Integrating Real-Life Features While Planning Order Picking Operations

Abstract

This study illustrates the relevance and importance of incorporating safety constraints, picker blocking, and vertical travel due to high-level storage locations when developing order picking systems (i.e., deciding on zoning, storage, batching, and routing). Results show that ignoring these real-life features causes substantial performance inefficiencies. Robust policies for organizing operations efficiently are provided, even if the system is subject to real-life features.