Kommissionierzeiten
Also: Kommissionierzeit, Pick-Zeit, Pickzeit, Pickzeiten, Picking-Zeit, Kommissionierungszeiten
AI-generated
Picking times refer to the total time required to assemble an order or order line. They consist of sub-times such as travel, search, grip, and confirmation, and are a key metric for productivity and capacity planning in the warehouse.
Key facts
- Picking times consist of travel, search, grip, confirmation, and ancillary times, thereby reflecting the full complexity of a picking process.
- Travel time frequently accounts for the largest share of time in manual warehouses and therefore often offers the strongest lever for process optimization.
- For valid measurement, WMS logs, classic time studies, or Labor Management Systems are suitable – depending on the objective and available IT infrastructure.
- Picking times are not the same as order throughput time: they capture only the picking portion, not the entire warehouse journey of an order.
- Individual time measurement without simultaneous quality measurement can create misaligned incentives and should therefore always be combined with picking accuracy KPIs.
What are picking times?
Picking times capture the time required when a person or automated system retrieves items from the warehouse and assembles them into an order. They are not a single metric but a bundle of several sub-times: Travel time describes movement to the pick location, search time the identification of the correct item at the correct position, grip time the actual retrieval, and confirmation time the acknowledgment via scanner, voice, or screen. Additional ancillary times include loading the picking cart, travel to transfer points, or brief waiting times at bottlenecks.
Picking times must be distinguished from order throughput time, which maps the entire journey of an order through the warehouse – from order entry to provision at the dispatch area. Picking times cover only the picking portion within this overall process.
How are picking times determined in practice?
Three methods are common: Classic time studies (direct observation and stopwatch) provide detailed breakdowns by sub-time but are labor-intensive. WMS logs evaluate automatically recorded timestamps from warehouse management systems, enabling large sample sizes without additional effort. Labor Management Systems (LMS) combine target times from pre-calculated time models with actual times from the WMS, enabling individual performance evaluation per employee.
When measuring, it is important to note that methodology and incentive effects are closely linked. Individual time measurement without accompanying quality measurement can create misaligned incentives when speed comes at the expense of picking accuracy. Which method is appropriate depends on the warehouse type, IT infrastructure, and the objective of the measurement.
What matters when analyzing and optimizing picking times?
The greatest levers typically lie in travel time, as it often accounts for more than half of total picking time in manual warehouses. The following factors significantly influence picking times:
- Slotting and layout design: Placing fast-moving items near the starting point measurably reduces travel times.
- Picking strategy: Batch picking, zone picking, or pick-by-voice each alter the time structure differently.
- Guidance system: Pick-by-Light, Pick-by-Voice, or scan systems influence search time and confirmation time.
- Degree of automation: Automated small-parts warehouses or AutoStore systems shift travel time to the machine and reduce human grip time.
Picking times form the calculation basis for business cases on automation or for SLA negotiations with logistics service providers. The complete time structure should always be analyzed – not just the pure grip time, which in isolation reveals little about actual efficiency.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bottleneck Analyse
Bottleneck analysis identifies the process step with the lowest capacity in a logistics system, making the limiting factor for overall throughput visible.
- 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.