Pros and Cons of Waveless Picking
Nowadays many warehouses, distribution centers, and order fulfillment operations must contemplate new ways to get labor costs under control, boost efficiency, implement new technologies in support of picking operations, or change the operation’s workflows. In the end, it comes down to which strategy makes the most sense: Wave picking, overlapping waves, or waveless picking?
Are you considering changing your picking strategy, or implementing a formal picking system for the first time? Below, we take a close look at wave picking: What it is, the pros and cons that come from leveraging it, and the alternatives such as overlapping waves you may want to consider.
Got questions about how to leverage wave, waveless or overlapping waves picking in your facility? Speak with a member of the Conveyco Team!
What is waveless picking?
Waveless picking is a picking strategy that is often compared directly against wave picking, largely because they work in very different ways..
In waveless picking, batches are dynamic and constantly changing. As new orders are received by the system, they are automatically added to the batch for picking. Those orders with the fastest shipping requirements (such as same-day or next-day shipping) are prioritized over other orders with slower shipping requirements. When a picker completes the pick that they are actively working on, the WES automatically checks for the next best pick, and directs them to that spot. This constant flow is in direct opposition to wave picking, in which batches are “locked” once a wave begins.
Waveless picking can also be referred to as “order streaming.”
Benefits of Waveless Picking
Waveless picking is leveraged most often in ecommerce picking or other operations with aggressive shipping requirements, such as those that receive a large volume of orders with same-day and next-day shipping requirements. This is because waveless picking allows the WES to constantly reevaluate the queue of orders so as to prioritize those with the most urgent deadlines.
Here are a few benefits worth noting if you’re considering implementing this picking system in your own operations:
1. Handles dynamic batches
Waveless picking is built to handle constantly overturning shipments. This ensures that as older orders are completed, new orders are added into the batch constantly.
2. Manages high demand shipping
If your business deals with products that are in constant high demand, waveless picking is here to help. Since orders are constantly replaced with new ones, this strategy is best suited for same- and next-day shipping to your customers.
3. Generates constant refresh
Waveless picking constantly refreshes, adding new orders to keep up with shipping deadlines. This eliminates the need to make these updates manually.
4. Creates Predictability
Waveless picking tends to level out the peaks and valleys in productivity that are common in wave picking, leading to a more predictable throughput and efficient equipment utilization rate.
Alternatives to Waveless Picking
Waveless picking is most often compared directly against wave picking, as discussed above. The other picking strategy that can be considered, however, is overlapping waves, which can be thought of as something of a blend between wave and waveless picking.
Overlapping wave picking works like traditional wave picking, in that it involves static batches (waves). However, while wave picking requires that one wave be completed before the next can begin, overlapping wave picking releases the next wave once the prior wave has peaked in productivity, but before it is fully finished. Overlapping wave management provides greater throughput by mitigating the low productivity valleys found in both wave and waveless picking.
Like waveless picking, this results in lower peaks and higher valleys of productivity, but often with higher throughput than waveless picking.
Which picking strategy is right for your operation?
Proponents of either wave picking or waveless picking often tend to approach the discussion of “which is better” with an answer in mind. They will say “Wave picking is always better” or “Waveless picking will always outperform” but the truth is that there is no simple, one size fits all answer of which method is best.
The best picking strategy for your operation will be the one that enables you to pick and process the most orders in the most efficient manner possible. For some businesses, that will mean leveraging waveless picking. For others, it will mean wave picking. And for others still, it will mean leveraging overlapping waves, or other warehouse management systems altogether.
Other Warehouse Picking Strategies:
Batch Order Picking
Discrete Picking
Zone picking
Cluster Picking
Robotic Picking
That being said, if your operation caters to the ecommerce space, or another industry that sees a high volume of orders with same- and next-day shipping requirements, then waveless picking could be the right solution for you. Ask your WES provider or systems integrator if they will do an analysis on your data and present the results to wave, waveless and overlapping waves. Be cautious on providers who can’t or won’t evaluate overlapping waves and call in Conveyco.
If you would like a no-obligation consult as to which strategy makes the most sense for your needs, speaking with a trusted systems integrator and WES provider can help you understand your options. Contact us today to speak with a member of the Conveyco Team.
