AMR-Assisted Order Picking: Models for Picker-to-Parts Systems in a Two-Blocks Warehouse

Manual order picking, the process of retrieving stock keeping units from their storage location to fulfil customer orders, is one most labour-intensive and costly activity in modern supply chains. To improve outcome picking systems, automated robotized components are increasingly introduced creating hybrid systems where humans machines jointly work together. This study focuses on application a picker-to-parts system, which human operators collaborate with Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs). In this paper warehouse two-blocks layout investigated. The main contributions new mathematical models for optimization operations synchronizations. Two alternative implementations an AMR system considered. first handover locations, pickers load AMRs shared between pairs opposite sub-aisles, while second they not. It shown that solving proposed by meaning black-box solvers provides viable algorithmic approach can be used practice derive efficient operational plannings. experimental presented, based real finally allows evaluate strategically compare two considered system.