Everyone knows items need to be close to the door and the floor for fast picking. But what happens when the season changes and the as become Cs? In many cases, nothing does. Former items do not get re-slotted, they get in the way and they slow down the picking process.
A good shelf will have boxes that are open and labels that are showing. Loose items are stored in bins or other media that makes parts easily accessible. Boxes in pallet flow rack need to have the flaps torn off so they don’t jam in the lanes. For pallet racking, stretch wrap on pallets needs to be peeled off and disposed of before the pallet is loaded onto the rack in a pickable position.
Timely and prompt stocking and replenishment is essential to an efficient picking process. If shelves or pallet rackings are not fully stocked, pickers will stop their work to restock, which increases picking errors and reduces pick rates dramatically.
To ensure the shelves stay stocked, one approach is to implement a warehouse incentive program for everybody based on pickers’ output. Even though pickers would get the lion’s share of the payout, footlik points out that this type of incentive plan radically changes paradigms in a DC because everyone realizes how they directly benefit from supporting the pickers. Some companies take the next step and conduct cross training so everyone has a shot at picking orders.
