Overview
The Dematic Batch Pick and Consolidate Mid-Rate Piece Picking System is ideal for operations with mid-range order volume rates. Operators use pickcarts to pick items for multiple orders in a single pass through the warehouse.
The system arranges the facility into picking zones. Each picking zone supports a specific SKU category — typically by velocity (how often an item is ordered), family group, or cube space utilization. Orders are batch picked using voice-directed pick carts and then consolidated into customer orders using a voice or light-directed put or pack wall workstation. The process includes a 100% quality check by scanning each item at the put/pack wall.
Picking critical mass volumes and having order consolidation integrated with packing produces efficient order processing. The entire process is paperless and managed in real time.
Benefits
- Predicts consistent performance with modular, pre-engineered design
- Increases throughput capacity
- Minimizes order fulfillment time
- Reduces operating costs, errors, and process transactions
- Maximizes order fulfillment system uptime and resilience
- Optimizes workflows and accommodate peaks/valleys in order volume
- Supports order fulfillment for multiple channels
System description
The Dematic Batch Pick and Consolidate Mid-Rate Piece Pick System has a pre-engineered, standardized design configuration to ensure consistent performance, operational flexibility, and scalability.
Picking instructions are sent to operators via wearable voice devices. Operators go to the SKU to be picked and scan a barcode at the location bin or item UPC. Voice instructions indicate the quantity. Operators verbally confirms the pick quantity and place the items into a tote on the pick cart. This process is repeated until all the picks for the route are complete. When all the items for a route are picked, operators take the pick carts to the put-wall workstations and transfer the totes.
When all the items for an order have been placed in the assigned compartment, either voice direction or a light on the packing side of the workstation indicate how to begin the pack-out process. When the packing of a compartment is complete, the system assigns the compartment to the next available order.
The packing side has a work bench, packing materials, and shipping containers. Operators remove the items from the pack wall compartment and pack the order in a shipping container, inserts packing materials if required, and seals the package. The package moves on to shipping. (The system may have an optional shipping sub-system.)
System management
The Dematic Warehouse Execution System (WES) software manages a continuous flow of orders for processing downloaded from the host WMS. The WES manages and directs the entire piece picking process from batch picking to order consolidation and packing.
Orders can be sent from the host in multiple configurations including discrete orders, pre-batched order totes, and pre-configured cart batches. The Dematic WES software can also create these groups and batches automatically or allow ad hoc tote and batch operations by operators as orders become available. The software includes screens for supervisors that provide a global view of picking, put wall performance, system progress, order information, picks per operator, total picks, and items packed.
Warehouse Management System (Host)
- Order entry
- Inventory
Fulfillment orders
Status and completion
Dematic Warehouse Execution System
- Order management, plan, execution
- Order attributes, priority, changes
- Direct picking, consolidation, packing
- Order tracking
- Synchronize and optimize processes
- Balance workload
- Real-time visibility and insight