Case picking is the method of collecting items by the carton, or case, to fulfill customer orders in a warehouse. Different from piece picking, where items are picked one by one, case picking involves a product in full cases or cartons.
The case picking process is ideal for picking bulk quantities of a single stock-keeping unit (SKU) and is used for large orders where customers require the full case of items.
However, when performed manually, case picking can require employees to lift and transport heavy loads, increasing the risk of fatigue and injury.
How Case Picking Works
Warehouse employees retrieve specific quantities of products from storage locations inside a warehouse. Each case that is picked goes through a series of processes to complete order fulfillment. These steps can include:
- Order generation
- Route planning
- Item retrieval
- Order consolidation
- Shipping
Industries Using Case Picking
Case picking is often used in warehouses where customers order large quantities of the same product. Examples of these industries include:
- Grocery
- Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies
Why Implement Case Picking Automation in Your Warehouse?
Numina Group has streamlined the process of case picking with automated technology and software that integrates with your existing enterprise resource planning tools (ERP) or warehouse management system (WMS).
Our Real-time Distribution software (RDS™), combined with BatchBot™, our case-picking autonomous robots (AMRs), streamlines the case picking process by batching orders with common case requirements and directing pickers through efficient paths using voice picking or pick-to-conveyor strategies. The software also balances pick waves across zones and monitors inventory in real time, ensuring that replenishment needs are flagged before they disrupt workflows.
Automated Solutions for Case Picking
When warehouses combine the power of integrated software with autonomous robots and pick-by-voice solutions, the result is a highly efficient solution that streamlines and accelerates employees’ work.
Automated case picking also reduces employee walk time and unnecessary ergonomic strain, while improving order accuracy rates.
Blog: Where are the Case-Picking Autonomous Mobile Robots?
PDF: RDS Batchbot