Other Neat Stuff
About FastFetch!
(page 4)

Early Offloading of Completed Orders

Consider a picking area with numerous aisles running parallel to each other so a picker would normally walk a serpentine path through the area.  Further consider a powered conveyer running perpendicular to the aisles to one end of the picking area to take completed orders to shipping.   When FastFetch PDA or Tablet PC determines that  an order has been completed it commands the picker to stop the cart at the end of an aisle when it reaches the conveyor and puts the word dOnE in display of the light module(s) adjacent to the completed order(s).  The picker then offloads the completed order(s) and places them on the conveyor for transport to shipping. 

The FastFetch Optimizer PC will then download a set of new orders to the cart to replace those that were offloaded.  The new set will be selected from the total available set of orders so that the ones selected can be completed the fastest in the direction the cart is moving.  For example, it would be better to download an order that could be fully picked in the next 10 bays than one that would require picking from a bay that had been passed recently.  The FastFetch PDA or Tablet PC next instructs the picker to open new box(es) and place then into the now empty location(s), apply temp bar code labels to the box(es), scan the bar codes on the box(es) and touch the red, flashing LEDs the PDA or Tablet PC activated after each scan. 

Cluster Picking/Putting

If several orders on a cart require the same SKU from a picking bay it is generally more efficient to make one trip to the bay to pick an aggregate quantity of that SKU and distribute them into several locations (orders) on the cart.  This is called a one-to-many cluster pick/put operation.  Similarly, if one order on the cart requires several different SKUs from a bay then it is generally more efficient to make one trip to the bay to pick several SKUs (in different quantities) and place them into a single location (order) on the cart.  This is called a many-to-one cluster pick/put operation. 

During its batching creation operation, the FastFetch Optimizer PC analyzes all the line items on all orders to determine which orders can best be cluster picked and what type of cluster picking is most efficient when there are several alternative ways to cluster the line items.  This information, in conjunction with other measures of efficiency such as travel distance, is used to determine which orders should be picked together as a batch.  If batches are created by the WMS/ERP rather than the Optimizer PC, then the FastFetch Opimizer PC still analyzes the picks in all orders of each batch to determine the most efficient way to cluster pick and downloads the resulting picking plan to the PDA or Tabet PC receiving the batch. 

Serialization and Lot Tracking

Some products (e.g. cell phones) require the capture of serial numbers before shipping so this information can be recorded for tracking or warranties.  Based upon data in the download file, FastFetch will require each unit's bar code be picked to be scanned before placement into an order container.  Validation rules for the bar code scan can also be included in the download file.

Some products (e.g. food products) either require items with a specific lot number be picked or allow any item to be picked but require the lot number on the product be captured and sent to the WMS/ERP after picking.  Based upon the data in the download file, FastFetch will require each unit's bar code be picked to be scanned before placement into an order container.  If a specific lot number must  be picked FastFetch validates the bar code against a code in the download file.  In either case, FastFetch reports the bar code of the picked item to the WMS/ERP after picking.