Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Replenishment Picking Basics

Did you know there is more than one way to ship a box?  If you are in the business of pick, pack and shipping, you may find this blog series useful to make sure you are shipping your goods in the most efficient manner.   In previous blogs, we reviewed several inventory picking strategies and today we will cover the 5th and last on our list - Replenishment Picking.

5 Warehouse Management (WMS) Basics of Picking

1.    Discrete Picking
2.    Wave Picking
3.    Batch Picking
4.    Zone Picking
5.    Replenishment Picking – covered in this article

Finally, to complete our picking models we will review  Replenishment Picking. Each picking strategy helps to gain warehouse inventory efficiencies by selecting the best movement of goods.  This is all part of any good “Best-In-Breed” Warehouse Management System, like AccellosOne WMS.

Replenishment Picking

Replenishment Picking combines the concepts of Batch Picking and the Reserve Storage/Forward Picking. Reserve Storage/Forward Pick is the practice of segregating the warehouse into a storage (Reserve Storage) area and a picking (Forward Pick) area. This approach tends to optimize overall space utilization and pick labor productivity. Space utilization is improved by storing product in bulk (pallets or cases) in dense storage locations. Pick labor productivity is improved by keeping pickers working in smaller forward pick zones that typically hold smaller inventory volumes (days on hand vs. months on hand) with the inventory or cases, in more easily accessible and ergonomically friendly locations referred to as the “strike” zones.

When using this approach, it is common practice to setup a replenishment strategy to move inventory from the (reserve) storage locations into the forward pick locations. The timing of the replenishment activity is driven by a predetermined reorder point and the amount of inventory to replenish is typically driven by a pre-determined inventory level set at the forward pick location.

The same basic storage and picking principles apply when using Replenishment Picking – Forward Pick with minor variation to reorder point and quantity. With Replenishment Picking, a dedicated forward pick zone is setup to allow operators to work in a smaller area and the inventory is replenished from bulk reserve storage locations. However, replenishment quantity and timing is driven by the projected number of orders over a given time frame (typically a day). Once a group of orders for the day is created, the orders are replenished, in batch, to the forward pick area. At the end of the day, the forward pick area is picked clean and ready for the next pick cycle.

Another form of Replenishment Picking is replenishing to a pack station rather than a dedicated
forward pick zone. In this process, all inventory for a group of orders is replenished in batch from reserve storage locations and deposited at a pack station. At the pack station, the inventory is picked to specific orders for shipment processing as outlined in the Batch Picking process.

Learn more about Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

Posted by iCepts Technology Group, Inc. An Accelos and Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner in Pennsylvania

About iCepts Technology Group, Inc. Middletown, PA

We are a Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner offering implementation, service, and support for Microsoft Dynamics NAV in: PA, DC, DE, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, VA, WV, and the entire Mid-Atlantic Region. We also offer implementation, service, and support for Accellos One Warehouse Management Systems in: PA, DC, DE, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, VA, WV, and the entire Mid-Atlantic Region.

As experienced SCM, WMS and ERP consultants and value added resellers (VARs), we provide start to finish services for the solutions we represent Microsoft Dynamics NAV for Distribution and Manufacturing, Accellos Warehouse Management System (WMS), Server virtualization, open source VOIP phone systems and infrastructure and security. We provide services that cover process analysis, implementation, training, security and networking. Naturally, we also provide full ongoing support for years after implementation to help our clients succeed. We are your one stop shop for your business technology needs.
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Phone: 717.704.1000
Email: info@icepts.com

Another version of this article was previously posted by iCepts Technology Group, Inc.- A Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics NAV Reseller on September 29, 2016 - Warehouse Management Basics - Replenishment Picking