Bay with Lights
and
Cart with Lights

This mode of operation couples lights on bays with lights on a cart to enable fast and accurate identification of picking locations on bays, fast and accurate identification of putting locations on the cart and cluster picking.  An example picking scenario follows:

1. Order information is downloaded from a host computer, order management system or warehouse management system (WMS) into a database accessible to the FastFetch Optimizer PC.
2. The FastFetch Optimizer PC clusters the orders by location and uses the WMS’ traversal sequence (or FastFetch traversal sequence if the WMS sequence is unavailable) to route the picker through the warehouse using the shortest path to the storage bays holding required products.
3. A FastFetch PDA or Tablet PC downloads the next highest priority batch of orders to start picking.                 
4. The PDA or Tablet PC directs the picker to the first storage bay location using visual and voice commands.
5. Using infrared communication between the PDA or Tablet PC and controllers on the storage bays, the system alerts each picker to “STOP! ”when the target picking bay is reached.
6. LEDs are flashed and numeric displays on the storage bay (light modules) are illuminated, telling the picker the quantity of each item to pick. If a bay location is not equipped with a light module, voice commands direct the picker to the location and prompts him concerning how many items to pick.
7. The picker confirms the right items have been picked by placing a hand in front of a flashing LED in the light module to trigger a proximity switch that in turn emits an audible “beep” and the flashing LED is turned off.
   
   For bay locations not equipped with light modules, the picker uses a Bluetooth scanner to scan the product or location bar code. After verifying that the correct bar code was scanned, the PDA or Tablet PC verbally prompts the picker with the quantity to pick. After the items have been picked, one or more LEDs and numeric displays on cart light modules are flashed and illuminated, depicting the cart locations where the picked items are to be placed. Short picks and hold picks are recorded using the PDA or Tablet PC keypad and display.
8. The picker repeats this process until all required items at the bay are picked.
9. When all picking from the bay is completed, FastFetch tells the pickers to“MOVE ON” and speaks the location of the next bay.
10. Picking results are continually transmitted back to the host computer or uploaded to the host computer after all orders are filled.

Click here to see how FastFetch can be used in other cart and bay configurations.