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WAREHOUSES AND MANIPULATION TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT
OPTIMAL VS. LARGEST GAP ORDER PICKING HEURISTIC
Bartosz Bielecki
Tutors:
Prof. Dr. Iztok Potr
Prof. Dr. Tone Lehrer
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1. INTRODUCTION
The aim of this seminar work is to compare two different heuristics of order
picking in given warehouse layout. Three warehouses layouts were given, different in
terms of its length, number of aisles and number of storage locations. Given layouts
were then analyzed using Interactive Warehouse software provided by Kees Jan
Roodbergen
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.
2. INPUT DATA
Length of the
warehouse L [m]
Width of the
aisle W [m]
Number of
aisles
Number of
storage
locations
Warehouse I 20 4 6 240
Warehouse II 15 4 8 240
Warehouse III 12 4 10 240
3. RESULTS
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www.roodbergen.com
W
A
R
E
H
O
U
S
E
I
n=20 n=50 n=100
OPTIMAL LARGEST GAP OPTIMAL LARGEST GAP OPTIMAL LARGEST GAP
1 160,0 177,0 160,0 191,5 160,0 214,0
2 157,5 159,0 160,0 181,0 160,0 207,5
3 157,0 162,5 160,0 189,0 160,0 211,0
4 120,0 130,5 160,0 177,5 160,0 205,0
5 127,5 147,0 160,0 182,5 160,0 211,0
6 135,0 137,0 160,0 188,0 160,0 200,5
7 135,0 153,0 160,0 190,5 160,0 213,5
8 136,5 147,5 160,0 196,5 160,0 214,0
9 142,0 142,0 159,5 192,5 160,0 215,5
10 143,0 152,0 160,0 193,5 160,0 215,5
11 139,5 144,0 158,5 192,0 160,0 208,0
12 134,0 188,0 160,0 197,5 160,0 201,5
13 143,0 147,5 160,0 192,5 160,0 197,0
14 151,5 157,5 160,0 182,5 160,0 215,5
15 134,0 147,0 160,0 187,5 160,0 215,0
16 155,0 151,5 160,0 186,5 160,0 207,5
17 149,0 158,0 160,0 197,5 160,0 208,0
18 125,0 125,0 160,0 179,5 160,0 202,0
19 158,0 173,5 160,0 192,0 160,0 204,0
20 152,5 157,0 160,0 206,0 160,0 212,0
AVG 142,8 152,8 159,9 189,8 160,0 208,9
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Result of analyzing warehouse I is very clear and obvious - using optimal
order picking strategy is way more effective in terms of optimizing the order picking
path in the warehouse.
Figure 1 - comparison of order picking heuristics for warehouse I
From the graph it is clearly seen that the Largest gap heuristic is getting less efficient
with increase of number of items that need to be picked up. Length of the path
created with optimal method is pretty much the same, since all aisles have to be
crossed in order to pick up all the items. An example which shows big difference in
length of the paths is order number 12 (20 items).
Figure 2 - optimal (left, 134m) and largest gap (right, 188m) route for order 12 (2 items)
142,8
159,9 160
152,8
189,8
208,9
0
50
100
150
200
250
n=20 n=50 n=100
Optimal
Largest gap
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Example clearly represents the advantage of optimal order picking method over
largest gap, there is almost 30% difference in distance that needs to be covered to
collect all the items ordered. The aspect of largest gap method, that makes it inferior
in comparison to optimal is the fact, that after picking some items in certain aisle the
worker has to go back and later enter the same aisle from another side of the
warehouse to collect remaining items.
W
A
R
E
H
O
U
S
E
I
I
n=20 n=50 n=100
OPTIMAL LARGEST GAP OPTIMAL LARGEST GAP OPTIMAL LARGEST GAP
1 147,0 147,0 176,0 210,0 176,0 234,0
2 169,0 175,5 176,0 206,5 176,0 225,0
3 143,0 162,5 176,0 207,0 176,0 225,0
4 164,5 171,5 176,0 192,0 176,0 230,0
5 141,5 153,0 176,0 197,5 176,0 227,0
6 146,5 166,0 175,0 195,0 176,0 220,5
7 148,5 153,5 171,5 188,0 176,0 215,5
8 151,5 157,5 176,0 209,0 176,0 219,5
9 143,0 146,5 171,0 193,0 176,0 222,5
10 130,5 135,5 176,0 204,0 176,0 228,5
11 156,5 161,0 166,0 188,0 176,0 222,0
12 163,0 168,5 176,0 207,0 176,0 223,5
13 137,5 141,5 170,0 208,5 176,0 227,0
14 157,0 159,5 174,0 200,5 176,0 224,5
15 145,0 149,5 176,0 198,0 176,0 228,5
16 152,0 157,0 176,0 205,5 176,0 223,5
17 156,5 168,0 176,0 193,5 176,0 228,0
18 149,0 161,5 176,0 197,5 176,0 224,0
19 147,0 162,0 172,0 200,5 176,0 224,0
20 128,5 133,5 170,0 199,5 176,0 215,5
AVG 148,9 156,5 174,1 200,0 176,0 224,4
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Figure 3 - comparison of order picking heuristics for warehouse II
As far as the second warehouse layout is concerned it is important to mark is that
differences between optimal and largest gap order picking for responsible amounts of
items ordered are less than in warehouse I. Nevertheless, optimal heuristic is still
more effective and the difference between average length of route between orders
containing 50 and 100 items. This small difference is caused by the fact, that with so
many items to be picked in almost every case each aisle has to traveled through.
Largest gap order picking again shows big increase of path length with the increase of
number of items to be picked.
Figure 4 - largest gap (left, 188m) and optimal (right, 1!!m) route for order 11 (" items)
148,9
14,1
16
156,5
200
224,4
0
50
100
150
200
250
n=20 n=50 n=100
Optimal
Largest gap
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Above example shows the different approach used by the order picking methods.
Largest gap method tends to avoid going through the whole aisle whenever it's
possible and because of that the whole route is longer. Optimal method design most
favorable way to pick up the items combining going through whole aisle and entering
and exiting an aisle the same way, leaving a gap in the route through this aisle.
W
A
R
E
H
O
U
S
E
I
I
I
n=20 n=50 n=100
OPTIMAL
LARGEST
GAP OPTIMAL
LARGEST
GAP OPTIMAL
LARGEST
GAP
1 160,0 170,5 184,5 199,0 192,0 226,0
2 184,0 192,5 187,5 199,0 192,0 240,5
3 151,5 155,0 192,0 215,0 192,0 239,0
4 146,0 147,5 186,0 205,5 192,0 225,0
5 164,0 170,0 186,5 202,5 192,0 240,5
6 160,5 166,0 191,0 213,5 192,0 238,0
7 166,5 174,0 187,0 209,5 192,0 243,0
8 153,5 158,0 192,0 220,0 192,0 242,0
9 154,0 154,0 190,5 216,0 192,0 242,0
10 167,5 168,5 191,5 208,5 192,0 240,0
11 154,0 154,5 182,0 210,0 192,0 237,5
12 152,5 154,0 168,5 180,5 192,0 235,5
13 143,5 155,0 189,5 211,0 192,0 241,5
14 158,5 161,0 192,0 211,5 192,0 236,5
15 145,5 154,0 191,5 209,0 192,0 232,5
16 165,0 157,5 192,0 217,0 192,0 245,0
17 151,5 155,5 182,0 207,0 192,0 219,5
18 144,5 155,5 191,5 214,5 192,0 231,0
19 146,0 150,5 183,5 198,0 192,0 234,0
20 134,5 151,0 187,5 211,5 192,0 233,0
AVG 155,2 160,2 187,4 207,9 192,0 236,1
Figure " - comparison of order picking heuristics for warehouse III
Results of analyzing warehouse III show even smaller differences between
two order picking heuristics in terms of length of the picking route. In case of 20 items
largest gap method gives an outcome of a route only 4% longer than optimal, and
10%/19% for 50/100 items respectively. Nevertheless, optimal method still proves to
be more effective.
155,2
18,4
192
160,2
20,9
236,1
0
50
100
150
200
250
n=20 n=50 n=100
Optimal
Largest gap
Figure ! - largest gap (left, 1"4m) and optimal (right, 1"4m) route for order # (2 items)
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Above example shows an interesting case, when the route has the same
length for both optimal and largest gap method. The length of the paths is the same,
but the path itself is slightly different, which displays the distinction between two
philosophies of order picking. It is also worth noticing, that although the algorithm of
the software produces random distribution of the items within the warehouse, this
example is rather specific. Most of the items are located close to warehouse's main
aisle thus allowing the largest gap heuristic to be more effective.
4. CONCLUSIONS
The analysis clearly showed an upper-hand that optimal method of order
picking has over largest gap heuristic. It obtains shorter paths by combining different
approaches to warehousing issues. Whenever it's necessary the path goes through
entire aisle, allowing order picker to get items from both sided of an aisle. When it's
not demanded, optimal algorithm in a way turns to largest gap going only as far into
an aisle as it's needed, then returning to the main aisle. However, with a big amount
of items ordered, optimal algorithm doesn't prove to be able to save the distance, as
it is necessary to go through all the aisles.
