Pick Strategy Overview
Pick strategies define how bins and quantities are selected during warehouse picking. They help optimize pick execution by applying consistent rules for bin prioritization, inventory usage, and operational efficiency based on your warehouse requirements.
Prerequisites
Before using pick strategies, configure where they are applied and how they respond when inventory requirements cannot be met.
Configuration Steps
Pick strategies are configured through the following hierarchy:
Location-Level Configuration: Specify a Pick Strategy Code on the Locations Card (Bin Policies FastTab). Once configured, the warehouse will apply the strategy associated with the entered code to all items unless overridden.
Item-Level Override: For items requiring a unique strategy, define a specific Pick Strategy Code on the Item Card (Inventory FastTab). This item-level setting takes precedence over the location-level configuration.
No Result Behavior
During a standard pick operation, the configured pick strategy is applied and pick lines are built accordingly. If the strategy cannot be satisfied with the current inventory, behavior is governed by the No Result Behavior setting on the Pick Strategy configuration page.
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| <Blank> | Processing automatically continues with the standard alphabetical picking method. |
| Warning | You are prompted before switching to the standard picking process. |
| Error | Processing stops and does not continue with standard picking. |
Pick Strategy Card Configuration
The Pick Strategy Card page is the central hub for configuring pick strategies. Access this page through the Pick Strategy List page.
Field Descriptions
The following table describes the key fields on the Pick Strategy Card page.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Code | The unique identifier and primary key for the pick strategy. |
| Description | A short description of the pick strategy. |
| No Result Behavior | Defines the response when no suitable bin combination is available for the pick strategy. The options are <Blank> (continue with standard method), Warning (prompt before switching), or Error (stop processing). |
| Strategy Group | An ascending number sequence that determines how strategy lines are linked and evaluated. Lines with the same group number are evaluated simultaneously, while different group numbers are evaluated sequentially. Subsequent groups are only processed if the previous group yields no results. |
| Priority | Determines the evaluation order of lines within a strategy group. Lower priority numbers are evaluated first. |
| Location Filter | Specifies the location to which the strategy group applies. This allows strategies to be location-specific. |
| Zone Filter | Designates which warehouse zone should be included during strategy execution. This enables zone-specific picking operations. |
| Pick Strategy Code | Identifies the specific picking strategy type (e.g., FIFO, Minimum, Same or Higher) to be applied. For more information, see Available Pick Strategy Types. |
Strategy Grouping and Line Organization
Pick strategies support grouping functionality that allows you to organize and control how strategy lines are evaluated during the picking process.
Strategy lines can be organized into groups that determine the evaluation sequence:
- Group Number: Defines the evaluation hierarchy. Lower group numbers are processed first, followed by higher numbers in ascending order.
- Sequential Evaluation: If a strategy cannot find a suitable bin selection within a group, processing automatically proceeds to the next group in ascending numerical order.
- Simultaneous Evaluation: All lines sharing the same group number are evaluated as a single operational unit.
- Line Adjustment: Use the Move Up and Move Down controls within the strategy configuration to adjust group assignments, effectively combining or separating lines as needed for your picking workflow.
Available Pick Strategy Types
COSMO Logistics provides multiple predefined pick strategy types to accommodate various warehouse picking requirements. Each strategy uses different criteria to determine optimal bin selection.
FIFO (First In, First Out): Prioritizes picking based on item age by assigning and tracking dates for each item. This method ensures that the oldest inventory is consistently selected first, promoting inventory rotation and reducing the risk of obsolescence.
Same or Higher: Evaluates all available bins and selects only those in which the on-hand quantity is equal to or exceeds the required pick quantity. This strategy is ideal for minimizing the number of bins picked from.
Single Lot: Identifies and selects a single lot in which the available quantity fully satisfies the complete pick requirement without additional bins. This approach streamlines picking operations for lot-tracked items.
Minimum: Organizes available bins in ascending order based on their quantities and prioritizes bins containing the lowest stock amounts. This strategy is useful for gradually reducing slow-moving inventory.
Least Stops (or Least Stop Hops): Calculates the optimal combination of bins that minimizes the total number of bin selections required to fulfill the entire pick requirement. This strategy optimizes warehouse efficiency by reducing the number of picking stops.
Important
Strategy Compatibility
The FIFO, Minimum, and Least Stops strategies cannot be used together or combined in a single pick strategy configuration. Select one primary strategy type per strategy definition.
Practical Example: Pick Strategy in Action
The following example demonstrates how pick strategies determine bin selection during a warehouse picking operation.
Item Inventory Status
Scenario: A warehouse shipment requires 50 kg of inventory, and you need to generate the corresponding warehouse pick based on the configured pick strategy.
Expected Behavior by Strategy
Based on the pick strategy configuration, bins are selected according to the following rules:
| Strategy Configuration | Selected Bin(s) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Same or Higher Bin Content combined with Minimum | Bin 010105 | A bin is selected where on-hand quantity meets or exceeds 50 kg while optimizing efficiency. |
| Same or Higher Bin Content with bin 010103 as default | Bin 010103 | The default bin location is used when its capacity is sufficient (50 kg available). |
| Minimum Bin Content | Bins 010107 and 010106 | Bins with the lowest stock quantities are prioritized and combined to reach the 50 kg requirement. |
| Minimum Bin Content with bin 010104 as default | Bin 010104 | The configured default bin is used because its quantity equals the requirement. |
| Same or Higher Bin Content with bin 010107 as default | Bin 010102 | An alternate bin (010102) is selected whose quantity meets the "Same or Higher" criteria because default bin 010107 does not meet the requirement. |
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