Kommissionieren
Also: Kommissionierung, Picken, Picking, Auftragszusammenstellung, Kommissioniervorgang, Kommissionierprozess
AI-generated
Picking refers to the order-based assembly of items from warehouse stock – for example, for customer, production, or store orders. The process includes retrieval, confirmation, consolidation, and provision of goods.
Key facts
- Picking is typically the most labor-intensive process in the warehouse and therefore offers the greatest optimization potential.
- The choice of picking method – from Pick-by-Scan to fully automated solutions – depends heavily on the item profile, order structure, and throughput requirements.
- Mispick rate, picks per hour, and order throughput time are the key KPIs for managing picking performance.
- Modern systems follow the goods-to-person principle: automated storage systems or robots bring the item to the worker, rather than the other way around.
- A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a prerequisite for paperless, data-driven picking methods and performance measurement.
What is picking?
Picking is the process by which individual items or quantities are selectively retrieved from warehouse stock and assembled into a defined order. The trigger may be a customer order in e-commerce or wholesale, a production order in manufacturing, or a store replenishment order in retail. The result is an order-specific collection that is subsequently packed, prepared for shipment, or forwarded directly. In many warehouses, picking is considered the most labor-intensive and costly individual process – which is why optimization measures deliver the greatest impact here.
Methods and technical support
There are various ways to guide picking staff or automated systems through the process:
- Pick-by-Paper: The classic pick list – easy to implement, but error-prone and difficult to trace.
- Pick-by-Scan: A barcode scanner confirms each pick; errors are detected immediately and productivity increases significantly compared to paper.
- Pick-by-Voice (voice-directed picking): Voice instructions delivered via headset keep both hands free and are particularly suitable for cold storage or bulky items.
- Pick-by-Light: Light displays on shelf compartments indicate the pick location and quantity; suitable for high-performance picking with a limited product range.
- Automated systems: Robotic solutions, AutoStore systems, or conventional automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) handle retrieval fully or partially and transfer items to a manual workstation (goods-to-person principle).
The most appropriate method depends on factors such as the number of SKUs, order structure, throughput requirements, storage temperature, and available budget. In many warehouses, several methods are used in parallel.
Key considerations for selection
When planning or redesigning your picking operation, you should examine three dimensions in particular. First, the item profile: fast-movers, slow-movers, and bulky items place different demands on storage location, retrieval technology, and route optimization (slotting). Second, the order structure: many small orders favor batch picking or automated goods-to-person systems, while fewer large orders tend to suit conventional tour-based picking. Third, quality and measurability: mispick rates, throughput times, and picks per hour are control metrics that a WMS or data capture system should provide. Packing is a downstream step, but can take place at the same workstation – the distinction is process-based, not necessarily spatial.
Related terms
- ABC-Analyse
ABC analysis is a method for classifying items, vendors, or processes into three priority classes (A, B, C) based on their economic significance. It forms the basis for differentiated decision-making in warehousing, inventory management, and procurement.
- Akustische Kommissionierung
Acoustic order picking is a paperless picking method in which warehouse employees receive pick instructions via voice and confirm each step using spoken responses. Both hands remain free throughout the actual picking process.
- Auftragsdurchlaufzeit
Order throughput time refers to the total time from the receipt of an order to its dispatch to the recipient. It encompasses all waiting, processing, and internal transport steps, and serves as a key indicator of the performance of a warehouse or fulfillment process.
- AutoStore
AutoStore is a cube-based automated storage system in which driverless robots traverse an aluminum grid to stack plastic bins and retrieve them on demand for delivery to picking ports. The system is considered one of the most space-efficient automated small-parts warehouses available for standardized bin-compatible goods.
- Automatiklager
An automated warehouse is a fully or partially automated storage system in which the receipt, retrieval, transport and management of storage units are carried out without manual intervention, using conveyor technology, storage and retrieval machines, and a higher-level control software.
- Automatisches Kleinteilelager (AKL)
The Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AKL) is a fully automated storage system for totes, trays and small parts, in which storage and retrieval operations are performed without manual intervention by stacker cranes or shuttle systems.
- BDE-System
A BDE system (operational data collection system) captures machine and manual process data in real time directly at the source – such as at machines, conveyor systems, or workstations.
- Barcodescanner
A barcode scanner is an optical reading device that captures printed barcodes and converts them into machine-readable data. It is used in intralogistics for the seamless identification of goods, load carriers, and storage locations.
- Batch-Kommissionierung
Batch picking is a method in which multiple customer orders are consolidated into a single pick run. This allows the picker to travel one route while simultaneously covering positions from different orders.
- Beleglose Kommissionierung
Paperless picking refers to the assembly of orders in the warehouse without paper pick lists, where all instructions are transmitted digitally via terminals, displays, voice, or optical signals.
- Chaotische Lagerhaltung
Chaotic storage is a warehousing principle in which items are not stored in fixed, pre-assigned locations, but are instead dynamically placed in any available, suitable slot in the warehouse. A warehouse management system handles the control and tracking of all storage locations.
- Pick-by-Scan
Pick-by-Scan is a scanner-assisted picking method in which employees capture storage locations and items using a mobile scanner, confirming each picking step within the system. The method significantly improves data quality and traceability in the warehouse.