So, how do you tell your warehouse has any problems with inefficient picking? Well, first of all: what is inefficient picking? Unlike other warehouse operations, picking is not just about putting things in boxes and shipping them out.
Efficient picking actually means having the right inventory at the right location at the right time, to eliminate waste and delays from wrong orders. In fact, if your warehouse is not already measuring its efficiency, it is a sure sign that something is wrong.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems with inefficient picking in a warehouse:
- Zero visibility of current storage levels
- No stock visibility to picking lanes / workstations
- Lack of real-time updates on picking activities
- Picking activities not synced with actual picking locations
- Exact location of items not known at the time of pick
- Employees spending time walking from one place to another
- No cross-training / overburdened employees
- Fragmentation of data
- Items are not correctly sorted
- Wrong picking order within same SKU
- Incorrect cycle counting practices
- Manual checking done repetitively
The picking processes in your business are one of the most critical components to ensuring that you are maximizing inventory turns and getting the right products to the right place at the right time.
Whether you run a small business, or are responsible for an entire network of warehouses, the ability to effectively make and coordinate pick deliveries is one of your most important responsibilities. The efficiency of your picking processes greatly impacts your ability to meet customer orders while minimizing inventory costs.
One way to improve your current operations is to implement a new business management solution that can help reduce cycle times and errors, optimize your order selection and routing, while being flexible enough to handle changes in requirements.
While automating all processes is not always possible, it is important to have a full view of how inventory moves through your supply chain when you consider ways to improve picking processes.
The good news is that today’s business management technologies can help you quickly address those challenges and other inefficient practices in your warehouse by providing a streamlined, integrated solution to capture which items are needed; who needs them; where they’re located; when they need to be picked; and what route or vehicle will get the items there on time.
This is what SAP Business One as a warehouse management system can do for you.
SAP Business One delivers full visibility across the enterprise and into your suppliers, providing an accurate view of your inventory, cycle counts and planned purchases. Whether you need a complete inventory solution or just want real-time visibility into what items are available, SAP Business One provides a single version of truth to help make smarter business decisions with confidence.
n summary, problems with inefficient picking can have major consequences on warehouse operations, leading to incorrect orders, delays, and wasted time and money. Some of the most common problems with inefficient picking include lack of real-time visibility, inaccurate storage locations, inefficient routes, and poor employee training.
To avoid these problems with inefficient picking, warehouses need comprehensive solutions that provide end-to-end visibility, optimize picking, and streamline processes. SAP Business One delivers the warehouse management capabilities to enable efficient picking, including real-time inventory visibility, directed put-away and picking, and integration with data capture devices.
By leveraging SAP Business One to eliminate problems with inefficient picking, warehouses can ensure they have the right inventory at the right place at the right time, avoid costly errors and delays, and maximize productivity. In the world of logistics, efficient picking is everything – don’t let problems with inefficient picking put your warehouse at a disadvantage.
Run A More Efficient Warehouse, Run SAP Business One
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