Pick-path Optimizer agent
Groups pick lines into waves by zone and puts each wave's stops in bin-code order, so a picker works along the zone.
Validated with each clientWhat does Pick-path Optimizer replace? The work of a store / warehouse supervisor: plan the pick order for each warehouse zone. Groups pick lines into waves by zone and puts each wave's stops in bin-code order, so a picker works along the zone.
Shows why
It shows its reasons and how sure it is on every draft. When it is not sure, it only brings the item to your attention.
Waits for you
Nothing is filed, paid or posted until a person approves it.
Gets reviewed
Every approval and correction is recorded, so you can see how it performs on your own books.
A day with the Pick-path Optimizer agent
Imagine a distributor's warehouse at 10 in the morning with forty open orders and three pickers. The supervisor wants the walking to make sense.
- Orders become pick lists. Each list names the items, the bin each sits in, and the quantity.
- The supervisor opens "Suggested pick waves". Kinnow reads the open pick lists and the bins.
- It groups the lists into waves, one zone at a time. Oldest list first, with no more than 40 lines in a wave unless you change that. Lines whose location is not a known bin go to an "unzoned" wave and are marked as such.
- Each wave gets one walking order. The stops are put in sequence by bin code, so a picker works along the zone rather than doubling back. Kinnow does not know your floor plan; it follows the order of your bin codes.
- Short lines are listed with options. For each line the picker marked short, it offers: look at the shelf, look and then back-order the rest, back-order, or nothing to do.
- The supervisor releases the waves. Nothing is released, reserved or changed until a person does it. Pickers then scan items on the tablet and tick lines as picked.
Tell us how many pick lists your warehouse handles in a day. We will show how they would be grouped.
What it reads and what it hands back
| What it reads | What it hands back | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| Open pick lists (pending or in progress) and the bins they sit in | Proposed waves by zone, with a walking order for each | The "Suggested pick waves" panel on the Pick Lists screen |
| Lines already marked short | The options for each short line | The "Short lines" list under the waves |
| Lists with no recorded warehouse or no line left to walk | A note saying which were included or skipped, and why | The same panel |
What a person decides
You approve
- Releasing each wave to the pickers
- What to do about each short line
You set
- Which warehouse the plan is for
- The size of a wave if you want fewer or more lines
It never does
- Nothing is filed, paid or posted without a person.
- Edit a pick list or reserve stock
- Propose a substitute item
Ask Kinnow about this
Questions a warehouse manager might type. Ask Kinnow shows its source and cost before it runs.
- "How many pick lists are still open?" A count by status.
- "Which items are short on today's pick lists?" The short lines and the lists they sit on.
- "Which bins still show item 4412?" Bins that show the item; this is not stock free to allocate.
Ask us to plan a real day of your pick lists.
Works with
Pick-path Optimizer belongs to the Warehouse part of Stock and ship. Related: FEFO / FIFO Selector, Reorder Planner, the right bin, right item capability, and the glossary page on FEFO and FIFO.
Questions
What does the Pick-path Optimizer agent do?
Groups pick lines into waves by zone and puts each wave's stops in bin-code order, so a picker works along the zone.
What does the Pick-path Optimizer improve?
The order of the pick lines: they follow your bin codes, so a picker works along a zone instead of doubling back. A person approves it before anything is posted, filed, sent or paid.
Does Pick-path Optimizer get better with use?
Kinnow measures it rather than assuming it. Each time you approve or reject, the result is recorded against how sure the agent said it was, so you can see on your own books whether its confidence can be trusted. Your corrections are kept as feedback.
How is it paid for?
It is part of your agent pack. There are no per-user seats.
Does it know the layout of my warehouse?
No. It orders stops by bin code and groups by zone as read from the bin. Name your bins in walking order and the sequence will follow.
What happens to short lines?
Each is listed with options: look at the shelf, look and back-order the rest, back-order, or nothing to do. A person chooses. No substitute is proposed.
Tell Kinnow what slows you down.
Answer three questions. Get the applications, the agents and a two-week plan for your business.