As a businessman, you must be worried about the stocks and things coming in and going out. A stock pick-by-light system comes up with the dilemma of locating the exact product stored at industrial warehouses. It helps them find their products in less time, so every industrial storage must have this system. Then how can industrial warehouses have a pick-by-light system?
All warehouses are different because each company that has a warehouse is different. The products and services they have to offer are ultimately the same, but their warehouse staff is very different. Therefore, a pick-by-light system would be the most beneficial to them.
When it comes to fulfilling orders, it's all about getting products on and off the shelf as fast as possible. If you had a massive warehouse with just one type of product in it, you could build a picking system around this product line with little to no problem at all.
How Does the Pick-by-Light System Works?
A pick-by-light system is an inventory management technology that uses a series of lights to direct employees on where to find and store items. The system uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to indicate the proper location for a particular item in the storage area. It also helps order pickers find the correct product when filling an order for a customer.
A pick-by-light system comprises several elements, including LED displays, scanners, and computer software. When an item needs to be placed in storage, a worker can scan its barcode with a scanner or enter it into a computer. The computer then identifies the item and its proper location using software that manages inventory. The LED display then indicates where the item should be stored by lighting up the right location on the display panel.
When an item needs to be retrieved from storage or picked, an order picker can scan the barcode or enter it into a computer once again. The software identifies the item, finds its location, and turns on the LEDs at that location so that the order picker can easily find it.
The pick-by-light system eliminates problems such as wrong pickings, which are errors made during picking operations that sometimes result in customers receiving incorrect products or not receiving them.
Electronic Shelf Label
Pick by light uses an Electronic shelf label with an LED light on it. The lights of each label are illuminated when the products need to be picked up. The pickers walk along the shelves until they have all the needed products. This system helps eliminate time wasted searching for products and ensures that they get everything they need without a double back.
Electronic shelf labels, also called ESLs, are energy-efficient digital price tags. They're typically powered by an internal battery and communicate wirelessly with a back-office computer to update the price or other information shown on the label. An electronic shelf label is an electronic version of a paper price tag, but instead of a paper tag with ink, it uses an LCD or E-Paper display.
MinewTag has the latest and updated ESLs with LED lights of three different colors that will help you implement a pick-by-light system in the large warehouse.
Benefits of Pick to Light Systems
Before the pick-to-light system came along, employees had to physically walk to the location of a product to pick it up. Many times this meant going up and downstairs. This led to multiple injuries and, more importantly, a loss of time. Companies are now investing in the pick-to-light system in warehouses with that in mind. This picking system has the following benefits:
Improved tracking
The pick to light technology makes it easier to track all the inventory coming in and going out of the warehouse. It can help you keep better track of how much stock you have left, so you can reorder in advance rather than waiting until you run out. It also makes it easier for you to know exactly how much stock has already been picked out at any moment, so you don't pick out something twice by mistake.
Language barrier
Pick to Light Systems don't require specific language skills because all instructions are given from the light signals rather than through verbal instructions or computer monitors. This means that you can hire more workers for your warehouse without worrying about their ability to communicate with other employees.
Empowers workers with information
Some pick-to-light systems allow employees to see how many units they have picked and how many are left in stock in real-time. This information empowers workers by allowing them to manage their workload and productivity more efficiently. It also helps you track performance and address any issues on the floor before they become a problem.
Easier training process
Because pick-to-light systems are intuitive, it is a much more accessible training process for new warehouse workers or those trained on new processes or SKUs.
Easy integration with other technologies
Pick to light systems are interactive warehouse technology that utilizes indicators to guide pickers on where to locate products and how many items to retrieve. These systems often include software that provides workflow optimization strategies for order picking and restocking processes. The software integrates with back-office systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for greater visibility across operations. It supports worker performance by notifying them of picking errors, inventory levels, etc.
How to Implement a Pick-by-Light System
The first thing that you need to do is find the best system for your warehouse management needs. There are lots of different systems, and you need to figure out what the best one is based on what you need in your business.
Digital Shelf Labels are the best options for all types and sizes of businesses. Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) is one of the most popular ways to ensure that your store is well stocked, organized, and looks suitable for your customers.
Make sure your employees understand the system.
Integrate the ESL with your ERP system to track the level of inventory.
Using MinewTag's Electronic Shelf Labels is an excellent way to make a pick-to-light system more effective and efficient. MinewTag's Electronic Shelf Labels are proven to perform in industrial warehouses.
