Exploring the role of picker personality in predicting picking performance with pick by voice, pick to light and RF-terminal picking

Abstract

Order pickers and individual differences between them could have a substantial impact on picking performance, but are largely ignored in studies on order picking. This paper explores the role of individual differences in picking performance with various picking tools (pick by voice, RF-terminal picking and pick to light) and methods (parallel, zone and dynamic zone picking). A unique realistic field experiment with 101 participants (academic students, vocational students and professional pickers) is employed to investigate the influence of individual differences, especially the Big Five personality traits, on picking performance in terms of productivity and quality. The results suggest that (PbV) performs better than RF-terminal picking, and that Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness and the age of the picker play a significant role in predicting picking performance with voice and RF-terminals. Furthermore, achieving higher productivity appears to be possible without sacrificing quality. Managers can increase picking performance by incorporating the insights in assigning the right pickers to work with a particular picking tool or method, leading to increased picking performance and reduced warehousing costs.

The effect of personality traits and knowledge on the quality of decisions in supply chains

“…Neuroticism is one of the most stable and replicable personality traits across contexts (Meyer & Purvanova, 2013). Individuals scoring highly on neuroticism are mostly regarded as anxious, depressed, angry, worried, insecure, and emotional (De Vries, De Koster, & Stam, 2016).…”

Reducing Errors in the Company’s Warehouse Process

“…2. Warehouse activities as a percentage of warehouse costs [10] Some authors [12,13] point out that order picking is one of the most labour-intensive and timeintensive processes in internal logistics, accounting for more than 50% of the total warehouse costs. It is unsurprising, therefore, that several authors researching the field of logistics have focused on this particular warehouse activity [1,3,10,11].…”

“…In his study, he stresses the importance of focusing on the important human characteristics of the order pickers in the management of the picking process. De Vries et al [12] also point out that in order for the use of modern technology such as PTL, PBV or RFID to be successful, warehouse operators should be involved in the process. This is why picking performance is still highly dependent on the extent to which pickers are able to use these technologies efficiently.…”

“…It is unlikely that all individuals respond equally well to these demands. To improve the order picking process, it is therefore interesting to find out which individual pickers can perform particularly well in specific order picking contexts [12].…”

An Evaluation of Cross-Efficiency Methods, Applied to Measuring Warehouse Performance

“…Indeed, many publications on how to improve single operational decisions have been published, yet besides their narrow focus, they often draw on simulation results (Van der Gaast 2015), small empirical samples (Larco 2016) or readily available data that had been collected for a different original purpose and consequently might not be as reliable as desired. Examples of relevant studies focusing on specific warehousing problems are the optimal number of zones in a pick-and-sort order picking system (De Koster et al 2012) or the effect of picker personality on picking performance (De Vries et al 2016). Their scope, however, is almost always limited to a single aspect of a warehouse.…”