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The paper presents an analytical approach to layout design of the picking area in low-level, picker-to-part systems using COI (cube per order index)-based and random storage policies. The layout of the picking area is one of the major issues in increasing picking system productivity, i.e. in reducing the time required to complete a given set of orders, and must take account of the inter-relationship between the main operating policies, i.e. storage, routing and batching. The main system parameters a ecting the layout design are the total length of the picking aisles, the number of pick stops per tour and the shape of the COI-based ABC curve. A formula that relates the optimal number of aisles to the above parameters will be presented, together with the increase in the expected tour distance stemming from the adoption of a non-optimal number of aisles. The study thus provides a comprehensive framework for layout design.

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