The goods to man method has been used in warehouse logistics for the last thirty years. By bringing the products to the operator, it accelerates the storage and order picking processes.
Automation systems (vertical storage carousel, stacker crane, mini-load, shuttle) for high-turnover products have proliferated in the largest European warehouses, and to a lesser extent in France.
A new era opened in the 2000s with the arrival of a robotics solution by Kiva Systems. Based on a mobile shelf unit system, this was a real breakthrough in the logistics sector at the time. In 2012, Kiva Systems were bought out by Amazon, which saw the enormous potential of this solution in its own distribution centres.
In addition to delivering superior performance, the mobile shelf robotics solution offers flexibility, scalability, and ROI in under two years (unlike other, traditional goods to man automation systems)
The best example of such a solution is the mobile robot technology by the French company SCALLOG, founded in 2013, using robots conceived and designed for retail logistics. Scallog robots are in especially high demand in the retail, industry and e-commerce sectors in France and Europe, where distribution centres are constantly looking for new ways to make their logistics processes faster and more flexible.
The Scallog solution combines robotics and software intelligence to make goods to man automation an affordable option for warehouses of all sizes, from out-of-town distribution hubs to urban fulfilment centres!
Goods to man order picking: definition
Order picking is a key step in the supply chain as it makes deliveries faster and more reliable. By automating the three operations - picking, sorting and packing - required with the goods to man method, we increase our efficiency and logistical performance, and that improves customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The goods to man method is based on the principle that it's the individual items of an order that come to the operator, not the other way around. Operators no longer need to move around, for the items needed to fulfil the orders are brought to them over automated systems
The goods to man model uses automated storage systems, conveyors, AGVs and mobile shelf units to pick and move the different items to a fixed station, where the operator has the job of picking and scanning products or packages to finalize preparation of the orders.
This frees up the operator to focus on the task where the added value lies - picking orders. No more searching up and down the aisles for products, with all the time and effort this involves.
The goods to man method eliminates the heavy lifting and legwork from the operators’ working routine, ensuring cost optimization and faster processing. It makes operations more reliable, and drastically reduces errors in order picking, the point where stock management meets order fulfilment.
What are the benefits of goods to man automation?
Accelerated picking in the service of customer satisfaction
Next-day and same-day deliveries are increasingly the norm, which means logistics professionals need to accelerate order picking and consolidation processes, especially in the e-commerce sector, where delivery times of goods can scarcely be reduced further.
Goods to man automated picking increases operator productivity by over 40%: three times the productivity of a man to goods manual system where operators go and pick up the products from the storage racks.
Order picking quality
Order picking times cannot be accelerated at the expense of quality of service, which is a key element of customer satisfaction. Using tools such as barcode readers, operators play a key role in the track and trace and reliability of order picking.
Goods to man automation makes picking more reliable and methodical thanks to picking aids (spot-to light, put-to light on buffer racks), and eliminates all human errors, 99% of which are made during picking.
Reducing logistics costs
Between 50% and 60% of the operational costs of a logistics centre are related to order picking and packing. That’s a figure that speaks for itself.
Un chiffre parle de lui-même : entre 50% et 60% des sont liés aux préparations de commandes ou picking dans les entrepôts logistiques.
Automated picking with the goods to man system reducers labour costs by 30-60%.
Fewer repetitive tasks
Order picking involves many repetitive and strenuous movements, such as moving up and down aisles or the exertion of carrying heavy loads. Repetitive movements can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
On average, an operator walks between 10 and 15 km and lifts 1 to 10 tons of product every day. Improved working conditions go hand in hand with competitiveness!
Goods to man automated picking frees operators from legwork and tedious, repetitive tasks, while improving the working conditions and environment of the warehouse.
Adapt to changing logistics flows
Black Friday, Christmas... even lockdown: logistics must rise to the challenges posed by changing consumer needs and expectations by optimizing everything from workflow management to order picking and restocking.
One new development is sustained spikes in activity: workflows can increase by 50% over a period of one or even two months. It’s difficult to follow a fixed logistic management plan in these conditions!
Only a goods to man robotics solution of the type offered by SCALLOG, is flexible enough to handle different workflows where demand can fluctuate from one month to the next: additional robots and picking stations can be deployed in just a few days.
Which goods to man solutions are out there?
In France, fewer than 15% of logistics hubs are automated. Right now, the most widely used goods to man systems include fork lifts (mainly used for pallets), ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System), mini-load, shuttle, carousels, and stacker cranes.
As a result of technological advances, new systems based on AGV, AMR and mobile shelf units are now making significant inroads in warehouse processes and order picking, making goods to man automation cheaper, easier and more flexible.
Focus on an automated system: mini-load
Mini-load is an automated all-in-one storage system comprising racking, stacker crane, conveyors and software. One or more racking frames are criss-crossed by a stacker crane that retrieves products and deposits them on the conveyors. The conveyors carry the products to the order picking zone near the racking.
The mini-load system requires significant investment and is most suitable for high-turnover products.
Focus on the shuttle system
The shuttle system is a semi-automated system. It operates with one or more motorized shuttles that travel through the storage racks to retrieve trays containing products of low weight and volume. These trays are then conveyed to the pick and pack zone.
High-speed shuttles are most efficient when picking many items from few SKUs. Shuttle systems require even more investment than mini-load. ROI is between 4 and 6 years.
Collaborative solutions: robots dedicated to logistics
Storage units - racks, shelves, or pallets - are carried by robots to a picking station where the operator receives a continuous stream of products. These mobile systems, when coupled with a put-to light picking aid, speed up order consolidation rates while eliminating legwork and heavy lifting.
When interfaced with an ERP and warehouse management system (WMS), a robotics solution also allows you to reduce storage area by around 30%: which keeps your logistics more closely aligned to your needs.
With their high performance, agility and flexibility, mobile robotics systems like the one offered by SCALLOG need no ground anchoring and can be deployed to suit your changing workflows. Scallog’s Boby robots can be integrated into your site in less than a day - without affecting its operations and existing infrastructure. This scalable and flexible solution delivers ROI in less than 2 years.
Goods to man systems provide the “right answer” whether you’re looking to introduce automation based on turnover, product volume or lead times. The challenge automation poses to today’s logistics professionals is how to find the right balance between the large volumes of goods moved, accelerated processing times, and the flexibility of the installation.
In terms of performance and flexibility, goods to man robotics does particularly well in picking orders for products with low, medium and high turnover depending on the system!
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