Batch Picking (Navigator Voice 2013)

Navigator's batch picking module allows voice pickers to pick multiple orders at the same time during a single pass through the warehouse. Typically all orders being picked will be carried on a single trolley, or on a forklift with multiple pallet capacity.

 

Navigator's batch picking module is best suited to warehouses picking many small orders (e.g. a web store in a B2C environment) which might involve visiting the same picking location more than once.

 

 

Overview

 

In the batch picking process, a 'wave' is created which groups together pick slips which should be picked together. It is possible to manually create a wave, or have the voice system create a wave for the user when they sign on to the picking system. A voice user signs on to the module and will pick all orders concurrently, in location sequence. Once all items have been picked for the wave, each pick slip is marked as complete. Finally, the wave itself is marked as completed.

 

Process

Please note: The following process is the system's default workflow. Your system will likely have been customised and may differ slightly from this process. Certain prompts may have been added to assist in workflows specific to your company, or removed to streamline the process.

 

Voice System Conversation

Description

Talkman: "Function?"

 

Picker: 10

 

Talkman: "Batch picking, correct?"

 

Picker: yes

 Sign in to the voice computer, and select function 10 - Batch Picking
Talkman: "Navigator batch picking, to start, say ready."
 
Picker: ready		  

Talkman: "Printer?

 

Picker: 1

 

Talkman: Printer 1, correct?

 

Picker: yes

If your warehouse uses mobile label printers, you must tell Navigator which printer you are using. Batch labels will be sent to this printer.

 

To turn on mobile printers, set the voice parameter: USE_MOBILE_PRINTER to '1'.

 

Note: It is also possible to use static label printers. Labels are requested via Bartender.

Talkman: Pick group?

 

Picker: 1

 

Talkman: "All pickslips, correct?"

 

Picker: yes

Navigator allows the operator to specify the pick group they have been assigned to. This assignment may be based on time of day, or the expertise of the picker. Once the user selects a pick group, they will continue working on this group until all picks are exhausted, or the supervisor instructs them to change to a new group.

Talkman: Pick batch is 1924.

 

Picker: ready

 

Navigator tells the picker the batch of pick slips they have been assigned. The creation of a batch of picks (a wave) is either:

  • manually performed via the Navigator web screen or
  • automatically, based on a series of rules.

 

Navigator will first attempt to assign an incomplete wave before it attempts to create a new wave. Once the wave is assigned to a picker, it stays with the picker until the wave is complete, or it is manually assigned to another picker (via the web interface)

 

Talkman: Wave contains 4 orders, with a total of 10 items

 

Picker: ready

Navigator announces the total number of items to be picked and the number of pick slips which are being processed simultaneously. At this time, the system produces one label for each pickslip (a pick marker), containing a barcode, the customer name and special instructions, along with a check digit and an upper case letter used to direct pickers to place goods with the correct order.

Talkman: Aisle 1, Bay 2, Level 3, Position 3. Check digit?

 

Picker: 412

Navigator directs the picker to the stock required for the first item across any of the pick slips in the wave. The items are sorted by the item's pick sequence and not by pickslip.

 

The check digit can be either:

  • Location check digit. This is useful for environments where products do not have barcodes.
  • Product check digit. This is usually the last three digits of the product's EAN-13 barcode.
  • Carton check digit. This is usually the las three digits of the GTIN-14 barcode printed on the carton.

 

The picker speaks the requested check digit.  If the picker speaks an incorrect check digit, the system will not tell the picker how many items to pick, and will instead say: "check digit xxx is incorrect."

 

Talkman: "Pick 4"

 

Picker: 4, ready

Once the picker has correctly spoken a check digit, the system prompts for the quantity to be picked. The picker confirms the quantity which can be picked from the location by speaking the quantity, followed by 'ready'.

 

  • If the picker speaks a quantity higher than the number required, the system will read an error message.

  • If the picker confirms fewer items than are required for the order, Navigator makes a further requests for the remaining items. e.g. '10 picked, 5 remaining'.

  • If there is insufficient items to complete the order, the picker may say 'short pick' to confirm picking of the current item 'tally'.

  • The picker may also say 'skip item' to move to the next bin location on the order, or 'skip aisle' to progress through to the next aisle relevant to the pickslip.

 

Talkman: "Put 4 to Bravo"

 

Picker: 192
  • Navigator tells the picker which order the stock belongs to by speaking the letter printed on the pick marker and waits for the picker to speak the correct check digit for the order.
  • Note that the system will use the phonetic alphabet when reading out the letter for the pick marker.
  • Once the last item on an individual pick slip is completed, the pick itself is marked as 'completed and is ready for despatch.

 

Talkman: Aisle 1, Bay 2, Level 3, Position 4. Check digit?

 

 

  • Navigator continues to prompt pickers to gather items and place them into orders.

  • Once all items for the wave have been picked, the operator is prompted to request the next wave.

 

 

Automatic Wave Creation:

When waves are created automatically, Navigator attempts to minimise the distance the picker should walk by grouping 'similar' pick slips. The following process is used:

 

  1. Picker selects a pick group which has a 'pick method' set to 'Wave'.
  2. Navigator assigns the highest priority pick slip from the user's warehouse and the pick group identified, which is not currently being picked.
  3. A list of items to be picked is constructed from the item on the initial pick slip.
  4. The list of items to be picked is compared against all other available pick slips to look for matches based on product code.
  5. The pick slip with the highest number of matches is linked to the current wave, and the list of items on the wave is expanded to include any new products.
  6. If there are no other pick slips matching items on the wave, Navigator automatically expands the search using progressively broader terms in order to find a matching order according to the following hierarchy: product, bay, aisle, warehouse. Once a match is found, however, Navigator goes back to searching by product.

  7. The wave creation process continues from step 4 until either:

 

 

Configuration

 

A "pick group" should be configured within Navigator which has a pick method of "Wave". From here, assigning pick slips to this group will allow them to be automatically included in a batch pick slip (this can be done manually, or during an import from the host system).

 

To allow the automatic creation of new waves (if none exist already), you should:

 

 

 

Continuous Batch Picking

 

In a batch picking scenario, Navigator allows multiple pick slips to be completed at the same time by combining them into a single "pick wave" either manually or automatically. Once a pick slip is finished, however, the carton for the complete order continues to take up space on the pick trolley. Continuous batch picking alerts the picker when one of the cartons they are carrying is 'complete', allowing them to offload the carton to a packing area. Navigator then automatically assigns a new pick slip to the picker and prints a carton label for the order.

 

The system tracks which direction the picker is travelling - either 'forward' or 'reverse' through the warehouse. If the pick slip added includes items the picker has already passed by, the system does NOT cause the picker to immediately double back. Instead, the picker continues in the same direction until there are no more items to be picked. The system then automatically reverses the pick direction, allowing the picker to double back and collect the remaining items.

 

Using this module, there is no reason for the picker to return to a central area at the conclusion of each pick. The warehouse should, however, have a process in place to transport completed cartons from the warehouse floor to the despatch area (either via conveyor or forklift).

 

 

Please note: The following process is the system's default workflow. Your system will likely have been customised and may differ slightly from this process. Certain prompts may have been added to assist in workflows specific to your company, or removed to streamline the process.

 

Voice System Conversation

Description

Talkman: "Function?"

 

Picker: 20

 

Talkman: "Continuous Batch picking, correct?"

 

Picker: yes

 Sign in to the voice computer, and select function 20 - Continuous Batch Picking
Talkman: "Continuous batch picking, to start, say ready."
  
Picker: ready		  

Talkman: "Printer?

 

Picker: 1

 

Talkman: Printer 1, correct?

 

Picker: yes

Tell Navigator which mobile printer you are using. Batch labels will be sent to this printer.

Talkman: Pick group?

 

Picker: 1

 

Talkman: "All pickslips, correct?"

 

Picker: yes

Navigator allows the operator to specify the pick group they have been assigned to. This assignment may be based on time of day, or the expertise of the picker. Once the user selects a pick group, they will continue working on this group until all picks are exhausted, or the supervisor instructs them to change to a new group.

Talkman: Pick batch is 1924.

 

Picker: ready

 

Navigator tells the picker the batch of pick slips they have been assigned. The creation of a batch of picks (a wave) is either:

  • manually performed via the Navigator web screen or
  • automatically, based on a series of rules.

 

Navigator will first attempt to assign an incomplete wave before it attempts to create a new wave. Once the wave is assigned to a picker, it stays with the picker until the wave is complete, or it is manually assigned to another picker (via the web interface)

 

Talkman: Wave contains 4 orders, with a total of 10 items

 

Picker: ready

Navigator announces the total number of items to be picked and the number of pick slips which are being processed simultaneously. At this time, the system produces one label for each pickslip (a pick marker), containing a barcode, the customer name and special instructions, along with a check digit and an upper case letter used to direct pickers to place goods with the correct order.

Talkman: Aisle 1, Bay 2, Level 3, Position 3. Check digit?

 

Picker: 412

Navigator directs the picker to the stock required for the first item across any of the pick slips in the wave. The items are sorted by the item's pick sequence and not by pickslip.

 

The check digit can be either:

  • Location check digit. This is useful for environments where products do not have barcodes.
  • Product check digit. This is usually the last three digits of the product's EAN-13 barcode.
  • Carton check digit. This is usually the las three digits of the GTIN-14 barcode printed on the carton.

 

The picker speaks the requested check digit.  If the picker speaks an incorrect check digit, the system will not tell the picker how many items to pick, and will instead say: "check digit xxx is incorrect."

 

Talkman: "Pick 4"

 

Picker: 4, ready

Once the picker has correctly spoken a check digit, the system prompts for the quantity to be picked. The picker confirms the quantity which can be picked from the location by speaking the quantity, followed by 'ready'.

 

  • If the picker speaks a quantity higher than the number required, the system will read an error message.

  • If the picker confirms fewer items than are required for the order, Navigator makes a further requests for the remaining items. e.g. '10 picked, 5 remaining'.

  • If there is insufficient items to complete the order, the picker may say 'short pick' to confirm picking of the current item 'tally'.

  • The picker may also say 'skip item' to move to the next bin location on the order, or 'skip aisle' to progress through to the next aisle relevant to the pickslip.

 

Talkman: "Put 4 to Bravo"

 

Picker: 192
  • Navigator tells the picker which order the stock belongs to by speaking the letter printed on the pick marker and waits for the picker to speak the correct check digit for the order.
  • Note that the system will use the phonetic alphabet when reading out the letter for the pick marker.
  • Once the last item on an individual pick slip is completed, the pick itself is marked as 'completed and is ready for despatch.

 

Talkman: Aisle 1, Bay 2, Level 3, Position 4. Check digit?

 

 

  • Navigator continues to prompt pickers to gather items and place them into orders.

  • Once all items for the wave have been picked, the operator is prompted to request the next wave.

 

Talkman: Pick slip 9124 in carton Alpha is complete. To replace this box, say ready.

 

Picker: ready

 

  • Navigator searches for a new pick slip which overlaps with items in the current pick wave.
  • The existing carton labelled with the letter "A" (alpha) should be removed from the cart and placed in a pick up area (or on the conveyor)
  • The new pick slip is added to the current wave, and a label is printed for the new carton.

  • Place a new carton on the trolley, and place the new label on the carton.

 

 

Talkman: "No more orders could be added to the wave. To continue, say ready."

 

Picker: ready.
  • If there are no more orders available to be included in the wave, the system will alert the picker.

Talkman: "Order batch is complete. To request the next wave, say ready."

 

Picker: "ready"
  • Once the last item on the wave is complete, the system will return the user to the main menu.