Goods-to-Person

What is Goods-to-Person?H2: What is Goods-to-Person?

Goods-to-person (G2P) is a warehouse automation strategy where technology brings inventory to stationary operatives at picking workstations rather than requiring pickers to travel through the warehouse.

It is the opposite of person-to-goods (P2G), where operatives go to storage locations to retrieve items.

Benefits of Goods-to-Person

Implementing goods-to-person significantly reduces the amount of time operatives spend walking between locations, improving efficiency and accuracy and reducing the risk of injury.

Types of Goods-to-Person Technology

Goods-to-person uses automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) to retrieve inventory and deliver it to operatives. There are several different types of AS/RS systems warehouses can use, including:

Robotic Shuttle Systems

Robotic shuttle systems use automated carriers that retrieve bins or totes from high-density storage grids and deliver them to picking workstations.

This G2P automation is very fast and allows warehouses to build upwards, but is expensive as steel tracks are required.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR)

Free-roaming autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) transport shelving units or individual totes to operatives.

This G2P automation is flexible and easy to scale, but needs a significant amount of floor space.

Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs)

VLMs retrieve items and present them to operatives at an ergonomic height, reducing the need for bending and reaching.

This G2P automation is ideal for heavy items or items that need to stay secure, but is very slow.

Horizontal Carousels

Horizontal carousels rotate to bring the correct bin to the operator.

This G2P automation is fast and good where high-pick rates are needed, but needs a significant amount of floor space.

Where Should G2P Automation be Used?

G2P automation is ideal for use in high-volume warehouses with a large, varied number of stock keeping units (SKUs).