Put-to-light systems, by Lightning Pick, a part of Matthews Automation Solutions, are an excellent way of adding capacity and throughput for order fulfillment processes. Often in eCommerce operations orders are batch picked upstream.

Through this effective method of picking orders, a picker selects products for multiple orders with each path through the distribution center, instead of one order at a time. Those orders are then added to a plastic tote before being sent downstream so the totes of mixed SKU merchandise can be sorted to specific customer orders with the put system.

Lightning Pick's Put solutions offer applications that maximize speed and accuracy. A popular application is put walls—a wall divided into smaller compartments or ‘cubbies’, each representing a unique customer order. Lights mounted above each cubbie direct the sorting process. As totes arrive at the put wall, the operator scans the label/barcode to begin the batch wave sort process for the current group of orders. Then the operators scan a product in the tote. Lights illuminate for a customer order requiring that item. This process repeats until that customer light/order displays DONE, and eventually all the orders are finished. When DONE, the operator turns the light off, letting the system know the order is ready for the next fulfillment process step. When the tote is fully sorted the alphanumeric light display at the top of the put wall will show COMPLETE. Additionally, these put walls can be two-sided, allowing one side for product sortation while the other is taking completed orders out of the wall for pack-out. As orders are pulled, the operator pushes the light off, letting the system know the task is finished.

Unlike systems that require lights at every pick face, put to light modules are associated with sort locations corresponding to individual orders. Put-to-Light is ideal for eCommerce or other direct-to-consumer order fulfillment channels. Companies requiring a space efficient, economical method of quickly sorting a large number of SKUs will benefit.