How to Pick Orders More Efficiently

Some employees on a conveyor line picking orders every day may lose motivation and become less efficient and more complacent over time. Repetitive actions and lack of excitement can cause poor concentration and slow speed. This causes mistakes in order picking, leading to dissatisfied customers and loss in revenue. There are several ways to keep an order picker focused and interested in the task at hand.

Lighting
Lower lighting can sometimes make an environment more relaxed and less productive. Employees that are in a brighter and perkier environment will not get as tired as quickly. When it is difficult to see the objects being picked, it is also more likely that the worker will make a mistake. Properly lit workstations may help workers pick faster and more accurately.

Incentive
In warehouses and distribution centers where there are a large number of employees and a high volume of orders to be picked, it is helpful for workers to be competitive with each other to keep up the pace and accuracy. One way to foster this is by sponsoring contests and incentives. The highest number of filled orders or most accurate percentage of accurate orders per month, quarter or season can be rewarded. Incentives can be monetary, but privileges are also well-received. Some ideas might include a preferred parking space, winning a basket or receiving a gift certificate to a nearby restaurant.

Speed
Speeding up the tempo of the conveyor will help workers stay more in tune with what they should be doing. Rather than waiting for the next carton to come by to fill an order, the worker will need to add items faster. As they pay attention and move faster, more orders will be completed faster. One drawback to moving faster is that slower workers that do not keep up the pace may miss some cartons and fill the orders incorrectly.

Diversity
While some companies feel that practice makes perfect, some have discovered the exact opposite is true. Boredom with the same workstation day after day may cause the employee to pay less attention to their task, which eventually may cause mistakes. Many companies have taken to cross-training their order picking crews so that they may be rotated from one work area to the next. This not only helps with efficiency, but with interest.

Ergonomics
Comfortable workers are more productive employees. Statistics show that they miss fewer days and are more efficient. A picker with an ergonomic workstation will have a shorter reach and be more comfortable. This leads to better health and physical
well-being.

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