Kommissioniermethoden
Also: Kommissionierverfahren, Picking-Methoden, Picking-Verfahren, Kommissioniermethode, Picking-Ansätze, Kommissionierstrategien
AI-generated
Picking methods refer to the various procedures used to retrieve items from a warehouse and consolidate them into orders. The choice of method directly affects a warehouse's throughput, error rate, and operating costs.
Key facts
- Picking methods can be distinguished by order organization (single-order, batch, and zone picking) and by guidance technology (scan, voice, light, and automated).
- The choice of method depends critically on the order profile, SKU structure, service levels, and the available investment budget.
- In practice, many warehouses use combinations of multiple methods, such as automated picking for fast movers and manual picking for slow movers.
- Pick-by-Voice and Pick-by-Light improve picking accuracy and keep hands and eyes free, but require appropriate infrastructure and implementation effort.
- Automated picking systems offer high throughput but are capital-intensive and are best suited to stable, predictable assortments.
What are picking methods?
Picking methods encompass all structured procedures by which employees or automated systems retrieve items from the warehouse and consolidate them into customer orders. A fundamental distinction is made along two dimensions: first, order organization – i.e., whether an employee handles a single order, multiple orders, or only one zone – and second, the guidance and verification technology that supports accurate item retrieval.
Common methods at a glance
With single-order picking, one person handles an order in its entirety from start to finish. The approach is straightforward to implement, but generates long travel distances when order volumes are high and warehouses are large. Batch picking groups multiple orders into a single run; items are first retrieved together and then sorted by order. This reduces travel distance but requires a downstream sorting step.
With zone picking, the warehouse is divided into spatial areas, each assigned to dedicated employees. Orders move from zone to zone until they are complete. Combining zone and batch picking is referred to as multi-order picking within zones, a method frequently used in larger warehouses with a broad product range.
On the guidance side, the following techniques are available, among others: Pick-by-Scan uses barcodes and mobile scanners for verification; Pick-by-Voice guides the picker via voice instructions, keeping both hands free; Pick-by-Light signals the correct retrieval location via illuminated displays directly on the shelving. Automated picking systems – such as robots or cube storage systems – carry out the retrieval process without human intervention.
What matters when choosing a method?
No single method is universally superior. The right approach depends on several factors that should be analyzed before making a decision:
- Order profile: How many line items does a typical order contain? Are large quantities per line item ordered, or primarily single units?
- SKU structure and warehouse volume: A broad assortment with many slow movers calls for different methods than a concentrated fast-mover assortment.
- Service levels and cut-off times: Short shipping windows limit how elaborate a post-picking sorting step can be.
- Error tolerance and quality requirements: Industries such as pharmaceuticals or electronics place higher demands on verification and traceability.
- Investment budget and scalability: Automated solutions require higher initial investment but can offer advantages during growth phases and seasonal peaks.
In practice, many operations combine multiple methods: fast movers are picked automatically, while slow movers are picked manually via Pick-by-Voice or Pick-by-Scan. Which combination makes economic sense cannot be answered in general terms without a robust analysis of movement data and warehouse structure.
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.
- Auftragspositionen
Order line items are the individual lines within an order, each describing an article, a quantity, and supplementary delivery conditions. They form the smallest controllable unit in order processing and serve as the basis for picking, procurement, and invoicing.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bewegungsdaten
Movement data captures all transactions and physical goods movements in the logistics process – from goods receipt and stock transfers to dispatch. It contains timestamps, quantities, locations and the units involved, and forms the basis for transparency, control and analysis in warehouse and…
- 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.
- Distributionslager
A distribution center is a type of warehouse that consolidates goods and prepares them for targeted delivery to customers, branches, or downstream 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.