Picking system

Abstract

Provided is a picking system with which it is possible to shorten the time until picking of all commodities is completed. A picking system 1 according to the present invention comprises: a storage facility 300 that stores an inventory container A containing inventory commodities; a conveyance device 20; a plurality of picking stations 10; and a controller 400 that manages picking work. The controller 400 comprises: an ascertainment unit 410 that ascertains an order requester, a requested commodity, and a request quantity of the commodity; a comparison unit 430 that compares the number of order requesters for each commodity with the number of inventory containers; an inventory division quantity determination unit 440 that determines the quantity of inventory division from the inventory container A for a first commodity to the inventory container A for a second commodity when the number of order requesters for each commodity is larger than the number of inventory containers; and an instruction output unit 450 that outputs an inventory division instruction for transferring the determined quantity of the first commodity to the inventory container A for the second commodity.

Description

Picking System

[0001] The present invention relates to a picking system, and more particularly to a picking system that includes a storage facility for storing inventory containers containing inventory items, a transport device for transporting the inventory containers, a plurality of picking stations, and a controller for managing picking operations at the picking stations.

[0002] Conventionally, a cargo sorting system has been known in which, at a picking station, a worker transfers the required quantity of products from inventory taken out of a warehouse into a specified empty container in accordance with instructions from a transfer instruction unit that indicates the required quantity to be transferred into the empty container (Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2017-171469 A

[0004] Here, at a picking station, for example, work may be performed to transfer a certain product from an inventory container containing that product into a predetermined number of containers (e.g., order containers for each customer). In other words, inventory containers in the warehouse may be allocated multiple times. In this case, if the number of inventory containers for a certain product is less than the number of allocations, for example, if there is only one inventory container for a certain product and the product in that inventory container needs to be transferred into multiple containers (order containers), it is possible that workers at each picking station will compete for that one inventory container.

[0005] In such a situation, workers at each picking station can resolve this conflict by staggering the timing of their transfers. However, if the time between allocation and picking is long (e.g., if the transport distance from the warehouse storage shelves to the picking station is long), there is a limit to the number of allocations that can be made within a given period of time. For example, if it takes a total of 20 minutes from allocating inventory containers in the warehouse to picking, and then from picking to retrieving the inventory containers, allocations can only be made three times per hour. In such cases, it takes an enormous amount of time to complete picking all of the items in a batch, which can contain tens or hundreds of items, creating a problem. On the other hand, if a single order contains many items that require multiple allocations, staggering the timing of transfers may not be easy.

[0006] To address this issue, it is possible to prepare a number of stock containers in advance, for example, by transferring the products in one stock container to another empty stock container in accordance with the expected number of items to be allocated. However, in this case, the larger the number of items to be allocated, the greater the number of empty stock containers that need to be prepared, which is inefficient.

[0007] Furthermore, even if the product is divided into empty inventory containers, the original inventory container and the divided inventory containers must be transported separately, which increases the number of transports.Furthermore, when the increased inventory containers due to division are temporarily stored on shelves (warehouses), this puts pressure on the inventory on the shelves and requires extra empty shelves, which is not realistic.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a picking system that can shorten the time it takes to complete picking of all products.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a picking system comprising: storage facilities for storing a plurality of inventory containers containing inventory items; a conveying device for transporting the inventory containers; a plurality of picking stations for picking inventory items from the inventory containers based on orders; and a controller for managing picking operations at the plurality of picking stations, wherein the controller comprises: an order grasping means for grasping the order requester, the requested item, and the requested quantity of the item; a comparison means for comparing the number of order requesters for each item with the number of inventory containers for that item; an inventory division quantity determination means for, when the number of order requesters for each item is greater than the number of inventory containers for the item, determining the quantity of inventory to be divided from the inventory container of a first item, which is the requested item of the order requester, to the inventory container of a second item, which is a different item; and a transfer instruction output means for outputting an inventory division instruction to transfer the determined quantity of the first item from the inventory container of the first item to the inventory container of the second item.

[0010] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the inventory of a product ("first product") for which the number of stock containers is small relative to the number of order sources can be transferred to a stock container of a second product, and the stock container of the second product can be virtually used as a stock container for the first product. This makes it possible to perform picking operations at overlapping times at different picking stations, thereby shortening the overall work time for picking operations.

[0011] In addition, in the present invention, preferably, the transfer instruction output means outputs an instruction to transfer from the inventory container for the first product to the inventory container for the second product a quantity equal to the quantity requested by an order requester other than the requester of a given order. According to this configuration of the present invention, when the picking operation for the quantity requested by one order requester is completed, the same quantity of the first product as the quantity requested by another order requester is transferred to another inventory container (the "inventory container for the second product"), and then, by completing the picking operation for the requested quantity of the first product mixed in the inventory container for the second product, the inventory container can be restored to a state where there are no mixed products. As a result, inventory container management is simplified even when inventory is split.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, the transfer instruction output means preferably outputs an instruction to transfer from the inventory container for the first product to one inventory container for the second product a number equal to the total requested quantity of the first product for multiple order requesters other than the requester of a single order. According to this configuration, when picking of the requested quantity of a product from a single order requester is completed, a number of products ("first products") equal to the total requested quantities for the specified orders from multiple other order requesters is transferred to one inventory container ("inventory container for the second product"). Then, by picking the requested quantities of the first products for each of the specified orders for multiple order requesters (e.g., by transferring some of the remaining orders of a batch and not transferring others), it is possible to restore a state where there are no inventory containers containing mixed products. As a result, inventory container management is simplified even when inventory is split.

[0013] In addition, in the present invention, preferably, when there are two order request sources for each product, the inventory split quantity determination means determines the inventory split quantity to be 0 even if the number of order request sources for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers. This configuration of the present invention prevents inventory splitting when splitting inventory would be inefficient, and reduces the load on the controller by omitting unnecessary inventory split calculations, thereby more efficiently shortening the overall picking work time. Here, when there are two order request sources, the first product in the quantity requested by the first order request source is first picked, and then the inventory container for that first product can be used as the inventory container for the quantity requested by the second order request source, eliminating the need to split inventory.

[0014] In the present invention, the inventory container for the second product is preferably selected from the inventory containers for products that require picking at any of the plurality of picking stations. According to the present invention configured in this manner, it is possible to prevent inventory containers that do not require picking from being shipped from the same batch, for example.

[0015] In addition, in the present invention, the inventory container for the second product is preferably selected from the inventory containers for the second product that are transported to the same picking station among the plurality of picking stations before and after the inventory container for the first product for which the inventory split is to be performed. According to the present invention configured in this manner, the inventory split can be efficiently performed by using the inventory containers that are to be picked before and after (for example, not just before and after, but also two before or two after depending on the number of inventory containers in the picking station).

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, the inventory container for the second product is selected from inventory containers for products requested by the same order source as the order source for the first product. According to the present invention configured in this manner, for example, products requested by the same order source can be picked together within the same batch or within the next batch to be executed.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, the stock container for the second product is selected from the stock containers for that product when the comparison by the comparison means shows that the number of order request sources for each product is less than the number of stock containers for that product. According to the present invention configured in this manner, it is possible to prevent the stock container for the second product from becoming an inventory container that requires further inventory division, and more reliably reduce the overall work time for the picking operation.

[0018] In addition, in the present invention, the transfer instruction output means preferably outputs an instruction to divide the second product into inventory containers at the same time as the first picking operation of the first product. According to the present invention configured in this manner, the overall work time for the picking operation can be more reliably reduced. Furthermore, since the inventory division is performed during the first picking operation, the efficiency of the entire picking operation can be improved.

[0019] In the present invention, preferably, the controller sets a threshold value for the number of allocations of products from order requesters within a given batch, and the inventory division quantity determination means determines the number of times and the quantity of inventory divisions of a first product into inventory containers of a second product, relative to the requested quantity of the product from the order requesters, when the number of order requesters for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers for that product and exceeds the set threshold value. According to the present invention configured in this way, the number of inventory divisions can be suppressed to a certain level by setting the threshold value, thereby reducing the calculation load on the controller.

[0020] According to the picking system of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the time required to complete picking of all products.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a part of a picking station connected to storage equipment in a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the picking station shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the concept of inventory division performed in a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the concept of inventory division performed in a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Next, a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] First, a schematic configuration of a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a portion of a picking station connected to storage equipment in a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the picking station shown in Figure 1. First, as shown in Figure 1, the picking system 1 is installed, for example, in a warehouse building where merchandise (items) are stored and sorted. The picking system 1 includes multiple picking stations 10. At the picking stations 10, a worker P sorts merchandise (picking) from inventory container A to order container B. Note that inventory container A and order container B are containers with open tops.

[0024] Stock container A is a container that contains products. Stock container A is transported from storage facility 300 (see FIG. 3 ) where stock container A is stored to picking station 10 for sorting / picking by a predetermined transport device (a stacker crane, shuttle cart, transport conveyor 20, etc., not shown). Order container B is a container into which sorted products are placed for delivery to a customer. The space where worker P performs sorting work is referred to as work area R.

[0025] 1 and 2, the picking system 1 includes an inventory container transport conveyor 20 that transports inventory containers A and an order container transport conveyor 30 that transports order containers B. The inventory container transport conveyor 20 is configured to supply inventory containers A to each picking station 10 and to receive inventory containers A carried out from each picking station 10. The order container transport conveyor 30 is configured to supply empty order containers B to each picking station 10 and to receive order containers B carried out from each picking station 10.

[0026] Next, the picking station 10 includes an upper transport unit 100, a lower transport unit 200, a control unit (not shown), a monitor M, and a switch S.

[0027] First, the upper transport unit 100 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper transport unit 100 is used to receive inventory containers A from the inventory container transport conveyor 20, transport them to the work area R, and return the inventory containers A to the inventory container transport conveyor 20 after sorting. The upper transport unit 100 includes an upper supply conveyor 110, an upper work conveyor 120, an upper unloading conveyor 130, a first tilt mechanism (not shown), and a second tilt mechanism (not shown).

[0028] One end of the upper-level supply conveyor 110 is connected to the inventory container transport conveyor 20. The upper-level supply conveyor 110 receives inventory containers A from the inventory container transport conveyor 20 and transports the received inventory containers A from the inventory container transport conveyor 20 to the work area R. The upper-level supply conveyor 110 is equipped with a plurality of transport rollers. The upper-level supply conveyor 110 transports the inventory containers A by rotating the transport rollers.

[0029] The upper work conveyor 120 is provided near the work area R and faces the work area R. One end of the upper work conveyor 120 is connected to the other end of the upper supply conveyor 110. Inventory containers A are carried into the upper work conveyor 120 from the upper supply conveyor 110. The upper work conveyor 120 transports the carried-in inventory containers A. The upper work conveyor 120 is equipped with a plurality of transport rollers 121 (see FIG. 2). The upper work conveyor 120 transports the inventory containers A by rotating the transport rollers 121.

[0030] The upper work conveyor 120 transports inventory containers A so that they cross in front of a worker P in the work area R. The upper work conveyor 120 is inclined downward toward the work area R. As a result, inventory containers A are transported by the upper work conveyor 120 with their openings inclined toward the work area R. In addition, stopping positions for transported inventory containers A are defined at predetermined locations along the length of the upper work conveyor 120, and the inventory containers A stop at these stopping positions during picking operations by the worker P. In addition, at least three inventory containers A can be stopped in front of the worker P for picking operations or inventory division operations. The upper work conveyor 120 may also be provided with auxiliary conveyors 125 that abut against the sides of the inventory containers A and assist the transport of the inventory containers A by the transport rollers 121.

[0031] One end of the upper-stage output conveyor 130 is connected to the other end of the upper-stage work conveyor 120. The other end of the upper-stage output conveyor 130 is connected to the inventory container transport conveyor 20. The upper-stage output conveyor 130 receives inventory container A from the upper-stage work conveyor 120 and transports the received inventory container A from the upper-stage work conveyor 120 toward the inventory container transport conveyor 20. The upper-stage output conveyor 130 then returns the inventory container A to the inventory container transport conveyor 20. The upper-stage output conveyor 130 is equipped with multiple transport rollers, similar to the upper-stage supply conveyor 110. The upper-stage output conveyor 130 transports inventory container A by rotating the transport rollers.

[0032] Next, a schematic configuration of a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, as shown in FIG. 3 , the picking system 1 includes a storage facility 300, the above-described picking station 10, and a controller 400. First, in this embodiment, the storage facility 300 is a group of automated warehouses in which multiple automated warehouses are arranged. Each automated warehouse is provided with shelves (racks) 310 that store multiple inventory containers A. Here, in this embodiment, the inventory containers A contain only one type of product (one inventory container A contains only one type of product) and are stored on the shelves 310. Note that, as a variant, the storage facility 300 may be a warehouse facility in which movable racks are placed on the floor.

[0033] In this embodiment, the automated warehouses that make up the storage facility 300 are each provided with a transport device for transporting the inventory containers A stored on the shelves 310. Examples of this transport device include a shuttle cart, a stacker crane, or a conveyor (such as the inventory container transport conveyor 20 described above), all of which are not shown. Alternatively, the transport device may be any of a variety of transport systems, such as an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in which the transport vehicle travels on a track (pathway) on the floor, or a transport system using a rail-guided automated guided vehicle (RGV).

[0034] Next, as shown in Figure 3, a picking station 10 is connected to the storage facility 300. For the sake of explanation, one picking station 10 is shown in Figure 3, but in reality, all of the above-mentioned multiple picking stations 10 are connected. Here, the above-mentioned work area R of the picking station 10 is provided as a picking work area where a worker P sorts products from inventory container A to order container B, and in this embodiment, an inventory division work area where inventory is divided by transferring inventory from inventory container A containing one product to another inventory container A containing a different product.

[0035] In this embodiment, at each picking station 10, a worker follows the sorting instructions displayed on the monitor M to pick a specific product from a stock container A and sort it into an order container B, or follows the inventory division instructions displayed on the monitor M to transfer a product from a stock container A for one product to a stock container A for another product. As a modified example, a picking robot (not shown) may be placed at each picking station 10 to automatically carry out the instructions for sorting and inventory division displayed on the monitor M.

[0036] Here, "inventory splitting" refers to transferring a portion of a product (say, product a) from a stock container A (stock container for the first product) to another stock container A (stock container for the second product) for another product (say, product b), temporarily mixing products a and b until the specified picking operation is completed, and using the mixed stock container A as a virtual stock container for storing the two products (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0037] The inventory division work area R2 is provided with a temporary storage area or temporary storage shelf (not shown) for temporarily storing products when, for example, the destination inventory container A (the inventory container for the second product) is not on the upper work conveyor 120 and will be transported later. In this embodiment, the picking work area and the inventory division work area are set as the same common area in the work area R. That is, these areas are set as areas where workers normally perform picking work and where inventory division is performed in certain cases.

[0038] In addition, the monitor M of the picking station 10 displays instructions for normal picking work, and in this embodiment, it is also used as an inventory division instruction display device M (see Figure 3) that displays instructions to the worker to divide products.

[0039] Next, as shown in FIG. 3 , a controller 400 that manages the respective picking operations is connected to each picking station 10. This controller 400 basically has a function of outputting "specific instructions for the sorting operation" at a predetermined timing when the worker is supposed to perform the operation and displaying the instructions on the monitor M. In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 400 has a function of determining the products and quantities to be subject to "inventory division" and outputting the instructions at a predetermined timing when the worker is supposed to perform the operation and displaying the instructions on the monitor M. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , the controller 400 is also connected to the storage facility 300 and has a role of, for example, managing the number of inventory containers A for products stored in the storage facility 300 as described below, and a role of instructing the storage facility 300 to release containers for transfer (second inventory containers) from the warehouse.

[0040] The controller 400 also includes an order grasping unit (order grasping means) 410 that grasps the order requesters, the products requested by the order requesters, and the requested quantities of the products; a total order requester number calculation unit (total order requester number calculation means) 420 that calculates the total number of order requesters for each product grasped by the order grasping unit; a comparison unit (comparison means) 430 that compares the number of order requesters for each product with the number of stock containers for that product; an inventory division quantity determination unit (inventory division quantity determination means) 440 that, when the number of order requesters for each product is greater than the number of stock containers for the product, determines the "inventory division quantity (quantity of first product)" from the stock container of a first product, which is the product requested by the order requester, to the stock container of a second product, which is a different product; and a transfer instruction output unit (transfer instruction output means) 450 that outputs an inventory division instruction to transfer the determined quantity of the first product from the stock container of the first product to the stock container of the second product. Here, the order grasping unit 410, the total number of order requesters calculation unit 420, the number of order requesters / number of stock containers comparison unit 430, the stock division quantity determination unit 440, and the transfer instruction output unit 450 are each made up of a processor such as a CPU that executes various processes, and the programs executed by the processor are stored in a memory unit (not shown).

[0041] Here, "order" refers to a request for a certain product from a certain requester (customer). For example, "one order" includes "one requester," "one or more products," and "requested quantity per product." Furthermore, "the number of customers ordering per product" refers to the number of customers requesting, for example, product A. For example, if 10 customers each request one copy of product A, the number of customers ordering per product is 10, which requires 10 picking operations to allocate one copy of product A to each customer. In this embodiment, as will be described later, inventory is divided according to the number of inventory containers A for product A, thereby shortening the time required to complete all picking operations.

[0042] First, the order grasping unit 410 accesses a product order management device (not shown) or the like to grasp (obtain data) the requested products (requested products) and the requested quantities (requested quantities) of the products for each order requester (customer). In this embodiment, the order grasping unit 410 grasps the order requester, requested products, and requested quantities from the data of all orders within a given batch. Here, a "batch" refers to a collection of orders for which picking (sorting) is performed, and is determined, for example, as "1 batch = 5,000 rows / 1,000 orders." The order grasping unit 410 manages one customer as one order. For example, if a customer orders three products, the data is managed as "1 order, 3 rows."

[0043] Next, the total number of order requesters calculation unit 420 calculates the "total number of order requesters for each product" based on the data grasped by the order grasping unit 410. For example, if there are three customers requesting product a, the "total number of order requesters for each product" is calculated to be "3." Note that the "total number of order requesters for each product" calculated by this total number of order requesters calculation unit 420 has the same meaning as the "number of order requesters for each product."

[0044] Next, the number of order requesters / number of stock containers comparison unit 430 compares, for each product (for example, product a), the number of order requesters with the number of stock containers of product a stored, for example, in storage facility 300. Here, the number of order requesters for each product is grasped by order grasping unit 410, and the number of stock containers of the product is managed by controller 400. The comparison unit 430 compares the magnitude of each numerical value.

[0045] Next, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 calculates the number of order requesters (actual number, unique number) for each product from all orders in one batch, reads the number of inventory containers A stored in stock in the storage facility 300 for each product, and further has the function of determining / comparing the number of order requesters and the number of inventory containers A stored in stock for each product.

[0046] More specifically, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 first determines the quantity of the product requested by the "order requesters" for "each product" as determined by the order determination unit 410, and the number of inventory containers A for that product stored in the storage facility 300. For example, if there are three customers requesting a certain product a and there is one inventory container A containing that product a, the "total number of order requesters for each product" is determined to be "3" and the "number of inventory containers for the product" is determined to be "1."

[0047] Secondly, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 determines whether the number of order request sources for each product is greater than the number of product inventory containers A. For example, in the above example, it determines that "3," which is the "total number of order request sources for each product," is greater than "1," which is the "number of product inventory containers."

[0048] Furthermore, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 thirdly determines the quantity of inventory to be divided from the inventory container A of the product requested by the order requester to the inventory container A of a different product when the number of order requesters for that product is greater than the number of inventory containers A for that product. For example, it determines the quantity of inventory to be divided (transferred quantity) from the inventory container A of product a (inventory container for the first product) requested by the order requester to the inventory container A of a different product, product b (inventory container for the second product). In making this determination, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 determines the number of inventory containers A of the second product to be divided into and the quantity of product a to be transferred to each inventory container. Furthermore, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 fourthly has a function of selecting / determining the inventory container for the second product, as described below.

[0049] Next, the transfer instruction output unit 450 outputs an inventory division instruction to transfer the quantity of the first product (e.g., product a) determined by the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 from the inventory container A for the first product to the inventory container A for the second product (e.g., product b). The output result of this transfer instruction output unit 450 is displayed on the monitor M described above, and the worker P performs the inventory division work in accordance with the instruction. Note that, as described above, the inventory division work may be automated and performed by a picking robot.

[0050] Next, the concept of inventory splitting will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the concept of inventory splitting executed by a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the concept of inventory splitting executed by a picking system according to an embodiment of the present invention, using an example different from that of Figure 4. Here, Figure 4(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of three sorting tasks (tasks 1 to 3) for products a and b required for three orders, Figure 4(B) is a diagram illustrating an example of work processes when inventory splitting is performed on the sorting tasks of Figure 4(A), and Figure 4(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of work processes when inventory splitting is not performed on the sorting tasks of Figure 4(A) as a comparative example. Furthermore, Figure 5(A) is a diagram showing an example of three sorting tasks (tasks 1 to 3) for products a, b, and c required for three orders, Figure 5(B) is a diagram showing an example of the work process when inventory splitting is performed for the sorting task of Figure 5(A), and Figure 5(C) is a diagram showing an example of the work process when inventory splitting is not performed for the sorting task of Figure 5(A) as a comparative example.

[0051] First, as shown in FIG. 4(A), assume that an order is placed to sort products a and b in task 1, to sort product a in task 2, and to sort products a and b in task 3. Note that the symbols ○ and △ in the table represent products a and b that require sorting, respectively. Note that, in the example of FIG. 4(A), for tasks 1 and 3, "sorting" refers to the task of sorting a predetermined quantity of product a and product b from inventory container A for product a and inventory container A for product b into one order container B, and for task 2, it refers to the task of sorting a predetermined quantity of product a from inventory container A for product a into one order container B. In tasks 1 to 3, the order containers B are each different order containers B. Hereinafter, "sorting" refers to the same task, and its explanation will be omitted.

[0052] Furthermore, as a prerequisite, when performing picking work based on the order in Figure 4 (A), there is only one inventory container A for product a (only one is stored in the storage facility 300), and there are two or more inventory containers A for product b.

[0053] Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when performing Task 1 at Station 1 (ST1), Worker P first sorts a predetermined quantity of Product A (indicated by a circle) and Product B (indicated by a triangle) from inventory container A for Product A and inventory container A for Product B, which have been transported to Station 1, into one order container B as a basic picking operation. Meanwhile, simultaneously with this picking operation, or before or after, Worker P follows the inventory split instructions displayed on Monitor M to remove a portion of Product A from inventory container A for Product A (the inventory container for the first product) and transfer it to inventory container A for Product B (the inventory container for the second product) (indicated by "△ / ○ (inventory split performed)" in the figure). Through this inventory splitting operation, a portion of Product A is mixed into inventory container A for Product B (the inventory container for the second product). Now, as shown in FIG. 4B, let's assume that Task 1 took 10 minutes.

[0054] Next, after completing Task 1, as shown in FIG. 4B, Station 1 leaves inventory container A containing product a as is, while transporting to Station 2 (ST2) inventory container A containing a mixture of product a and product b (the inventory container for the second product) resulting from the inventory split. Then, as Task 2, Worker P at Station 1 sorts a predetermined quantity of product a (indicated by a circle) into one order container B. Meanwhile, Worker P at Station 2 picks predetermined quantities of product a (indicated by a circle) and product b (indicated by a triangle) from inventory container A containing a mixture of product a and product b (indicated as "post-inventory-split container (b)" in the figure), and sorts them into one order container B. In this example, all of the product a in post-inventory-split container (b) is removed, and the inventory container A is returned to the original inventory container A containing only product b. Assume that Tasks 2 and 3 take a total of 10 minutes, and that it takes a total of 20 minutes to complete Tasks 1 through 3.

[0055] In contrast, as shown in Figure 4(C), if the "inventory split" of the present invention is not implemented, because there is only one inventory container A for product a, the picking work by worker P must be divided into tasks 1 to 3, which must each be performed in a separate process, taking a total of 30 minutes. Therefore, in the example of this embodiment shown in Figure 4(B), it can be seen that the time required for picking work can be shortened compared to when inventory split is not implemented (Figure 4(C)).

[0056] Next, the example in Figure 5 will be explained. First, as shown in Figure 5(A), assume that an order has been placed to sort products a and b in task 1, and products a, b, and c in tasks 2 and 3. Note that the symbols ○, △, and □ in the table respectively indicate products that require sorting. As a prerequisite, in the example of Figure 5(A), there is only one inventory container A for each of product a and product b (only one is stored in the storage facility 300), and there are two or more inventory containers A for product c.

[0057] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(B), when performing task 1 at station 1 (ST1), worker P first sorts a predetermined quantity of product a (indicated by a circle) and product b (indicated by a triangle) from inventory container A for product a and inventory container A for product b that have been transported to station 1 into one order container B as a basic picking task.

[0058] Meanwhile, simultaneously with the picking operation, or before or after, operator P follows the inventory division operation displayed on monitor M. First, operator P transfers a portion of product a from inventory container A (inventory container for the first product) to inventory container A (inventory container for the second product) (indicated by "△ / ○ (inventory division performed)" in the figure). Second, operator P transfers a portion of product b from inventory container A (inventory container for the first product) to inventory container A (inventory container for the second product) (indicated by "○ / △ (inventory division performed)" in the figure). Through these inventory division operations, a portion of product a is mixed into inventory container A (inventory container for the second product) and a portion of product b is mixed into inventory container A (inventory container for the second product). Here, as shown in FIG. 5B, it is assumed that operation 1 took 10 minutes.

[0059] After completion of task 1, as shown in Figure 5(B), inventory container A (inventory container for second product) containing product a and product b mixed due to inventory split (shown as "○ / △, container (a) after inventory split" in the figure) is transported to station 2 (ST2), and inventory container A (inventory container for second product) containing product a and product b mixed due to inventory split (shown as "△ / ○, container (b) after inventory split" in the figure) is transported to station 3 (ST3). In addition, inventory container A for product c, for which there are two or more, is transported to stations 2 and 3, respectively.

[0060] Then, as task 2, worker P at station 2 picks predetermined quantities of product a (indicated by a circle) and product b (indicated by a triangle) from one "post-inventory division container (a)" and sorts them into one order container B, and also sorts product c (indicated by a square) from the inventory container A containing product c into the same order container B. Meanwhile, worker P at station 3, as task 3, picks predetermined quantities of product a and product b from one "post-inventory division container (b)" and sorts them into one order container B, and also sorts product c from the inventory container A containing product c into the same order container B. In this example, all product b is removed from the post-inventory division container (a), and all product a is removed from the post-inventory division container (b), and each inventory container A is returned to the original inventory container A containing only products a and b. Here, tasks 2 and 3 take a total of 10 minutes, and it takes a total of 20 minutes to complete tasks 1 to 3.

[0061] In contrast, as shown in Figure 5(C), if the "inventory split" of the present invention is not performed, there will only be one inventory container A for each of product a and product b, so the picking work by worker P will need to be divided into tasks 1 to 3, which will be performed in separate processes, taking a total of 30 minutes. Therefore, in the example of this embodiment shown in Figure 5(B), it can be seen that the time required for picking work can be reduced compared to when inventory split is not performed (Figure 5(C)).

[0062] As can be seen from the examples of Figures 4 and 5, the concept of "inventory splitting" of the present invention involves transferring a portion of product a from a stock container A (stock container for the first product) containing product a to another stock container A (stock container for the second product) containing product b, creating a stock container A containing both product a and product b, and using the resulting stock container as a virtual "two stock containers containing two products transported simultaneously." Note that a partition or similar may be provided to separate product a from product b. The concept of "inventory splitting" of the present invention also includes creating multiple stock containers A containing both product a and product b, as shown in the example of Figure 5, and using these stock containers as a virtual "multiple stock containers containing two products transported simultaneously." Furthermore, in the present invention, instead of preparing an empty stock container for inventory splitting, a product is mixed into a stock container A already containing another product, thereby performing inventory splitting. Alternatively, an empty inventory container may be prepared for the next batch, for example, to divide the inventory.

[0063] Next, a method for selecting / determining the inventory container A (inventory container A for the second product) to be split will be described. (First Example) For example, in the example of the picking station 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , multiple inventory containers A for multiple products are transported to the upper work conveyor 120, and the inventory containers A are lined up on both sides of the worker P. If, for example, it is desired to split the product in the inventory container A on the right side into multiple products, the inventory container A on the left side can be selected and mixed as the inventory container A for the second product. According to this method, the inventory container A for the second product is selected from any of the inventory containers A for products transported before or after the inventory container A for the first product to be split at the same picking station 10 among the multiple picking stations 10. Therefore, the inventory split can be efficiently performed by utilizing the inventory containers A that have been picked before and after. The transport order of the inventory containers A is determined by the controller 400 and displayed on the monitor M. In this embodiment, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 (see Figure 3) of the controller 400 has, in addition to the first to third functions described above, a fourth function of selecting / determining the inventory container A of the second product to be divided into.

[0064] (Second Example) It is also possible to select a stock container A for a second product from the specified stock containers A currently stored in the storage facility 300. In such a case, the worker P may follow instructions displayed on the monitor M to set aside the products to be split in a temporary storage location or temporary storage shelf in the above-mentioned work area R, and then, when the selected stock container A for the stock split is transported, the worker P may transfer the products in the temporary storage location, etc., and perform the stock split operation. This is particularly useful when the order in which stock containers A are transported must be prioritized in order to shorten the picking operation for the entire batch, for example.

[0065] (Third Example) The controller 400 may grasp the product filling rate of each inventory container A stored in the storage facility 300 and select an inventory container A for the second product to be split based on the filling rate. In this case, for example, if an inventory container A with a low filling rate (e.g., an inventory container that can hold several dozens of products b but contains only a few products b) and that requires picking within the same batch or the next batch is preferentially selected as the "inventory container A for the second product," inventory splitting can be more reliably performed.

[0066] (Fourth Example) The inventory container A for the second product may be selected from the inventory containers A for products that require picking at any of the multiple picking stations 10. The order recognition unit 410 recognizes whether or not picking is required for each product. This fourth example is more effective when applied to cases where picking is required within the same batch. The selection of such an inventory container A is determined by the controller 400, for example, in conjunction with the selection / determination methods of the above-mentioned examples (1) to (3).

[0067] (Fifth Example) The stock container A for the second product may be selected from the stock container A of the requester of the order for the first product for which stock is to be split during the remaining work of the current batch of picking work or the next batch, and the stock container A of the second product for which the requester of the same order requests sorting. In such a case, products from the same order requester (the same customer) can be picked together.

[0068] (Sixth Example) Stock container A for the second product may be selected from the stock container A for that product when the comparison by the number of order requesters / number of stock containers comparison unit 430 shows that the number of order requesters for the second product is smaller than the number of stock containers for that second product, in other words, when the number of stock containers A for the second product is greater than the number of order requesters and inventory splitting is not required for the second product. In other words, because the number of stock containers A is greater than the number of order requesters, the selected stock container A for the second product can be prevented from becoming an inventory container for a product that requires further inventory splitting, thereby improving the efficiency of picking operations for all orders.

[0069] Next, a typical example of a method for determining the quantity of the first product to be transferred to the destination inventory container A (inventory container A for the second product) will be described. (First Example) For example, if there are three order requesters (customers) and only one inventory container for the first product, a picking station can first pick the first product requested by the first order requester ("one order requester"), and then transfer the entire quantity of the first product requested by the second order requester ("another order requester") to a separate inventory container, the second product inventory container. Then, the entire requested quantity of the first product is picked from the split "second product inventory container" for the second order requester. In this case, the entire split quantity of the first product is finally picked, thereby returning the inventory to a state where there are no mixed-product inventory containers. In this case, for the third order requester, the first product is picked from the inventory container for the first product used by the first order requester.

[0070] (Second Example) On the other hand, for example, if there are three order requestors and there is only one inventory container for the first product, first, after the picking operation of the requested quantity of the product ("first product") from the first order requestor ("one order requestor") is completed, for example, the requested quantities of the first product from the stock container of the first product for which picking has been completed are transferred to two separate stock containers for the second product (for example, stock container A for product b and stock container A for product c), respectively, and then, when the picking operation for the second and third order requestors is carried out, picking operation is carried out from each of the two stock containers for the second product. Alternatively, the total quantity of the first product requested by the second and third order requesters ("multiple other order requesters") may first be transferred to one inventory container for the second product (e.g., inventory container A for product b), and then transferred from inventory container A to another second inventory container (e.g., inventory container A for product c), and picking work may be performed as appropriate. In this way, when dividing one product (e.g., product a) into multiple inventory containers, it may be transferred to multiple inventory containers containing different products (e.g., products b, c, d, ...).

[0071] (Third Example) For example, if there are 10 order requesters and there is only one inventory container for a first product, first, after the picking operation of the requested quantity of the product ("first product") from the first order requester ("one order requester") is completed, the first product in the total quantity requested by, for example, the fifth through tenth order requesters ("multiple other order requesters") is transferred from the inventory container of the first product for which picking has been completed to a single inventory container for a second product. Thereafter, (a) when each order requester is picking, picking is performed from the inventory container of the second product, or (b) when each order requester is picking, picking is performed using the inventory container of the second product (specifically product b) to further inventory containers of other second products (specific products c, d, ...), with the inventory division operation being repeated for each.

[0072] (Fourth Example) On the other hand, if there are ten order requesters and there is only one inventory container for the first product, for example, first, after the picking operation of the product ("first product") in the requested quantity from the first order requester ("one order requester") is completed, for example, the total number of first products requested by the second to fourth order requesters, the total number of first products requested by the fifth to seventh order requesters, and the total number of first products requested by the eighth to tenth order requesters are transferred from the inventory container for the first product so as to be allocated to multiple inventory containers for the second products (specifically, inventory containers for products b, c, d, etc.). Thereafter, a) when each order requester picks, picking operation is performed from each inventory container for the multiple second products, or (b) when each order requester picks, picking operation is performed while repeatedly dividing the inventory into additional inventory containers for the second products based on each inventory container for the multiple second products.

[0073] In the first to fourth examples described above, the controller 400 determines the quantity of products to be split in inventory so that the mixed load state is resolved when the batch is completed (or after a certain period of time has passed) so that the quantity does not exceed the number of products that require picking work within one batch (or the most recent time period).

[0074] (Fifth Example / Example in which Transfer Quantity = 0) As described above, the total number of order requesters calculation unit 420 calculates the "total number of order requesters for each product" ("number of order requesters for each product") as determined by the order grasping unit 410. In this embodiment, when the calculated total number of order requesters for each product is "2," the inventory split quantity determination unit 440 determines the inventory split quantity to be "0" even if the number of order requesters for each product is greater than the number of stock containers A. In other words, inventory splitting is not performed. For example, if there are two order requesters (customers) requesting product A and the number of stock containers A for product A is one, after the first product in the requested quantity from the first order requester is picked, the stock container for the first product can be used as an inventory container for the product in the requested quantity from the second order requester, so there is no need to split the inventory.

[0075] Next, the timing of determining the inventory container A for the second product in the various examples described above will be described. In this embodiment, the processes performed by the order grasping unit 410, the total number of order requesters calculation unit 420, the number of order requesters / number of inventory containers comparison unit 430, the inventory division quantity determination unit 440, and the transfer instruction output unit 450 are executed during the first picking operation for a given batch. For example, the comparison by the number of order requesters / number of inventory containers comparison unit 430 and the selection of the inventory container A for the second product described above are executed before the first picking operation for all orders in a given batch. Then, the transfer instruction output unit 450 outputs an instruction to divide the second product into inventory containers at the timing of the first picking operation for the first product that requires inventory division.

[0076] Next, a modified example of the method for selecting / determining the inventory container A for the second product and setting the transfer quantity for the first product according to the present embodiment will be described. First, in this modified example, the controller 400 and its inventory division quantity determination unit 440 set a threshold value for the number of allocations for products from order sources within a given batch, and the inventory division quantity determination means 440 determines the number of inventory divisions for the products from order sources when the number of order sources for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers A for the product and exceeds the set threshold value.

[0077] This variation will be described in more detail. For example, when the remaining scheduled work time for a batch is, say, one hour, the possible allocation number (number of times a certain product is sorted from inventory container A to order container B / number of picks per product) that can be expected within that hour can be estimated depending on the configuration of the storage facility 300 and picking station 10 (for example, the number of allocations will be smaller if the transport distance by the transport device is long). Here, for example, if six allocations are required for only one inventory container A in a batch (when there are six order request sources), if inventory splitting is not performed, allocations must be made once every 10 minutes. However, depending on the configuration of the storage facility 300, etc., it may be expected that the picking work will not be completed within the remaining time.

[0078] Therefore, in this modified example, a "threshold value for the number of allocations per inventory container per unit time" is set for a given batch. This threshold value is set, for example, so that the number of allocations per inventory container per unit time is no more than one per 20 minutes (in this case, the "threshold value = 3 times / hour"). Then, for items whose quantity ("6" in this example) of order sources exceeds the threshold value, the number of inventory splits is determined so that the number of allocations per 20 minutes is no more than one. In other words, to reduce the number of allocations from six without inventory splits to three or less, the number of inventory splits is set to, for example, four. Setting the threshold value in this modified example allows, for example, picking operations to be performed within the remaining time (e.g., the aforementioned one hour). Alternatively, by setting the threshold value, the number of inventory splits can be limited to a certain level, thereby reducing the computational load on the controller 400. Alternatively, to simplify the computational process, it is possible to simply set "no inventory split if the number of order sources is 10 or less."

[0079] Next, the effects of the picking system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention and its modified example will be described. First, a picking system 1 according to this embodiment and its variations includes a storage facility 300 for storing a plurality of inventory containers A containing inventory items, a conveying device 20 for transporting the inventory containers A, a plurality of picking stations 10 for picking inventory items from the inventory containers A based on orders, and a controller 400 for managing picking operations at the plurality of picking stations. The controller 400 includes an order grasping unit 410 for grasping the order requester, the requested item, and the requested quantity of the item, a comparison unit 430 for comparing the number of order requesters for each item with the number of inventory containers for that item, an inventory division quantity determination unit 440 for determining, when the number of order requesters for each item is greater than the number of inventory containers for the item, the quantity of inventory to be divided from the inventory container A for a first item, which is the requested item of the order requester, to the inventory container A for a second item, which is a different item, and a transfer instruction output unit 450 for outputting an inventory division instruction to transfer the determined quantity of the first item from the inventory container A for the first item to the inventory container A for the second item.

[0080] With this configuration, the inventory of a product ("first product") for which the number of stock containers A is small relative to the number of order sources can be transferred to the stock container A of the second product, and the stock container A of the second product can be virtually used as the stock container A of the first product.This makes it possible to perform picking operations at overlapping times at different picking stations 10, thereby shortening the overall work time for the picking operation.

[0081] In this embodiment and its variations, the transfer instruction output unit 450 outputs an instruction to transfer from the inventory container A for the first product to the inventory container A for the second product in a quantity equal to the quantity requested by a different order requester than the requester of a given order. With this configuration, when the picking operation for the requested quantity of a product from a given order requester is completed, the same number of the first product as the requested quantity from another order requester is transferred to another inventory container A (the "inventory container for the second product"). Then, by completing the picking operation for the requested quantity of the first product mixed in the inventory container A for the second product, the inventory container A can be restored to a state where there are no mixed products. As a result, even when inventory is split, management of the inventory containers A is simplified.

[0082] In this embodiment and its modified examples, the transfer instruction output unit 450 outputs an instruction to transfer from the stock container A of the first product to one stock container A of the second product a number equal to the total requested quantity of the first product for multiple order requesters other than the requester of a single order. With this configuration, upon completion of picking of the requested quantity of the product from the order requester, a number of products ("first products") equal to the total requested quantities of the other multiple order requesters is transferred to one or more other stock containers A ("stock containers of the second products"). Then, by picking the requested quantities of the first products for the specified orders from the multiple order requesters, the stock container A can be restored to a state where there are no mixed products. As a result, even when inventory is split, management of the stock containers A is simplified. Here, the "specified order" refers to multiple orders other than a single order when multiple orders exist, and refers to some of the other multiple orders that can be selected as appropriate. The "specified order" may also refer to all of the other multiple orders. In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, such a "specified order" can be selected as appropriate. For example, it is possible to select some of the remaining orders in a batch as "predetermined orders" to be transferred, while other orders are not to be transferred.

[0083] In addition, in this embodiment and its variations, when the number of order requesters for each product calculated by the total order requester number calculation unit 420 is two, the inventory split quantity determination unit 440 determines the inventory split quantity to be zero, even if the number of order requesters for each product is greater than the number of stock containers. This configuration prevents inventory splitting when splitting inventory would be inefficient, and reduces the load on the controller by omitting unnecessary inventory split calculations, thereby more efficiently shortening the overall picking work time. Here, when there are two order requesters, after first picking the first product in the quantity requested by the first order requester, the stock container A for that first product can be used as the stock container A for the second product in the quantity requested by the second order requester, eliminating the need to split inventory.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment and its variants, the inventory container A for the second product is selected from the inventory containers A for products that require picking work at any of the multiple picking stations 10, as recognized by the order recognition unit 410, so that it is possible to prevent inventory containers A that do not require picking work from being shipped out, for example, within the same batch.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment and its modified examples, the inventory container A for the second product is selected from the inventory containers A for the second product that are transported before and after the inventory container A for the first product for which inventory split is to be performed at the same picking station 10 among the multiple picking stations 10. This allows for efficient inventory splitting by utilizing the inventory containers A that are picked before and after. Here, "before and after the inventory container A for the first product" does not only refer to the containers immediately before and after the inventory container A, but also includes the containers two before and two after. The number of inventory containers A included in such "before and after" can be set depending on the number of inventory containers A that can be stopped / operated on the upper work conveyor 120.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment and its variations, the inventory container A for the second product is selected from the inventory containers A for products requested by the same order source as the request source of a certain order for the first product, so that, for example, products requested by the same order source can be picked together within the same batch or within the next batch to be executed.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment and its variants, when the comparison by the comparison unit 430 shows that the number of order request sources for each product is less than the number of stock containers for that product, the stock container A for the second product is selected from the stock container A for that product. This prevents the stock container A for the second product from becoming an stock container A that requires further inventory division, and more reliably reduces the overall work time for the picking operation.

[0088] In this embodiment and its modified examples, the transfer instruction output unit 450 outputs an inventory division instruction to divide the second product into inventory container A at the same time as the first picking operation of the first product, thereby more reliably shortening the overall work time for the picking operation. Also, because the inventory division is executed during the first picking operation, the efficiency of the entire picking operation can be improved.

[0089] In a variation of this embodiment, a threshold value is set for the number of allocations of products from order requesters within a given batch, and the inventory division quantity determination unit 440 determines the number of times and the quantity of inventory divisions of a first product into inventory container A of a second product, based on the requested quantity of the product from the order requesters, when the number of order requesters for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers for that product and exceeds the set threshold value. Therefore, by setting a threshold value, the number of inventory divisions can be limited to a certain level, thereby reducing the calculation load on the controller. In such a case, it is also possible to transfer one product (e.g., product A) to multiple inventory containers containing different products (e.g., products B, C, D, etc.) while limiting the number of inventory divisions to a certain level.

[0090] The exemplary embodiments and variations described above include the following embodiments.

[0091] [Embodiment 1] A picking system comprising: storage equipment for storing a plurality of inventory containers containing inventory items; a transport device for transporting the inventory containers; a plurality of picking stations for picking the inventory items from the inventory containers based on orders; and a controller for managing picking operations at the plurality of picking stations, wherein the controller comprises: order grasping means for grasping an order requester, the requested item, and the requested quantity of the item; comparison means for comparing the number of order requesters for each item with the number of inventory containers for that item; inventory split quantity determination means for, when the number of order requesters for each item is greater than the number of inventory containers for the item, determining the quantity of inventory to be split from the inventory container of a first item, which is the requested item of the order requester, to the inventory container of a second item, which is a different item; and transfer instruction output means for outputting an inventory split instruction to transfer the determined quantity of the first item from the inventory container of the first item to the inventory container of the second item. [Embodiment 2] The picking system of embodiment 1, wherein the transfer instruction output means outputs an instruction to transfer from the stock container of the first product to the stock container of the second product a number equal to the quantity of the first product requested by a single order requester other than the source of a single order. [Embodiment 3] The picking system of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, wherein the transfer instruction output means outputs an instruction to transfer from the stock container of the first product to a single stock container of the second product a number equal to the total number of the quantity of the first product requested by multiple order requesters other than the source of a single order and in predetermined orders. [Embodiment 4] The picking system of any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the inventory split quantity determination means determines the inventory split quantity to be 0 when there are two order requesters for each product, even if the number of order requesters for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers. [Embodiment 5] A picking system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the inventory container for the second product is selected from inventory containers for products requiring picking at any one of the plurality of picking stations.[Embodiment 6] The picking system of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the stock container for the second product is selected from stock containers for the second product that are transported at the same picking station among the plurality of picking stations before and after the stock container for the first product that is to be split. [Embodiment 7] The picking system of any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the stock container for the second product is selected from stock containers for products requested by the same order requester as the order requester for a particular one of the first product. [Embodiment 8] The picking system of any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the stock container for the second product is selected from stock containers for that product when, as a result of comparison by the comparison means, the number of order requesters for a particular product is less than the number of stock containers for that product. [Embodiment 9] The picking system of any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the transfer instruction output means outputs, as the stock split instruction, an instruction to split the second product into stock containers at the timing of the first picking operation for the first product. [Embodiment 10] A picking system as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 9, wherein a threshold value is set for the number of times that the product requested by the order source is allocated within a given batch, and the inventory division quantity determination means determines the number of times and the quantity of inventory division of the first product into the inventory container of the second product relative to the requested quantity of the product by the order source for each product when the number of order source for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers for that product and exceeds the set threshold value.

[0092] 1 Picking system 10 Picking station 20 Stock container transport conveyor (transport device) 30 Order container transport conveyor 100 (for stock containers) Upper transport unit 110 (for stock containers) Upper supply conveyor 120 (for stock containers) Upper work conveyor 300 Storage facility 310 Stock container storage shelf (rack) 400 Controller 410 Order grasping unit (order grasping means) 420 Total number of order requesters calculation unit (total number of order requesters calculation means) 430 Number of order requesters / number of stock containers comparison unit (comparison means) 440 Stock division quantity determination unit (stock division quantity determination means) 450 Transfer instruction output unit (transfer instruction output means) A Stock container (stock container for first product, stock container for second product) B Order container P Worker R Work area (picking work area, stock division work area) M Monitor (inventory division instruction display device)

Claims

1. A picking system comprising: storage equipment for storing a plurality of inventory containers containing inventory items; a transport device for transporting the inventory containers; a plurality of picking stations for picking the inventory items from the inventory containers based on an order; and a controller for managing the picking operation at the plurality of picking stations, wherein the controller comprises: order grasping means for grasping an order requester, the requested item, and the requested quantity of the item; comparison means for comparing the number of order requesters for each item with the number of inventory containers for that item; inventory split quantity determination means for, when the number of order requesters for each item is greater than the number of inventory containers for the item, determining an inventory split quantity from the inventory container of a first item, which is the requested item of the order requester, to the inventory container of a second item, which is a different item; and transfer instruction output means for outputting an inventory split instruction to transfer the determined quantity of the first item from the inventory container of the first item to the inventory container of the second item.

2. A picking system as described in claim 1, wherein the transfer instruction output means outputs an instruction to transfer from the inventory container of the first product to the inventory container of the second product a quantity equal to a quantity requested by an order requester other than the requester of a given order.

3. A picking system as described in claim 1, wherein the transfer instruction output means outputs an instruction to transfer from the inventory container of the first product to one inventory container of the second product an amount equal to the total number of requested quantities of the first product in a specified order from a plurality of order request sources other than the request source of a single order.

4. A picking system as described in claim 1, wherein the inventory division quantity determination means determines the inventory division quantity to be 0 when the number of order request sources for each of the products is two, even when the number of order request sources for each of the products is greater than the number of inventory containers.

5. The picking system according to claim 1, wherein the inventory container for the second product is selected from inventory containers for products requiring picking operations at any one of the plurality of picking stations.

6. The picking system of claim 5, wherein the inventory container for the second product is selected from inventory containers for the second product that are transported before or after the inventory container for the first product that is to be subjected to the inventory split at the same picking station among the plurality of picking stations.

7. The picking system according to claim 5, wherein the inventory container for the second product is selected from inventory containers for products requested by the same order requester as a certain order requester for the first product.

8. A picking system as described in claim 1, wherein the inventory container for the second product is selected from the inventory containers for that product when the comparison by the comparison means indicates that the number of order request sources for each product is less than the number of inventory containers for that product.

9. A picking system as described in claim 1, wherein the transfer instruction output means outputs, as the inventory division instruction, an instruction to divide the second product into inventory containers at the timing of the first picking operation of the first product.

10. A picking system as described in claim 1, wherein a threshold value is set for the number of times that the product requested by the order source is allocated within a given batch, and the inventory division quantity determination means determines the number of times and the quantity of inventory division of the first product into the inventory container of the second product for the requested quantity of the product by the order source for each product when the number of order request sources for each product is greater than the number of inventory containers for the product and exceeds the set threshold value.

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