What is Picking by Source?
Picking by source is a well-known method of picking in which workers successively pick items based on their final destination, regardless of their original location in the warehouse. This is usually done by barcode scanning of the item, which leads the picker to the correct location. It is usually preferred to increase accuracy and efficiency.
Significance of Picking by Source in E-commerce Logistics
Picking by source plays an essential role in businesses because it helps complete the order fulfillment procedure efficiently. Some of the main benefits of picking by source are:
- Improves picking operations: Picking by source improves picking operations in logistics by increasing overall efficiency.
- Enhances multi-location deliveries: Multi-location deliveries can be fulfilled in a single go by picking using the picking by source method, which also saves time.
- Saves costs: The travel time for workers is significantly reduced in this method, and hence, companies can save on overall costs associated with picking.
Prerequisites for Picking by Source and How It Works
To implement picking by source method, companies require a barcode for the product.
Companies can use this method after receiving an order for a particular destination. A warehouse worker uses the barcodes of the products to ascertain their location. Subsequently, they pick up each item in that order from their respective locations in the warehouse and fulfill the order.
Use Case With Picking by Source
Consider a company that has received three different orders from three cities in Australia. Even though the orders have some common products, instead of picking those common products together, the warehouse workers successively pick items for the orders based on their final destination. Hence, the first, second, and third orders from the three cities are picked separately. This is an example of picking by source, wherein multiple orders can be fulfilled more easily, as it leaves less room for error and saves time.