Eliminate hidden costs using the LED lights

Many companies, especially manufacturing companies, need a high speed of picking goods in their operations. A system called Pick to Light can help them by speeding up pickings by up to 50% and simultaneously reducing the error rate below 0.0001. Our M2L system is an example of fast navigation in the warehouse.

When the light navigates

The operation of Pick to Light technology is simple. It is a quick navigation using lights - the warehouse worker picks goods only from positions where the light turns on. The main advantage is that a worker doesn’t have to search for the necessary items as the method of visual navigation completely maximizes the productivity of selection and insertion. In addition, this method minimizes the time needed to train new operators. M2L can process several orders at the same time and it is also able to point out a low level of stock. Pick to Light is suitable for all types of goods, from small KLT positions to large pallet positions.

Hidden costs are result of picking errors

Business owners are not always aware of it but large hidden costs arise from picking errors. Whether it's an incorrectly picked order or replaced or missing components, the consequences can be severe. These errors can cause halts of the production line, which can cost considerable finances. Poor production quality, which can be another consequence of incorrect picking, tarnishes the company reputation. That’s why it is very important to ensure that errors are minimized, while a high picking speed is maintained.

Worry-free training

Although many companies rely on their long-term warehouse workers who have a perfect overview of the warehouse, it doesn’t always pay off. An experienced employee is still just human and can make mistakes while picking. Then what can you expect from temporary workers and new employees who don’t know anything about the warehouse? Picking using the M2L system, the operator only has to worry about picking according to the light, the system "thinks" for him. This doesn’t tire the operator and he is able to work more efficiently. At the same time, he has more energy left to deal with special situations. Deploying the Pick to Light system to the warehouse can also reduce training time needed for temporary or new operators by up to 85%. New operators can be trained very quickly while still ensuring a required quality of their work. If using the hand scanner, operators can work almost immediately and without errors. It is also not required to know Slovak language to deploy and use the Pick to Light system.

Shelf adaptability

The M2L system can be used with various types of shelves while maintaining a very simple installation. Our company designs and produces the necessary attachments using 3D printing technology. It is possible to deploy M2L coupled with a warehouse management system or connect to an existing WMS. The error rate can be reduced even further by using an RFID gateway that offers secondary control. In the future, we plan to further expand the system with recognition of picked components based on photographs using artificial intelligence.

Interesting stats

The Pick to Light system offers more options thanks to the data it collects during its work. One way to use them is to demonstrate the high quality of picking. Many customers demand it not only in tenders, but also in further cooperation. When a complaint happens, it’s not a problem to determine exactly where the error occurred on the basis of the data and which employee is responsible for it. It is also possible to reward and motivate individual operators on the basis of KPIs. Based on the data, bottlenecks or problem locations can be detected and eliminated in the warehouse. Experts claim that up to 80% of errors occur at just few problem locations. The data that the Pick to Light system brings can be used for reorganization of the warehouse so that goods are stored according to the turnover. This saves the storekeeper time transporting the goods.