Comparison of Order Fulfillment Technologies - Pick to Light, Voice Picking, Put to Cart & FastFetch

How do these different order fulfillment systems compare? 

How does FastFetch order fulfillment systems differ from pick-to-light, pick-by-light, voice directed picking, put to cart and other warehouse order fulfillment technologies? Side by side comparison shows that FastFetch order fulfillment systems is faster, more accurate, more reliable and has a lower cost of ownership than other order picking/ warehouse fulfillment systems. See the comparison for yourself:  

Order Picking Systems Comparison
Features
Productivity Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
Can train pickers new to the technology in about 10 minutes
Optimizes batching of orders to reduce picking time
Offers "bucket brigade" methodology for dynamic pick zone assignment with picker accountability		?	?
Directs early offloading of completed orders (e.g. onto a conveyor) at strategic points in the picking path
Requests download of next "best" order to replace offloaded order, based on the fastest order completino time
Directs pickers to fill multiple (batch) orders on a cart with one trip through the picking area
Accuracy Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
Near perfect accuracy			?
Can force retrieval of correct lot (or serial) numner or capture lot (or serial) number during picking			?
Picks muliple units of measure and confirms accuracy
Flexibility Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
Can be configured for multiple modes of operation: pick-from-bay (standard logistics), put-to-bay (Put-to-light or recerse logistics), pick-then-distribute (2-phase logistics), pick-then-repick (2-phase logistics with dynamic slotting) and conventional Pick-to-Light (pick to box on conveyor)
Cluster pick/put for 1-to-many operation
Cluster pick/put for many-to-1 operation
Reliability Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
Uses "buttonless" proximity switches to confirm picks instead of mechanical push buttons or voice confirmation
Senses equipment problems and automatically changes to a backup method, e.g. barcode scanning
Does not require cutting or otherwise altering raceway (channel) covers when adding, removing or relocating lights
Expands system without degradation in performance (scalable)
Cost Effectiveness Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
Uses separate picking technologies that math the needs of high and low-velocity items, reducing total system cost
Does not require a costly, central control computer
Comparison to Voice Picking Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
uses a speaker or headset to give voice commands telling pickers what pick slot and what quanitiy to pick
Does not require "training" the system to recognize each picker's voice for each word in the user's language
Does not have problems with speech recognition due to noise or changes in the picker's voice
Technology Features	FastFetch	Pick-to-Light	Put-to-Cart	Voice
Combines voice, light-directed, and wireless bar code scanning technologies
Controls all picking and putting with a standard Windows-based tablet PC
Does not require a hadrwired link with a control computer
Does not require an active RF link to a control computer
Uses infrared transmissions from a Tablet PC to change firmware in light modules and controllers/transceivers without opening these components
Recognizes when a target picking location is reached and says "STOP" to alert the picker
Senses when other pickers are in a bay and automatically "skips" the bay and returns later for picking
Includes a real-time, web based Performance Reporting System to monitor productivity/status of pickers, orders, departments or products		?	?	?

 

 

Legend:

Does Well: Does Poorly: Can't Do: Possibly?: ?

For more information about FastFetch, please go to www.fastfetchusa.com or email us at Nikki@fastfetchusa.com