Enhancing Warehouse Efficiency: Estimating Order Picking Complexity for Improved Performance

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) employ advanced optimization techniques to enhance efficiency and streamline processes, from inventory positioning to order picking and packing. Among these, order picking represents the most time-consuming and resourceintensive operation. This paper presents a novel approach for monitoring worker efficiency in warehouses, focusing on estimating the complexity and time required for order picking. A variety of factors influence these estimates, including item location, quantity, dimensions and weight of items, picking sequence, and whether the location is in the stock or picking zone. Accurate estimation enables effective daily work planning, real-time monitoring of worker productivity, and overall warehouse efficiency. The proposed approach has been tested in real-world warehouse environments, demonstrating its practical applicability and potential to significantly improve worker performance, resource allocation, and operational management.