Title: A multi-objective model for minimising makespan and total travel time in put wall-based picking systems

Authors: Ehsan Ardjmand; Eyad M. Youssef; Adam Moyer; William A. Young II; Gary R. Weckman; Heman Shakeri

Addresses: Management Department, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, Maryland, USA ' Marketing and Finance Department, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA ' Analytics and Information Systems Department, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA ' Analytics and Information Systems Department, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA ' Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA ' Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

Abstract: In this study, a multi-objective order batching and picker routing model for minimising the total travel time and makespan in a put wall-based picking system is proposed. A put wall is a hardware composed of containers that is usually used as a sorting station. Put walls usually have limited capacity and can accommodate only a part of received orders at a time. Thus, in put wall-based picking systems, order batching and picker routing should be considered along with the scheduling of the orders on the put wall. To solve the problem, a genetic algorithm (GA), a coevolutionary genetic algorithm (COGA) and an archived multi-objective simulated annealing (AMOSA) are proposed. It is found that GA and COGA offer a more diverse set of solutions to the problem compared to AMOSA.

Keywords: order batching; picker routing; order picking; put wall; genetic algorithm; simulated annealing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2020.107230

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2020 Vol.36 No.1, pp.138 - 176

Received: 09 Aug 2018
Accepted: 29 Sep 2018
Published online: 11 May 2020 *

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