Galliker picks with Pick-by-Light
Completing more than 30,000 picks every day as efficiently, as quickly as possible and absolutely error-free is a challenge. Galliker has accepted this challenge and since the beginning of August has been able to carry out the pre-kitting (detail picking) of the vending machine articles for the customer Selecta Switzerland in the Galliker branch in Aclens. The system used for the first time at Galliker is called Pick-by-Light.
Intuitive, fast and safe
The idea of paperless picking with compartment displays - the so-called Pick-by-Light method - is to give instructions to the picker directly at the storage compartment or storage location of the individual articles. Instead of a picking list, the articles and quantities to be picked are transmitted to the picker via a compartment display located directly at the storage location of the article.
Procedure
Each storage location is equipped with a Pick-by-Light module (also called "compartment display" or "display"). The modules consist of an eye-catching lamp which lights up in a different color depending on the order and also serves as an acknowledgement button, a display with quantity indication and two buttons for possible corrections of the quantity indication on the display. With the start of a picking order all compartment displays of the articles to be picked are activated, i.e. the eye-catching lamp and the quantity display are switched on.
The eye-catching lamp, which is visible from a long distance and which lights up in the color of the corresponding order, enables the order picker to quickly and clearly identify all the picking compartments of his order and the quantity display informs about the required number of articles. After picking the articles, he presses the acknowledgement button on the compartment display. The eye-catching light and the quantity display go out. At the same time, the pick information is transmitted to the merchandise management or warehouse management system and posted there directly. The color system of the eye-catching lamps allows several orders to be processed simultaneously by different pickers.
The target performance is 1,350 picks per hour and employee in the initial phase and is to be increased to 1,500 picks per hour and employee after the familiarization phase. For Selecta's order, around 6 employees are deployed for picking, replenishment and warehouse management.