About Pick to Light

The Pick-To-Light solution allows a user to process many pick transactions simultaneously and quickly. It is one of the transactions available within the MMT package.

The Pick to Light transaction uses trolleys designed for picking small items. The trolley has bays within it that are used for each order. The only limit on the number of simultaneous bays is the physical dimensions of the trolley.

With the Siemens Dematic “lights”, each bay has a display that informs the operator how many items to pick.

The MMT “Pick To Light” transactions control the numbers displayed on each indicator based on information retrieved from the ERP system. The operator presses the “OK” button to confirm the requested quantity. If a short pick is necessary, the operator adjusts the quantity using the adjustment buttons and then presses the “OK” button.

All the operator is required to do is go to the location of the requested warehouse bin, and enter or scan the material number. After this action, the “lights” will automatically show how many of that product is to be place in each bay on the trolley. Once finished with that product, the MMT instructs the operator to go to the next closest bin on the open orders.

Operators pick many orders simultaneously, up to 18 orders at a time.  This means that incredible efficiencies are achieved.  The operator is not constantly returning to the same bins over and over again.

A close-up of one of the "lights"



 

Features & Benefits

  

Efficiency Gains

  • Pick multiple orders at once
  • Maximise labour productivity
  • Reduced operator travel time
  • Suits picking many small orders at once - up to 18 orders at once

Easy To Use

  • Reduces errors
  • Displays the quantity to pick in a large visual display
  • Simple to use
  • Only one button press required to pick the requested quantity

Mobilility

  • A Radio Frequency terminal controls the “lights”
  • Fully mobile within the warehouse
  • Connected to a Radio Frequency (RF) terminal for portability
  • Powered from the vehicle
  • Uses standard RF networks

Tried, Tested and Proven
 

Pick-To-Light and MMT

  
  • Real time data collection using Radio Frequency (RF) technology
  • Uses bar coding technology for vast improvements in speed and accuracy
  • Designed specifically for use by shop floor operators. Minimal use of computer jargon and ERP specific terms, replaced instead by industry standard terminology that shop floor operators understand
  • RF device, bar code reader and hardware vendor independent
  • Specifically designed for small screen ASCII terminals
  • Runs on any RF bar code reading terminal that supports a VT100 style telnet connection
  • GS1-128 article numbering support for further increased speed, accuracy and conforming to new and emerging standards in bar coding technology
  • Designed to enhance picking procedures on the shop floor


 

Technical Information

  
  • Uses industry standard RF networks and devices
  • Requires telnet type logons, using VT220 style emulation
  • Interfaces to hosts with text based messaging, SAP (IDocs, BAPIs), ODBC, and can be interfaced to most other API based systems
  • Runs on a UNIX, Linux or Windows Professional workstation installed close to the wireless devices
  • Applications run on the MMT workstation, not the RF device
  • Not ERP system dependent. The ERP system can be unavailable for medium periods. MMT allows operators to continue working in the warehouse
  • Uses e-mail style “store and forward” for sending documents to the ERP system
  • User specific permissions on transactions
  • Minimal ERP connections used

Pick-To-Light bays at work in the warehouse