Completing warehouse orders requires from employees not only good organization of own working time, but also accuracy during picking to minimize the risk of any errors. What are the most common mistakes during order picking and what are their causes?
What is order picking?
Order picking is a very complex warehouse process that involves completing various goods within a placed order in one place in the warehouse in order to properly complete packages and prepare them for further logistics process.
Success of this process is influenced by many factors such as:
- developed standards and working methods,
- specially designated zones in the warehouse,
- efficiency of work of logistics operators and warehouse employees,
- modern technologies and using innovative systems speeding up work,
- developing appropriate warehouse work organization.
Order picking in logistics warehouses is a process that involves collecting necessary goods within a placed order to then pack them and prepare for further transport. At this stage accuracy and verifying the condition of goods even before shipment to the end customer is very important.
What are order picking methods?
Efficiency of order picking process depends not only on warehouse employees and developed rules or work standards, but also on selected picking methods. Check what order picking methods apply in warehouses.
Most common causes of errors during order picking
Order picking in logistics warehouses involves completing goods within placed orders and preparing them for shipment. However, this process is not free from errors and requires very good own work skills from warehouse employees.
1. Lack of developed work standards or best picking methods
The most common mistake of warehouse employees that affects errors related to picking is lack of developed work standards and lack of applied methods that would improve the order picking process and minimize the risk of errors.
A helpful solution that would eliminate the problem is developing better organizational habits for employees and improving warehouse organization with specification into specific zones.
2. Human errors related to overlooking information, improper packing of goods
Mistakes related to not packing the appropriate goods within the order result very often from human errors. The most important thing is to remember that in logistics companies it is impossible to completely eliminate mistakes due to human errors.
According to scientific research, the error rate due to human mistakes is only approx. 0.3%. However, developing a system of coherent actions and good warehouse work organization and encouraging employees to participate in training can reduce risk and frequency of error occurrence.
Most often among errors in goods picking one can include the following situations: packing inappropriate amount of ordered goods, errors due to improper identification of goods or matching goods to wrong order.
3. Improper warehouse work organization or lack thereof
Order picking is work that requires developing appropriate organizational methods to be effective, fast and accurate for warehouse employees.
However, if e.g. there is a mess in the warehouse, employees are undisciplined or there is bad work organization in individual warehouse zones, then everything should be done to create appropriate order picking methods, implement them and improve work organization in each of the warehouse zones.
4. Improper storage and labeling of warehouse products
The most commonly committed mistake that affects mistakes related to picking in warehouses is the one concerning improper storage and labeling of goods. Just a moment to read information on the label and not pay enough attention to the character of the product, which is then attached to the wrong order. Problematic is also lack of labels on products that are placed on shelves in warehouses. Verifying the product, checking proper labels is also additional work time for the employee, which can affect possible delays.
Solution to this problem is appropriate product labeling in the warehouse, using modern technologies during order picking and greater attention of warehousemen during order picking process.
5. Erroneous product labeling affecting delays or mistakes during picking
Improper label on the product makes mistakes occur very often in logistics warehouses. This problem would be solved by label reader and appropriate systems that would shorten time of finding orders.
6. Improper warehouse layout
Problematic is also that selected types of goods are stored in inappropriate zones or a given logistics warehouse does not have specially designated zones that would shorten order picking time and facilitate faster picking for employees.
Ill-considered and unergonomic warehouse layout affects picking time and can lead to many mistakes in completing orders. That is why appropriate work organization in the warehouse and designating specific zones plays such a key role.
Delays in product deliveries or improperly completed order can also result from inappropriate warehouse layout. This explains why an appropriately thought-out logistics layout of the warehouse and designating special…