Pick to Light / Put to Light

Improved Warehouse Productivity

Pick to light / put to light systems are the most cost-effective means of providing dramatic improvements in warehouse productivity and picking accuracy. While productivity improvements from pick to light / put to light systems generally range from 25 to 50 percent, some companies have seen much greater improvements. These improvements are generally achieved within 12 to 24 months.

Much depends on the process already in place. Once data is gathered relative to a specific system, GENCO Supply Chain Solutions prepares a complete proposal with ROI analysis. As with the implementation of most new technologies, the current process should be examined to uncover improvements that can be implemented concurrent with pick-to/put-to-light. GENCO Supply Chain Solutions utilizes many Six Sigma tools to examine the current process and discover potential improvements.

Pick to Light

Benefits

Benefits of pick to light

Increases picker productivity and accuracy
Minimizes training time
Quick staff ramp up to handle seasonal peaks
Quick RIO
Picker accountability for every pick
Real-time shorting of orders and directed replenishment
Capable of using voice-directed picking for low volume SKU's with no lights
System only requires PC or PDA

Results

Pick to light can sustain error rates of less than .01 percent when applied correctly and is very scalable, so there are no large expenditures for upgrades, the equipment is easy to install and handles any type of product.

Put to Light

Put to light is pick to light in reverse and shares the same technology as pick to light. Put to light is often used in retail distribution centers that frequently ship to the same number of stores.

Benefits

Benefits of Put to light

SKU independent - for companies that have a large number of SKUs
High speed sort capability
Less floor space required
Generally lower cost than pick to light because fewer locations are needed
Ideal when the number of orders are smaller, more frequent and generally consistent on a day-to-day basis

Innovations with Pick-to/Put to light

Pick to light / put to light systems are proven technologies that have been in use for over 15 years. There are many recent innovations to further improve their benefit including:

Mobile pick-to/Put to light carts to reduce cost and improve flexibility
Integration with voice tasking technology for slow-moving items
Laser pointer to indicate item to be selected
Lot code and shorts verification through light modules
Lower cost and greater flexibility in wiring to facilitate modifications for new or deleted items