A generic approach for order picking optimization process in different warehouse layouts

The warehouse layout directly affects the process of receiving and storing of goods, as well as the order picking process. A standard layout has its pallet places arranged in parallel shelves with aligned cross-aisles. However, a big number of warehouses use a shelf layout in which the complete warehouse cannot be represented as a sequence of parallel shelves. Effective calculation of distances between positions in the warehouse presents a significant step towards the effective order collection and distribution of goods. This paper describes a generic approach for calculating distances within a warehouse which does not necessarily have standard layout. It describes the application of the algorithm on different warehouse layouts in which the shelves can be split into smaller units so that inside of each unit the shelves are distributed in a standard way. Dynamic programming was used for the calculation of distances inside of those units. An analysis and testing of the algorithm were performed on two middle-sized warehouses with non-standard shelf layout. The algorithm was tested in the process of collecting orders, as well as the process of moving goods from the stock to the pick zone.