Putwall Processing - The Efficient Multi-Order Packing Table Function for E-commerce!
Published on: 13 May 2020
E-commerce sales figures are headed in one direction only for years – upward! And even in the current situation, with confinement, social and physical distancing and measures imposed, with shops completely or partially closed, the online trade, at least temporarily, is a good shopping alternative during the Corona crisis.
But it is precisely these challenges arising from the handling of this particular business that logistics need to overcome. Because E-commerce orders present two particularities: 1. Order structure in terms of the low number of parts ordered, and 2. processing time in terms of short promised delivery periods. Thus, efficient solutions are required that meet the specific e-commerce requirements to support state-of-the-art picking strategies in warehouse management systems.
Here, LogoS supports a special approach via multi-order packing stations, so-called Putwalls, in combination with multi-level batch picking.
The creation of batches, i.e. the aggregation of orders for partial picking areas in the picking process, plays a key role in this process. The configuration of batch creation generates picking-optimized picking waves, which are then routed to the corresponding putter walls.
The advantage of this two-step picking system is that in the first packing step, several orders from different customers are combined into one batch and pic items of the same articles are consolidated. Only in the second picking step, the picking items are separated in an order-related way.
This separation takes place at so-called Putwalls, a sort of multi-order packing station. This requires an open shelf rack accessible from two sides, which is allocated an order is assigned to each storage bay in a system-optimized way. On one side of the rack, the articles are collected in the batch picking and put into the storage bays. The processing is carried out using MDE devices, if necessary in combination with a put-to-light system to support sorting at the storage bays. When an order is completely sorted, an employee on the other side of the rack picks the goods and packs them into ready-made shipping boxes.
LogoS takes over the complete control during the processing: from optimized batch creation, time-controlled replenishment to picking bins, path-optimized removal via MDE, optimum utilization and distribution at the Putwalls to the packing process.
This optimized processing results in an increased output and shorter processing and delivery times. The specific requirements for e-commerce business: before, during and after the crisis!
