Interactive training and modeling environment for considering pallet setup features in storage location assignment of order picking zone

Abstract

Order picking is the most labor-intensive and costly activities in many warehouses by consuming ca. 60 % of the total operating expenses. Order picking development strategies mostly concentrate on warehouse layout, storage assignment policy, routing, zoning and on batching methods, while the physical parameters of the products - which are hardly ever taken into account - do also have a significant impact on the processes. Researchers of the pallet-loading problem could provide a wider horizon on considerable parameters, but their results are rarely implemented into order picking processes. In order to design a successful and optimal order picking system, considering all influential parameters is inevitable, since all of them are strongly connected to each other. This paper introduces an interactive training and modeling tool, which allows us to model, test, analyze and to evaluate order picking algorithms by taking numerous influencing factors into consideration. We describe an application of the simulation environment designed for highlighting the importance of physical product parameters in order picking performance.