Today’s warehouses are in a constant race against the clock. With fulfillment powerhouse Amazon setting the standard for click-to-ship speed at less than one day, warehouse managers must continuously look for ways to shave a little more time off the fulfillment process.
Of course, Amazon has the benefit of a deep bank account and access to top-notch technology — luxuries not every company can afford. For most warehouses, that means time-saving fulfillment solutions are often simpler and less expensive. In many cases, it comes down to finding ways to reduce worker movement and streamline inventory access.
Enter the mobile picking cart, a high-density storage solution on wheels that brings a wealth of inventory right to where orders are being fulfilled. Here’s a look at how these versatile picking carts can boost your order picking efficiency and make your fulfillment team more productive.
The Importance of Efficient Picking Processes
With speed at such a premium, warehouse operators must leave no stone unturned in an effort to reduce fulfillment times. And few changes yield more immediate results than improving order picking processes.
Problems in the picking phase can add time to every order, and the most common issues are relatively easy to spot. Pickers frequently spend too much time traveling to different storage areas in search of products, which delays fulfillment and increases labor costs. Further, poorly organized warehouses or fulfillment processes often lead to costly picking errors that end in returns and reduced customer satisfaction.
Such order picking inefficiencies negatively impact the bottom line, cutting into profits and increasing customer churn. According to one recent survey, nearly 90% of customers say they’re likely to try a competitor after just one bad online shopping experience. Clearly, warehouses have a lot of reasons to improve order picking.
Mobile Picking Carts and Their Role in Order Picking
Mobile picking carts provide a clear and effective way for many fulfillment centers to address these challenges. Think of these carts as a highly accessible storage and picking solution on wheels. They’re designed to store a large number of items from all over the warehouse, moving inventory directly to the fulfillment area when it’s ready to be picked. They come in simple utility carts or with more complex sets of picking cells.
These warehouse picking solutions offer a number of key benefits:
- Enhanced mobility and flexibility: Mobile picking carts are made to move around the warehouse and facilitate frequent inventory changes. Fulfillment teams can quickly stock carts based on the day’s fulfillment needs and send them wherever they need to go.
- Reduced travel time: Mobile carts bring inventory to pickers, not vice versa. This streamlines fulfillment by making inventory more accessible.
- Increased pick speed and accuracy: With more accessible inventory comes greater accuracy and faster pick times, as workers spend less time searching, walking, and reaching — and more time picking items.
- Reduced worker strain: Mobile picking carts bring a dense selection of inventory within arm’s length of any picker. There’s no climbing, reaching, or straining required, making this a more ergonomic fulfillment solution.
Many warehouses are already taking advantage of the mobility and flexibility of these highly adaptable storage solutions. Whether they rely on single, batch, or zone picking — or some combination — warehouse teams can use mobile picking carts to increase productivity and enhance fulfillment processes.
Assessing the Need for Mobile Picking Carts
Are mobile picking carts the right warehouse picking solution for your operation? As with any storage solution, it’s critical to assess your unique fulfillment needs.
Mobile order picking carts are ideal for large warehouses with a high SKU variety and fast-paced fulfillment times. The best type of mobile cart depends on your inventory variety and variability, but the basic use case is the same: If your warehouse would benefit from the ability to pick and transport multiple items and orders simultaneously, mobile picking carts may be a good option. Likewise, if your orders and fulfillment needs change frequently, order picking carts are flexible enough to shift with the needs of the day or season.
Integrating Mobile Carts With Other Storage and Picking Solutions
In high-volume fulfillment centers, mobile picking carts are just one component in a complete warehouse picking solution. They can also be used alongside carton flow shelving to extend the seamless flow of inventory from storage to shipping. When integrated with dynamic storage shelving, these carts create a streamlined middle step in the fulfillment process. They allow workers to pick numerous orders from storage areas, load them on the cart, and transport those products to the fulfillment area to complete the order.
Mobile picking carts also serve as a perfect complement to high-density storage solutions to create a fully optimized use of space and maximize order picking efficiency. Consider the example of Overton’s, a leading retailer of apparel, water sports, marine, hunting, and boating accessories. Overton’s installed 112 SpeedCell bays — dynamic high-density storage columns that fit into existing racks — to add 17,000 additional storage and picking locations to its warehouse without expanding its footprint. By pairing these with mobile picking carts, the company slashed worker movement and boosted its order picking efficiency by 20–30%.
Learn how Overton's avoided costly warehouse renovations by implementing SpeedCell. Download the Case Study.
Discover the UNEX SpeedCartt Difference
Ultimately, Overton’s success story wouldn’t have been possible without the added benefit of UNEX SpeedCartt, a high-density storage solution that’s essentially SpeedCell on wheels. These uniquely flexible picking carts come in four different size options, allowing for up to eight different column sizes and 16 different Cartt configurations. Choose from any combination of the following:
- Cart width: 18 or 24 inches
- Cart depth: 48 or 60 inches
- Column width: 10.5 or 13.5 inches
- Column depth: 8.5, 11.5, 17.5, or 23.5 inches
Just like SpeedCell, SpeedCartt columns are constructed from heavy-duty materials designed to withstand the high demands of a fast-paced warehouse environment. SpeetdCartt cells are constructed with easy access and ergonomics in mind, featuring easy-grip handles and lightweight construction.
SpeetCartt columns don’t sacrifice flexibility to provide such comfort and durability, either. SpeedCartt is easy to move around — and it can be configured with the ideal number of pick facings to suit your fulfillment needs. Plus, SpeedCartt stands at just under 76 inches high (with 55-inch columns), making inventory easily accessible for any order picker.
Transform Your Order Picking Process Today
Mobile picking carts are an essential ingredient in many of today’s fast-paced warehouse environments. They add an invaluable layer of flexibility and inventory accessibility to the fulfillment process, providing a competitive edge when fulfillment time is at a premium.
SpeedCartt takes that flexibility a step further by offering a fully configurable, mobile storage solution designed to bring more inventory within reach of order pickers. With SpeedCartt, your warehouse gains a versatile, scalable, and affordable way to boost fulfillment speed and efficiency.
There are countless ways to integrate SpeedCartt into your warehouse layout and inventory flow. Contact us today to learn more.
