Fewer picking errors at a Leeds distribution centre

The problem

A distribution centre in Leeds had 20 warehouse staff handling products with different shelf lives and batch requirements. Picking errors were increasing costs, and weekly stock reconciliation took eight hours of management time.

Staff turnover, inconsistent handovers and years of unplanned layout changes made it harder to keep the process consistent.

Reorganising the warehouse

We mapped storage areas, shelves and product locations, then used product-movement data to reorganise the layout. Frequently picked products were moved closer to picking and dispatch areas.

Picking rules accounted for frequency, size, shelf life and batch requirements, giving staff a consistent sequence of work.

Supporting the process with scanning

A simple scanning system directed staff to the correct location, product and quantity. It also controlled allocation by batch number and Best-Before-End date.

Small daily stock checks were built into normal picking work. The system selected locations for staff to confirm, allowing discrepancies to be found and corrected earlier.

The result

Within six weeks, picking errors fell by 40%. Weekly reconciliation time dropped from eight hours to three, without adding staff.

Operational experience

This project combines warehouse process improvement with a scanning system designed around the revised work. It forms part of the practical experience behind NexOps business-system development.