Design and analysis of an automated order-picking workstation

A novel design of an automated order-picking workstation processing multiple orders simultaneously is proposed to be used in warehouses with an end-of-aisle order-picking system. A typical problem at this workstation is the out-of-sequence arrival of products, assuming the workstation receives products for multiple orders simultaneously. As multiple products are present, the picking sequence at the workstation affects the system throughput. The performance of four picking policies is compared in terms of order throughput and queue length distribution under different extents of out-of-sequence arrivals. Experimental results show the capability of the workstation to handle an arbitrary extent of out-of-sequence arrival of products. Noteworthy insights for design considerations of such systems are drawn.