The resulting batch picking system services walk-in business, will call orders, route delivery, and branch distribution. Utilizing MSI Automate’s FastTrak Warehouse Software and a tightly integrated material handling system, the system addresses all aspects of the receiving and put-away as well as batch picking, consolidation, packing, staging, shipping, and loading.

They wanted to find a way to ensure that no one waited at the walk-in counter and that all will call orders were ready as promised. They wanted to ensure that route deliveries were dispatched on time and loaded in trucks in reverse run sequence. And they wanted to keep their branch locations fully stocked through accurate and timely stock deliveries that segregated in-branch pickup orders from the balance of the shipment in a way that would position them for expedited handling upon arrival at the branch.

• Minimize labor in receiving by implementing a scanning and sorting process for all incoming goods.
• Reduce put-away labor by curtailing the number of trips through storage aisles.
• Associate orders to totes and route those totes through the picking areas. Batch pick to totes to reduce walking during the picking process.
• Sort picked items from the totes, and consolidate those items with other items that were picked off line (large parts, requiring carts or forklifts for movement).
• Sort outbound parcels to the appropriate carrier lines.
• Seamlessly integrate all system solutions with the TecSys WMS.

A Put Wall is used in receiving to sort and consolidate incoming parts for put away in the CAT facility. To set up the Put Wall for receiving, totes are associated with a slot location within the wall via a scan of each tote’s serialized bar code ID (PID). Once totes are in place, light displays instruct operators where (in which totes) to place incoming parts.

Parts are received from the CAT factories as well as other suppliers in either mixed pallets or in large, mixed container boxes (gaylords). As items are removed from pallets and containers, they are scanned with a radio frequency (RF) device, which triggers a put light, signaling to the operator the corresponding tote in which to place the part. The operate places the part in the tote and extinguishes the light by pressing a button, completing the transaction.

In order to maximize efficiencies during the order picking (and put-away) process, a zone routing system was established that divides the warehouse into eight sectors. Pickers are assigned to zones as are the totes that are used to transport picked items to order consolidation and sortation. A conveyor system runs throughout the warehouse transporting totes between picking zones and processing functions.

Picking is generally done to individual totes along the conveyor or to groups of totes on carts, depending upon the location of the parts to be picked. Orders are assigned to totes based upon their location in the warehouse and the availability of resources to be used to process the orders at any given moment (i.e. pickers, put wall availability, sortation, etc.).

Both the carts and totes are routed through the system in the most efficient path possible to optimize the picking process. If a zone is not available for picking at any given moment, the totes associated with the items to be picked in that zone can orbit on the conveyor until that zone or another zone is available for picking.

Empty totes for batch picking can be started in any zone in the system. Pickers are directed through the system via RF devices to the next closest pick location. When a picker arrives at a location, the selected item is scanned to confirm it is the proper part to be picked and is then placed into the assigned tote. The picker then scans the tote, which acts to confirm the transaction was executed properly.

When picking is finished, the completed tote or totes are routed to a consolidation/ sortation “put wall,” where the batch picked items in the tote(s) are sorted/consolidated into individual orders. The put wall is comprised of a grid of divided shelves with light displays that direct put wall operators through their job.

When a batch picked tote arrives, items are removed individually and the item bar code for each is scanned. FastTrak then references the item against an order and triggers the appropriate put-to-light module, indicating where the item should be placed. The operator places the item on the appropriate shelf, or in a tote on the shelf, and then extinguishes the light via the function button on the display.

When an order is complete the operator is directed via the display (flashing) to remove the items and pack them for shipment. To do this, the operator moves the goods to a pack bench and extinguishes the light via the function button on the display. Once packing is complete, the order is either staged on carts for customer waiting or will call, put back on the conveyor for sorting to various shipment methods, or sorted to waiting bulk (gaylord) containers for store orders consolidation.