What is Single Item Picking?
Single item picking, also known as single order picking, is a process of collecting products from the inventory in a warehouse to fulfill customer orders one customer at a time. It is the most common and most time-consuming order-picking method. However, this process allows almost zero room for error.
Significance of Single Item Picking in E-commerce Logistics
Single item picking is quite similar to shopping at local centers where customers take carts and select items based on their shopping list. This type of order fulfillment is important for e-commerce businesses in the following aspects.
- The single order picking method is simple and does not require heavy machinery or high-end technology.
- The simplicity of the method also makes it cheap, as a few workers around the warehouse can pick up all orders manually.
- Comparatively, it is easier to train employees on single-picking orders making it less prone to errors.
Prerequisite for Single Item Picking
There are some prerequisites to single item picking, which are as follows:
- Single item picking works best in small warehouses. In large warehouses which store a lot of inventory, it can be more expensive to use manual labor than machines.
- A significant amount of time is needed in order to execute this picking method.
Use Case with Single Item Picking
In warehouses where a single item picking method is used, the workers pick individual products directly from a shelf, storage box, or case. Overall, only a single order is fulfilled at a time instead of multiple orders.
