Name: Saad Mahmood

Asssignment 3

Q) What are the benefits of part to picker system? How it can improve warehouse
operations
An order picking system is a warehouse management system that is designed
especially for warehouses that deal with customer orders. This is important piece of
equipment in the warehouse because it enables warehouse owners to reap the following
benefits that are helpful for their business. 

 More organized orders/items. An order picking system is designed to place ordered

items in the proper place and then when they are activated, they pick the right orders
for the workers to prepare for the customers. With this, order picking is made more
organized and a very easy task to do.
 Less-stressed workers. The fact that an order picking system makes order picking
more organized makes the order picking task less stressful for the workers. In other
words, you will benefit from less-stressed workers. In fact, even if you minimize the
number of workers you have, they would still feel less stressed because of the
convenience that an order picking system can offer.
 More productive workers. Now, the fact that the workers are less stressed with an
order picking system makes them more productive workers. This is because they can
easily finish a massive amount of orders in a day as order picking is no longer
stressful for them.
 Fast order completion. You can benefit a lot with an order picking system through fast
order completion. Completing orders from customers can be done in a jiffy and this is
what makes order picking less stressful for workers.
 Fewer mistakes. When it comes to order picking system, this warehouse management
system is computer-operated and so, there is likely to be any mistakes when picking
orders. As the warehouse owner, you won’t be stressed if a worker makes mistakes
and for workers, they no longer need to worry about being scolded for order picking
faults.
 More satisfied customers. As mentioned, the order picking system has the ability to
achieve fast order completion and less order mistakes. These result to more satisfied
customers. When the order picked is correct and delivered to them fast because of the
system, you can guarantee that you will always make your customers and clients
satisfied with your service.
 More potential customers. In any kind of business, if a certain batch of customes is
satisfied with the service, you can guarantee that more potential customers are coming
because satisfied customers can’t help but disseminate the information about your
good service to others.
  More progressive and popular business. And the final benefit of an order picking
system is the progress and popularity of your business. Since your workers are less
stressed and more productive, more customers would be satisfied and the more the
customers are satisfied the healthier it is for your business.

b) How it can improve warehouse operations:

When it comes to running a successful, efficient and cost-effective warehouse, two very
important factors come into play — strong leadership and constant improvement of
warehouse operations. Introducing a strong warehouse manager who has an understanding of
both present operational procedures and future technological trends, allows the company to
comfortably keep up with current demands while keeping an eye on changes that may help to
further streamline processes.
Controlling inbound and outbound freight
Virtual libraries are being filled with articles on how to reduce or slow down this area of
cost.  It must be your number-one ongoing focus to prevent profit erosion. Use a consultant to
help you competitively bid. While carrier agreements are proprietary, experienced consultants
can still help identify areas to negotiate reductions without hurting service levels.
Incentive pay
Properly engineered incentive pay for performance can bring the biggest percent
improvement in labor productivity. More than 50% of your warehouse labor is in pick and
pack, so start there.  You always need to be sure you’re not paying for productivity you’re
already getting or could get in other ways.
Simplify Processes, Reduce Touches and Costs
Over the years, have you been layering new functions over longer term existing ones? Do
product flow and order flow no longer make sense and crisscross the floor? Take a fresh look
at the physical processes and steps involved in product flow and order fulfillment. Generally
speaking, less steps equal fewer touches equal lower costs.
Develop More Effective Frontline Managers
Effective managers know it’s all about execution. Their ability to efficiently manage all
aspects of fulfillment radically affects your costs, worker morale and the quality of customer
order fulfillment. What are their individual needs? What exposure to other aspects of your
business will help them understand your merchandise, your customers and vendors? What
training resources are available online or locally?
Inbound Supply Chain
Changes to supply chain include scheduling inbound purchase orders to manage the receiving
dock and yard better. Develop vendor compliance policies, including purchasing terms and
conditions, on-time delivery, quality and item specifications, routing guides and importing
guides, product packaging and labeling and drop ship vendor standards. Push quality and
value-added services up the supply chain to the vendors so the product is ready to be put
away or shipped. This reduces labor for rework of mistakes.
Voice-Enabling Technology
Some vendors reduced the costs to make this technology available to all different sized
businesses. Voice enabling can be applied to all processes and departments – from receiving
to shipping and returns – for better inventory control and increased productivity. These
systems have quick install times, require no IT or modifications to your WMS, don’t require
extensive training and have a fast ROI – as quickly as four to six months. Do your due
diligence though, because not all voice applications are created equal.
Consider Third-Party Logistics
Using a third-party logistics provider (3PL) isn’t for everyone. Many of our clients believe
they can do fulfillment cheaper and with higher quality themselves. However, we have seen
good experiences from 3PL at costs competitive with internal costs. Using a 3PL partner
means capital isn’t tied up in new facilities and systems. For smaller companies 3PL lets
management concentrate on marketing and merchandising functions essential to sustain
growth. When you need to increase warehousing, storage or order throughput, look at 3PL as
an option.
Continuous improvement process
Great merchants and marketers measure everything and do post mortems of their promotions
and results. Do an assessment. Work out a plan. Set objectives and accountability for
improvement, review progress and start again