Abstract
Order picking deals with the retrieval of articles from their storage locations in order to satisfy customer requests. The transformation and consolidation of customer orders into picking orders (batches) is pivotal for the performance of order picking systems. Typically, customer orders have to be completed by certain due dates in order to avoid delays in production or in the shipment to customers. The composition of the batches, their processing times, their assignment to order pickers and the sequence according to which they are scheduled determine whether and the extent to which the due dates are missed. This article shows how Variable Neighborhood Descent and Variable Neighborhood Search can be applied in order to minimize the total tardiness of a given set of customer orders. In a series of extensive numerical experiments, the performance of the two approaches is analyzed for different problem classes. It is shown that the proposed methods provide solutions which may allow order picking systems to operate more efficiently.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albareda-Sambola M, Alonso-Ayuso A, Molina E, Simónde Blas C (2009) Variable neighborhood search for order batching in a warehouse. Asia-Pacific J Oper Res 26(5):655–683
Caron F, Marchet G, Perego A (1998) Routing policies and COI-based storage policies in picker-to-part systems. Int J Prod Res 36(3):713–732
Du J, Leung JT (1990) Minimizing total tardiness on one machine is NP-hard. Math Oper Res 15(3):483–495
de Koster R, van der Poort E, Wolters M (1999) Efficient orderbatching methods in warehouses. Int J Prod Res 37(7):1479–1504
de Koster R, Le-Duc T, Roodbergen K (2007) Design and control of warehouse order picking: a literature review. Eur J Oper Res 182(2):481–501
Elsayed E, Lee MK (1996) Order processing in automated storage/retrieval systems with due dates. IIE Trans 28(7):567–577
Elsayed E, Lee MK, Kim S, Scherer E (1993) Sequencing and batching procedures for minimizing earliness and tardiness penalty of order retrievals. Int J Prod Res 31(3):727–738
Gademann N, van den Berg J, van der Hoff H (2001) An order batching algorithm for wave picking in a parallel-aisle warehouse. IIE Trans 33(5):385–398
Gue KR, Meller RD, Skufca JD (2006) The effects of pick density on order picking areas with with narrow aisles. IIE Trans 38(10):859–868
Hansen P, Mladenović N (2001) Variable neighborhood search: principles and applications. Eur J Oper Res 130(3):449–467
Hansen P, Mladenović N, Brimberg J, Moreno-Pérez J (2010) Variable neighborhood search. In: Gendreau M, Potvin JY (eds) Handbook of metaheuristics, 2nd edn, Springer, New York, pp 61–86
Henn S, Schmid V (2011) Metaheuristics for order batching and sequencing in manual order picking systems. Working Paper 11/2011, Faculty of Economics and Management, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg
Henn S, Koch S, Doerner K, Strauss C, Wäscher G (2010) Metaheuristics for the order batching problem in manual order picking systems. BuR-Bus Res 3(1):82–105
Henn S, Koch S, Wäscher G (2012) Order batching in order picking warehouses: a survey of solution approaches. In: Manzini R (eds) Warehousing in the global supply chain: advanced models, tools and applications for storage systems, Springer, London, pp 105–137
Hong S, Johnson AL, Peters BA (2012) Batch picking in narrow-aisle order picking systems with consideration for picker blocking. Eur J Oper Res 221(3):557–570
Hong S, Johnson AL, Peters BA (2012) Large-scale order batching in parallel-aisle picking systems. IIE Trans 44(3):88–106
Hsieh L-F, Huang Y-C (2011) New batch construction heuristics to optimise the performance of order picking systems. Int J Prod Econ 131(2):618–630
Kulak O, Sahin Y, Taner M (2012) Joint order batching and picker routing in single and multiple-cross-aisle warehouses using cluster-based Tabu Search algorithms. Flex Serv Manuf J 24(1):52–80
Mladenović N, Hansen P (1997) Variable neighborhood search. Comput Oper Res 24(11):1097–1100
Parikh PJ, Meller RD (2010) A note on worker blocking in narrow-aisle order picking systems when pick time is non-deterministic. IIE Trans 42(6):392–404
Petersen C, Schmenner R (1999) An evaluation of routing and volume-based storage policies in an order picking operation. Decis Sci 30(2):481–501
Tsai CY, Liou J, Huang TM (2008) Using a multiple-GA method to solve the batch picking problem: considering travel distance and order due time. Int J Prod Res 46(22):6533–6555
Wäscher G (2004) Order picking: a survey of planning problems and methods. In: Dyckhoff H, Lackes R, Reese J (eds) Supply chain management and reverse logistics, Springer, Berlin, pp 323–347
Yu M, de Koster R (2009) The impact of order batching and picking area zoning on order picking system performance. Eur J Oper Res 198(2):480–490
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Henn, S. Order batching and sequencing for the minimization of the total tardiness in picker-to-part warehouses. Flex Serv Manuf J 27, 86–114 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-012-9164-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-012-9164-1