Integrated Stowing and Picking in Materials Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic marketplaces face high overhead costs due to labor-intensive processes in materials handling facilities, where agents spend significant time traveling to stow and pick items, contributing to increased product prices and operational expenses.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an integrated stowing and picking process controlled by a process control component that allows agents to perform both stowing and picking functions, using a system with a process control component, agent components, pick list generators, stow location recommenders, and inventory models to optimize labor distribution and reduce travel time within the facility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If agents perform separate stowing and picking processes, then task specialization is improved, but aggregate labor time and travel time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate stowing and picking processes into a single integrated task where agents perform both functions during one traversal of the facility. This merging eliminates the need for separate dedicated stowing agents and picking agents, reducing aggregate labor time while maintaining operational efficiency through unified task execution.
Solution Approach 2:
Agents are designed to perform multiple functions (both stowing and picking) within a single role, rather than being specialized for only one function. This multi-functionality allows the same agent to handle different task types during the same work period, reducing the total number of agents needed and decreasing overall labor time.
2Productivity
If agents travel extensively to perform stowing and picking tasks, then task completion is improved, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-generates pick lists and stow lists before agents begin their tasks, organizing all required actions in advance. This preliminary preparation allows agents to efficiently plan their traversal routes and perform multiple tasks (picking and stowing) in a single pass through the facility, reducing unnecessary travel and associated operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated process ensures that agents continuously perform useful work (either picking or stowing) throughout their traversal of the facility without idle travel between separate stowing and picking operations. By combining both task types in one continuous workflow, the system maximizes productive action time and minimizes non-productive travel time.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a system and method for integrated stowing and picking in a materials handling facility may include a process control component for monitoring processes within the materials handling facility in order to implement opportunistic picking and stowing. To implement an opportunistic pick, the process control component may determine that an agent has stowed a unit at a respective inventory location. The process control component may determine that the inventory location (or a nearby inventory location) includes a unit designated to be picked and may issue an instruction to opportunistically pick that unit. To implement an opportunistic stow, the process control component may determine that an agent has picked a unit from a respective inventory location. The process control component may determine that a conveyable receptacle utilized by the agent includes a unit that is designated to be stowed and may issue an instruction to opportunistically stow that unit.