PICKING OPERATIONS
Picking Solutions
With the way the industry is changing, your old picking processes just can’t keep up. SKU counts are growing as e-commerce evolves and more products are customized. And workers are falling further and further behind as they try to maintain accuracy under increasing demands. Now, you can empower your teams and wow your customers with a variety of effective picking solutions from Summit Handling.
SELECT A PICKING OPERATION:
Conveyors | Goods-to-Person | Carousels | Picking Technologies
Vertical Lift Modules | Warehouse Software
Conveyor Systems
Conveyors and larger conveyor systems provide increased throughput, more efficient product handling, and maximum support for operational processes. Modular and tailored to your business needs, conveyors can be leveraged to create efficiencies throughout your distribution center or production facility
From transportation to sortation, palletizing to loading and unloading, conveyor system technologies replace manual picking and transport processes creating a more consistent, ergonomic and organized operation. Integrated with warehouse execution software, you have complete system visibility with real-time data reporting on product flow and operational throughput. Summit Handling’s experts have access to a variety of automated conveyor system technologies and design tools to help identify the best solution to support your throughput goals and help you exceed your customers’ expectations.
Summit Handling will work with you to determine the optimal conveyor solutions, placement, and integration with other technologies to ensure that you achieve throughput and quality goals now and in the future. Some details you may want to consider include:
- Product or material traffic rate and routing
- Facility space and layout
- Special product handling needs
- In-line equipment – ID scanners, scales, print & apply label applicators
- Automation technology and system integration
- Automates repetitive movement for increased efficiency and reliability.
- Intelligent product movement and careful handling keeps products safe, buffered, and reduces product loss.
- Ergonomic improvements through reduced personnel walking and manual carrying of products.
- Seamless system integration helps to support and enhance automation technology and operations.
- Modular and versatile solution to support picking, workstations, loading and unloading, sorting and more.
Goods-to-Person
Goods-to-person, also known as GTP, solutions are a modern method of order fulfillment that combines automated storage and retrieval with accurate, ergonomic picking processes. Lightweight or small products are stored within the system and automatically transported directly to the operator as needed for picking, eliminating wasteful walk time, and offering accurate inventory and pick data. GTP is easily integrated with picking technologies like software, pick to light or AI-powered robotic piece picking for a fully automated order fulfillment solution.
Goods to person technologies are easily scalable to match growing demand or an increase in SKUs. These systems allow for an impressive increase in efficiency and accuracy of the picking process. Workstation screens display exactly which item the operator needs to pick. This eliminates order errors that are often a challenge in high-speed and high-demand environments commonly found in ecommerce, micro fulfillment and omnichannel operations to improve overall customer experience.
Often selected for its dynamic functionality, efficient use of space, and improved work environments, these technologies can integrate with other automation technologies and warehouse software for even greater efficiencies. Other benefits include:
- Increase operational uptime, lights-out 24/7 operations
- Eliminate order errors
- Ergonomic operator picking workstations
- Optimize space utilization for a small footprint and flexible layout
- High-density, consolidated storage
- Monitor orders, robots, and inventory in real-time
- Warehouse software integration
- Easily increase capacity by adding robots, modules, or workstations with little to no downtime
As you explore various goods to person technologies and system automation configurations, consider the following:
- Current and desired throughput rates
- Peak season needs
- Facility space and layout
- Floor slab integrity (ex. flatness, condition, thickness)
- Automation technology and system integration
- Business growth and future objectives
Carousels
Carousels represent an efficient “goods-to-person” storage solution, designed for storing smaller and lighter products on movable vertical or horizontal shelves to optimize space utilization and enhance operational efficiency. These carousels offer an excellent means of efficiently storing a wide range of diverse SKUs or parts within a limited footprint. Carousels are available in various configurations tailored to accommodate the shapes and sizes of the items they are intended to store.
Carousels can serve as a valuable addition to any facility or parts department, particularly when there is a need to store small, loose parts or goods. Carousels are usually configured in groups of two or three units as a picking module. One operator can pick 150 to 250 picks per hour.
Picking Technologies
Manual product picking is a time consuming, tedious task and with the growth of industries like ecommerce, opportunities to get ahead of increasing product flow and complexity is key. Automated order picking systems – voice, pick to light or goods to person technologies – increase efficiency and reduce picking errors for improved customer service. Any of these solutions can be easily integrated with existing and future material handling equipment such as conveyor, goods to person picking and more.
Summit Handling and our partners are well versed in a variety of technologies, brands, and automated picking configurations. Using data-backed strategies, we can help you meet the challenges of a growing fulfillment or warehouse operation that support person to goods processes.
- Accurate picking by reducing errors using visual and audible cues
- Organized pick modules
- Easily integrate with warehouse software
- Low training time
- Cost-effective solution with a fast ROI
- Expand and adjust as operations change
- Integrate with other automation or supporting processes
Vertical Lift Modules
High Density Storage in a secure and compact unit, VLMs store items within the front and rear of the unit and with the help of an extractor device in the middle, they automatically pick and deliver the selected item to the access opening with the push of a button. The lift system is designed to provide flexibility when choosing its height and the number of access openings and fully optimizes space opening opportunity up for a wide range of applications.
- Less wait time for accessing items
- Increased storage space without the sacrifice of floor space
- Data precision with Warehouse Management System (WMS)
- Increased protection for stored goods and employees
- Increased turnover of goods
- Modular flexibility for expansion
- Greater ergonomics
- Increase productivity
Warehouse Software
Dramatically reduce warehouse inefficiencies with software solutions that provide visibility and puts you in control of your operation. Whether you need a general warehouse management, or an industry-specific solution, a complete software integration solution, or just a way to coordinate diverse material handling systems in your facility, we’ll get you up and running. We can implement a supply chain software suite as a complete solution, or separate components, combine it with other software brands and scale it up as your company grows.
