Goods-to-Person Automation in Warehousing

Are you ready for a mind-blowing revelation about the world of warehousing? Did you know that as much as 55% of a facility's total labor costs can be attributed to order picking? Yes, you heard it right! But don't worry, because warehouse operators can now take advantage of the most advanced technology to make their operations more efficient, reduce costs, and increase throughput, all while keeping customer satisfaction levels sky-high! Daifuku Intralogistics America is here to revolutionize the game with their expertise in automated material handling solutions, including the game-changing good-to-person picking solutions.

Get ready to take your warehousing operations to the next level with Daifuku Intralogistics America!

Good-to-person picking involves bringing the items to the warehouse worker, rather than having the worker search for the items in the warehouse. This can significantly reduce travel time and increase productivity in the warehouse. With their extensive experience in the field, Daifuku Intralogistics America can help outfit your facility with the right automated material handling system to streamline your operations.

By implementing a good-to-person picking solution, your warehouse can potentially reduce labor costs, minimize errors, increase accuracy, and improve overall efficiency. Moreover, Daifuku's solutions are designed to be safe, flexible, and scalable, ensuring that your warehouse can adapt to changing demands and future growth.

Read on to learn more about the benefits of good-to-person picking and how Daifuku's solutions can help take your operations to the next level.

Key Benefits of Good-to-Person Picking

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Also known as "GTP" or "G2P" picking, good-to-person picking is a common warehouse automation system where the product is brought directly to the worker, usually with a display screen that details the quantity to pick. As the product or stock container of products is brought to the worker, they only have to follow the directions on the display screen.

There are many benefits of GTP picking versus other means. These include:

Improved efficiency

Some picking methods require workers to search for the items themselves, a process that can be time-consuming and inefficient. These conventional methods are known as "person-to-goods" or "PTG" picking. The GTP picking method brings the product directly to the worker, thereby streamlining productivity and efficiency.

Better accuracy

The GTP method reduces the risk of errors in the picking process. Conventional PTG picking methods are prone to errors or sending products to the incorrect location.

Better ergonomics

PTG picking methods require workers to move around on the warehouse floor. This method may also involve reaching for a product, which can take a toll on the body. GTP picking facilitates better ergonomics by bringing the product directly to the worker. This helps reduce the physical labor involved in the picking process and also significantly reduces the risk of injury.

A safer workplace tends to lead to a happier and more productive workforce. It can also help a business reduce its payout on worker's compensation costs.

It's a flexible system

GTP picking is also highly flexible. Warehouse managers can monitor orders and productivity in real time and make adjustments on the fly. Operations can also run around the clock, scaling up with a warehouse during the busy seasons and then seamlessly scaling back down during the non-busy periods of the year.

Maximize storage space

It's also estimated that incorporating GTP solutions into the warehouse can help maximize storage space. In fact, GTP technologies can save up to 90 percent of both vertical and horizontal storage space.

Daifuku's G2P Solutions

Daifuku offers 1:1 GTP and 1:many GTP systems. The GTP system that's best for your warehouse largely depends on the environment, your goals, the products you work with and more. Contact Daifuku today to learn more about our GTP options and let us help you determine which one would work best in your warehouse environment.

Daifuku Solutions for Automating Warehouse Operations

If you're looking to improve productivity and streamline your warehouse operations, Daifuku Intralogistics America offers a broad range of automation solutions. As a global leader in material handling, we specialize in tailoring automation strategies to meet your specific business needs, goals, and budget.

Our team of experts works closely with customers to develop efficient, effective, and scalable material handling systems. These strategies often include advanced automation technologies designed to optimize throughput, reduce labor dependency, and enhance order accuracy.

While many of our systems incorporate advanced automation, it’s important to clarify that machine learning is an emerging capability within our portfolio—primarily in areas like advanced goods-to-person fulfillment. In particular, machine learning shows growing promise in dynamic flow control, order prioritization, and optimizing workload distribution. However, for traditional technologies such as STVs and unit-load AS/RS systems, machine learning currently has limited application. These systems rely heavily on deterministic logic and structured controls where adaptive algorithms offer minimal advantage.

That said, Daifuku is actively exploring machine learning applications through collaborative R&D and in more sophisticated fulfillment environments. As the technology matures, we anticipate broader use cases to evolve within targeted areas of our automation solutions.

Here’s an overview of several picking technologies we offer:

Pick-to-light

A hybrid solution combining goods-to-person (GTP) and person-to-goods (PTG) methodologies. In this system, various pick zones are set up with indicator lights to guide workers to the correct bin for item selection. Ideal for split-case and full-case picking, especially with fast-moving items or a wide SKU range. It integrates seamlessly with WMS and ERP platforms.

Put-to-light

Similar to pick-to-light, this system uses visual indicators to direct workers, but it's primarily used for order sorting and consolidation. It boosts accuracy and efficiency, offering a quick learning curve and strong ROI—often delivering productivity gains of over 100% post-implementation.

Voice-directed picking

A great bridge between manual picking and full automation, this method equips workers with headsets connected to WMS/ERP systems. Voice commands guide them through the picking process, improving speed and accuracy—particularly in complex warehouse layouts not suited for GTP.

Contact Daifuku Today

Is your warehouse able to deliver at the capacity that you - and your customers - expect? If you're still using old-fashioned picking methods, now's the time to upgrade to more automated solutions. Daifuku is here to help. With solutions that can take conventional PTG operations to the next level and a variety of GTP solutions that can further streamline efficiency and productivity, we're standing by and ready to help you take your operations to new heights.

Contact Daifuku today for more information and to begin automating your picking operations.

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