Online Controlled Picking in a Warehouse

• US 20080215179A1
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hadari, Malkiel, Harel, Orit, Holzman, Ziv, Epp, Joachim, Yair, Ben-Shaul
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of controlling picking operations of a number of users in a warehouse, wherein goods are located at source locations, each picking operation comprising: an operation of preparation, wherein, at the source location, the good is introduced in a handling unit, HU, an operation of placing the HU on a picking equipment, the picking equipment being a tool for transferring the HU, an operation of transferring the HU to the destination location, wherein a sequence of picking instructions are presented online individually to the number of users via instruction presenting means which are associated with the respective users, each picking instruction specifying the HU to be transferred, the equipment to be used, and the first and second position, whereby execution of each of the picking operation steps is controlled by online data verification such that a subsequent picking operation instruction may be changed, and presented to the users via the instruction presenting means depending upon result of the verification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of controlling picking operations of a number of users in a warehouse, wherein goods are located at predetermined source locations,

each picking operation comprising:

a step of preparation, wherein, at the source location, the good is introduced in a handling unit, HU, the HU being a container for storing and transporting the good,

a step of placing the HU on a picking equipment, the picking equipment being a tool for transferring the HU,

a step of transferring the HU to the destination location,

wherein a sequence of picking instructions are presented online individually to the number of users via instruction presenting means which are associated with the respective users,

each picking instruction specifying the HU to be transferred, the equipment to be used, and the first and second position,

whereby execution of each of the picking operation steps is controlled by online data verification such that a subsequent picking operation instruction may be changed, and presented to the users via the instruction presenting means depending upon result of the verification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of picking areas is defined in the warehouse, each picking area comprising a predefined group of locations, and each user is assigned to work in at least one of the picking areas.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the picking areas are defined according to the type of instruction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction presenting means being one of RF device, PDA, computer screen, and paper list, paper tag.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein for a given picking area, a bundle of picking instructions is produced in sequence, which are assigned to one user to be executed.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein for a given picking area, a bundle of picking instructions is produced in sequence, which are assigned to a group of users to be executed.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the instructions of the bundle of instructions are sorted into a picking sequence to be executed by a group of users.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a timestamp is recorded when a bundle is assigned to a user.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein a timestamp is recorded when an instruction is executed by a user.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein for specific picking instructions, specific HUs to be used are proposed to the user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein to each of the HUs an ID is assigned which is representative of the type of the HU, the ID being arranged on the HU.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the proposed HU may optionally be overridden by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein

in a first step, the user is directed to the source location,

in a second step, a confirmation of the user to be at the correct location is received from the user,

in a third step, a picking instruction is displayed to the user,

the picking instruction including material number, HU number, unit of issue, pack-with, position on the cart for the material to be placed in, and quantity,

in a fourth step, receiving a verification of the user that the material is pre-sent at the source location,

in a fifth step, receiving a confirmation that the material is picked by the user,

in a sixth step, instructing the user to count at the source location the quantity of remaining material, and

in a seventh step, recording the destination location where the user moved the HU.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein if the HU is not large enough for the whole quantity of material to be picked, the system receives an information that the HU is full, and after recording the destination location of the HU, a further HU is created to be used for the remaining quantity of material.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the verifications are performed using scanning of barcodes on the material.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein exceptions are recorded, the exceptions being representative of at least one of

insufficient location

insufficient stock

wrong part in location

mixed stock

overfill for scrap.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein a picking instruction of the picking sequence may be skipped over by the user, and re-inserted at a later position in the picking sequence.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein if an exception is received reporting that a location is empty, no further instructions to users to go there are issued.

19. The method according to claim 2, wherein a confirmation is received issued by the user upon completing a bundle of picking operations.

20. A computer system for performing the method according to claim 1.

21. A computer-readable storage medium comprising program code for performing the method according to claim 1, when loaded into a computer system.