How to Improve Warehouse Picking Speed and Accuracy in 7 Steps

There’s a lot that goes into fulfilling a customer order, way more than most people realize. From receiving the order to delivering it to your doorstep, order picking remains one of the most labor-intensive and error-prone processes in the warehouse.

In fact, so many warehouses actually struggle with picking and packing mistakes. Each of these mistakes not only comes with a heavy financial cost but also the potential of damaging customer relationships that took years to build.

In this article, we’ll break down seven practical steps that can transform your picking operations, improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

What’s the Average Warehouse Pick Rate?

The average pick rate for most warehouses is 50 to 250 items per hour. But this rate varies because of so many factors, including industry, warehouse sizes, and the complexity of the operations. 

This is why it’s important that you know where your operation stands based on benchmarks so you can identify areas for improvement, and in turn, you can set realistic performance goals.

7 Steps To Pick Orders Faster in a Warehouse

Improving warehouse efficiency doesn’t happen overnight. But what most operations don’t realize is that there are many more actionable ways to make real progress.

Analyze the Current Warehouse Operations

The very first step is evaluating your warehouse operations because this helps you identify the bottlenecks and inefficiencies of your operations. Map out your picking process from start to finish, including picking paths, storage layouts, and order processing times.

By doing this, you can pinpoint areas of delays, for example, excessive walking distances, frequent stock-outs, or maybe congested picking zones. 

Change the Layout of the Warehouse

If you haven’t already, consider implementing ABC analysis. This prioritizes high-demand items for quick access, leading to quicker order fulfillment.

This layout reduces pick times through optimized layout, streamlines routes within warehouse zones, and overall improves the efficiency of picking processes.

Remember that even the smallest adjustments in your warehouse layout can really help reduce the travel time for pickers. 

Choose an Efficient Picking Method

Different operations require different picking methods. This is why the best method for your warehouse will greatly depend on your order profile, inventory characteristics, and staffing structure.

• Batch Picking: Pickers collect items for multiple orders simultaneously, which reduces travel time, but this method requires careful sorting.
• Zone Picking: This method reduces congestion by dividing the warehouse into sections with dedicated pickers, focusing on picking items only within that area.
• Wave Picking: This method aligns the picking process with order priorities, where it coordinates multiple pickers across zones to complete large volumes of orders in a scheduled timeframe.

Use Technology to Speed Up the Process

Even basic technological integration helps streamline picking processes and reduces errors in order picking. Implement barcode scanning for accuracy and use tools such as mobile scanning devices to eliminate paper pick lists.

Integrating Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) can reduce travel distance by optimizing pick paths and ensuring real-time inventory updates. There is also a voice-directed picking that keeps pickers’ hands free while providing clear instructions. 

Train Employees Effectively

Remember that even the best systems and layouts still underperform without proper training. Companies that train staff on best practices in picking can help them understand all the standardized picking processes and become familiar with the technology in use, leading to more efficient operations.

ShipHero’s intuitive system dashboards and automated workflows reduce the learning curve for new pickers. The clear visual guidance makes the training more effective, ensuring consistent performance across teams.

Track Key Metrics for Picking Speed

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. So, implement and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify improvement opportunities and recognize top performers, whose techniques can be shared with the team.

Here are some performance metrics to monitor:

• Pick rate (items picked per hour)
• Order cycle time (from order receipt to ready for shipment)
• Accuracy rate (percentage of orders picked without errors)
• Distance traveled per order
• Error rates and types
• Labor utilization

Improve and Optimize Inventory Management

When inventory is disorganized or inaccurate, pickers waste valuable time searching for products, waiting for bin filling, or replacing pallets. This is why inventory replenishment strategies are important for an efficient picking process.

Inventory management tools from ShipHero provide optimization across multiple warehouses and alerts for automatic replenishment. This makes sure that the right products are always available in the right locations. 

You can also organize products by popularity, size, and other relevant picking factors to optimize storage for faster and easier picking.

Pick-to-Light by ShipHero: Ensuring Efficient Order Picking

ShipHero’s Pick-to-Light system improves the overall picking efficiency through visual guidance. It uses LED displays to guide pickers to the exact location of items, accelerating the picking process and reducing errors at the same time.

Pick-to-Light stands out for a few key reasons:

• Increase in picking speed by up to 50%, compared to traditional paper-based methods.
• Achieve near-perfect accuracy rates through visual confirmation.
• Reduces training time for new pickers.
• Integrates seamlessly with ShipHero’s WMS for synchronized operations.
• Scalable and adapts to various warehouse sizes and layouts.

Relationship Between Warehouse Picking Speed and Accuracy

In warehouse operations, speed and accuracy are often viewed as competing priorities. But in reality, speed without accuracy creates returns, customer service issues, and rework that ultimately affect overall efficiency.

When customers receive incorrect or incomplete orders, their trust in your business is immediately affected, regardless of how quickly you resolve the issue. 

The most successful warehouses recognize that there has to be a balance in both because many of the same improvements that increase speed also enhance accuracy.

How to Calculate Order Accuracy Rate?

Order Accuracy Rate (%) = (Number of Accurate Orders / Total Orders) × 100

To calculate the order accuracy rate, divide the number of perfectly fulfilled orders by the total number of orders shipped, then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.

This metric directly impacts both customer satisfaction and your operational costs. This is why 99.5% or higher is the recommended target accuracy rate.

Tips to Minimize Error Rates

Error rate monitoring is critical because it can reveal patterns in your error rates. Maybe there are specific shifts or seasons where you are more error-prone, or products that are commonly confused.

Here are a few smart ways to reduce mistakes on the floor:

• Double-check orders by implementing verification steps at key points in the picking process.
• Leverage automation to reduce manual tasks and make use of automation like barcode scanning or ShipHero’s Pick-to-Light system to confirm correct item selection.
• Establish quality check stations for high-value or commonly confused items. This organizes inventory for faster access and ensures accurate order fulfillment.

Key Takeaways

• Improvements across warehouse layout, picking strategies, technology integration, and training programs all contribute to warehouse picking efficiency.
• Technology solutions like ShipHero’s WMS or Pick-to-Light streamline warehouse operations at scale.
• Training and tracking key metrics guide continuous improvement efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Good Pick Rate?

For manual picking operations, a good pick rate typically ranges from 80 to 150 items per hour. Note that for both manual and automated picking, the rate varies significantly based on warehouse size, item types, and complexity of orders.

Can Picking Speed Be Improved Without Automation?

Yes. Picking speed can be improved without automation simply by reorganizing high-velocity items, implementing batch picking methods, or redesigning pick paths.

That said, tech solutions offer far greater speed and accuracy benefits. For example, operations using advanced systems like Pick-to-Light can achieve a pick rate of 200-350 items per hour.

Automation enhances visibility of picking errors, tracks accuracy rates across orders, and even utilizes KPIs to improve picking speed.

Can Mobile Devices Help Increase Warehouse Picking Speed?

Yes, mobile devices can help increase warehouse picking speed by eliminating time spent handling paperwork and manually recording picks.

ShipHero’s mobile-optimized picking solutions provide improved pick paths, real-time updates for inventory changes, and immediate verification. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with handheld devices like scanners and smartphones, minimizing the learning curve.