Batch picking
What is batch picking?
Batch picking puts many orders into one pick run: instead of walking the warehouse for each order, the picker collects the combined quantity for a group and the orders are separated afterward (at a sort station, by cart, or by scan). It cuts walking, which is the largest share of a picker's time in most operations, and it adds a sorting step that has to be exact.
How large should the batch be
Large enough that the walking saved outweighs the sorting created, and small enough that one person can still tell one order from another. The limit is usually physical (how many orders fit on the cart before the sort becomes guesswork) rather than mathematical. Batches built around a carrier cutoff tend to behave better than batches built around a round number, because the deadline keeps them on schedule.
The sorting step
- Scan-based sort: each item is scanned to its order at the station; accurate, and it needs the station.
- Cart-based sort: orders occupy separate compartments during the pick; faster, and it needs disciplined cart design.
- Voice or screen prompts: the sort happens as items are picked; compact, and it slows the pick.