BROKEN CASE PICKING SYSTEMS

Chapter seven RightStore Pieces: Piece Picking Principles, Systems, and Best Practices

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Figure 7.57 Goods to person (Opex)

the human factors benefits of presenting the containers to the picker at waist height in a well-lit area, can yield pick rates ranging between 40 and 200 picks per person-hour. Miniload floor space requirements are small because of the ability to store material up to 50 feet high, the ability to size and shape the storage containers and the subdivisions of those containers to very closely match the storage-volume requirements of each SKU, and an aisle width that need only accommodate the width of a storage container. Because this is the most sophisticated of the system alternatives described thus far, it should come as no surprise that the miniload system carries the highest price tag of any of the order picking system alternatives. Another result of its sophistication is the significant engineering and design time that accompanies each system. Most systems require between 6 and 18 months for design, delivery, and installation. Finally, greater sophistication leads to greater maintenance requirements. It is only through a disciplined maintenance program that miniload suppliers are able to advertise uptime percentages of between 97 and 99.5 percent.

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