in the tote picking world. Let’s break down some common mistakes and how to swerve around them.
- Inaccurate scanning: Oops – wrong item! Scanning mishaps can mess up your inventory data. Thanks to a scanner snafu, a Clarus WMS client mixed up a Harry Potter book with a blender. Don’t be that guy.
- Overloading bins: Ever played Jenga with a bin? It’s a recipe for damaged goods and sluggish picking. Keep it balanced, like a pro.
- Mislabeling bins: A quick pic from a confused picker’s Instagram feed says it all – a bin labelled “coffee mugs” full of dog toys. Avoid the chaos, label right.
- Skipping standard procedures: Taking shortcuts leads to detours, inefficiency, and mistakes. Stick to the plan, and you’ll stay on track.
- Lousy tote design: Nobody likes a flimsy tote. Poor design can damage items and waste space. Opt for sturdy, space-saving totes instead.
Tote Picking Best Practices
Ready to level up your tote picking game? Follow these best practices:
- Label appropriately: Keep those pickers happy and accurate with clear, correct labels.
- Organise bin placement: Make it easy for pickers to find and store items efficiently.
- Scan consistently: Keep your inventory data on point with regular, precise scanning.
- Maintain totes and equipment: Show your gear some love; it’ll last longer and work better.
- Train employees: Get your team up to speed with ongoing education in tote picking mastery.
Tote Picking’s Bright Future
The tote picking is expanding! Tech advancements, system integration, and industry growth are all in the cards. Robotics and automation will make tote picking even faster and more precise. And by linking with other systems like warehouse and transportation management, we’ll see a more unified approach to supply chain superpowers. Plus, tote picking could revolutionise fields like healthcare and retail by boosting efficiency and accuracy.
In a Nutshell
Tote picking is the way to a safe, accurate, and efficient order fulfilment process. It’s a no-brainer with benefits like better inventory control, reduced costs, and increased worker safety. Stick to best practices, and you’ll be heading to tote picking stardom. The future is bright for tote picking, so jump on board and ride the wave of innovation!
At Clarus WMS, we’re excited to offer a complete warehouse management solution with advanced tote picking features. Our system aims to simplify your picking process and boost efficiency, saving you time and resources. We know every warehouse is different, so let’s give you a custom introduction to our software. Schedule an intro call with our skilled team to determine how our tote picking can be customised for your needs. Don’t wait—book your call now and let’s transform your warehouse operations together!
