High-performance order processing in picking workstations

This paper investigates the order processing in picking workstations, which are among today’s most efficient order picking devices. A workstation is continuously supplied with storage bins containing stock keeping units (SKUs) from an interconnected storage system, so that a human worker only has to repack the items into customer bins. This way of unproductive work content, e.g., travel time, is eliminated and up to 1000 picks per hour is enabled. We aim at a concerted processing of picking orders and storage bins delivered from the storage system, such that an even more efficient picking process is enabled. We formalize the resulting order processing problem and present an efficient solution procedure. Our computational results show that the automated crane of the storage system feeding the picking workstation with bins can considerably be relieved by our procedure.