Optimization of Order-Picking Systems through Tactical and Operational Decision Making

Abstract

Order picking (OP) is a process that occurs in warehouses of unitized goods and it includes all activities that follow the retrieval of demanded goods, according to demanded type and quantity, with the intention of meeting customer demands, accurately and on time, with acceptable costs. As the OP process can contribute up to 50 % to the overall warehouse operational costs, design of the order picking system (OPS) needs special attention during the warehouse design process. In existing systems, the need for improvement is often caused by the change in demands. This paper analyses the possibilities of low-level picker-to-part OPS improvement through appropriate decision making on different design levels: tactical and operational. In this paper, a simulation-analytical model is developed to evaluate different OPS scenarios based on three storage assignment policies, four routing strategies and two different OP methods. Two layout variants and the evaluation of the required workforce are considered as well. The experiment results indicate that the application of the proposed model could lead to significant improvements regarding OPS performances and resource utilization.

Simulation Analysis of Robotic Mobile Fulfilment System Based on Cellular Automata

“…The design of the warehouse systems can be grouped into three hierarchical categories [4]: system analysis, design optimization, and operations planning and control. From the system analysis level, which is essentially the viewpoint of the present research, many warehouse simulation models have been designed to study warehouse picking efficiency [7].…”

“…According to [3], order picking is the highest priority activity to improve productivity in a warehouse due to its high contribution to the total operating costs of a distribution centre. It can be even stated that the service-level and performances of the whole supply chain rest upon the efficiency of the ordering picking system (OPS) [4].…”

Smart Solution For Enhancing Storage Location Assignments In WMS Using Genetic Algorithm

“…Using this information an association matrix that stores how often two SKUs are ordered together is generated. This matrix is referred to as inm and is presented in equation (1).…”

“…Optimally warehousing products is crucial to the speed and cost of delivery in the lean supply chain management [1] [2]. Warehouse management system (WMS) is an important component of the supply chain management.…”

“…The importance of products being assigned to a proper storage location brought studies into different methods; which includes collecting data for decision making on optimal location assignment [1]. This research considers Storage Location Assignment Problem (SLAP), which helps with the decision making affecting the efficiency of the logistic system including receiving, storage, and order-picking operations.…”