Goods-to-Person Automation Guide

How Goods-to-Person Automation Transforms Warehouse Operations

Traditional warehouse operations rely heavily on manual processes, where pickers walk long distances to locate, retrieve, and deliver items. This model is not only time-consuming and physically demanding but also inefficient and prone to human error.

Goods-to-Person (GTP) automation flips this model by having robots or automated systems transport goods directly to human workers stationed at ergonomic picking or packing stations. This approach delivers several transformative impacts:

• Reduced labor costs due to minimized walking and faster pick rates.
• Improved picking accuracy by presenting only the correct stock-keeping units (SKUs) to operators.
• Scalable operations to handle fluctuating demand without linear increases in labor.
• Enhanced safety by reducing travel and physical strain on workers.

Overall, Goods-to-Person systems enable warehouses to handle higher order volumes with smaller footprints and fewer resources, which is critical for competing in the current environment and reducing warehouse operational costs.  

Understanding Goods-to-Person Automation

Goods-to-Person automation is a subset of warehouse automation in which items are automatically retrieved and delivered to a human operator for picking, packing, or processing to make warehouse operations faster and more efficient. This system typically relies on a combination of:

1. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS): Uses shuttles, mini-load cranes, stacker cranes, carousels, and vertical lift modules (VLMs) to automatically place and retrieve goods from storage locations. AS/RS maximizes storage density and reduces picking errors and labor time. Traditionally, AS/RS are used where a warehouse needs a high throughput to fulfill its orders.
2. Mobile Robots (AGVs or AMRs): Uses robotic shuttles to automatically retrieve the carton, tote, pallet, or shelf from storage locations. AMRs provide similar benefits of an AS/RS solution but are better suited for high SKU, lower throughput applications and require less capital expenditure than many AS/RS solutions.
3. Automated Conveyor Systems: Transport goods between different warehouse zones with minimal human intervention, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing injury risks. Conveyor Systems are also crucial for streamlining repetitive transport tasks.
4. Ergonomic Pick Stations: Reduces strain and improves worker comfort by adapting the workplace to the worker’s needs. The stations place items within easy reach of workers to enhance productivity while minimizing physical fatigue and the risk of injury.
5. Route-Optimizing Controls Software: Dynamically generates the most efficient paths through the warehouse based on order data. Controls  software optimizes item location and picking routes by minimizing backtracking and clustering picks smartly.

The core concept is simple: instead of workers walking to storage areas, the system brings the storage containers or units to them. This drastically reduces non-value added activities, especially walking, which can consume over 50% of a picker’s time in manual warehouses.

Types of Goods-to-Person Systems

There are several variations of GTP systems, each suited for different inventory profiles, facility sizes, and throughput requirements. The most common types include:

Shuttle-Based AS/RS

• High-speed shuttles move bins, totes, or pallets vertically and horizontally through racking systems.
• Ideal for dense storage and high-volume order fulfillment.

Crane-Based AS/RS

• Low-speed cranes move bins, totes, and pallets vertically and horizontally through the aisle onto racking systems. The racking systems can allow for single or double-deep storage depending on the size.
• Ideal for storing reserve inventory or in applications where full cases need to be picked. In many applications, these are paired with robotic de-palletizers.

Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs)

• Vertical storage towers that automatically retrieve trays and deliver them to an operator at ground level.
• Suitable for smaller warehouses and parts picking.

Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems (RMFS)

• Autonomous mobile robots navigate the floor to retrieve shelves or bins and deliver them to workstations.
• Highly flexible and scalable.

Carousel Systems

• Horizontal or vertical carousels rotate inventory to the operator.
• Often used in parts distribution and environments with limited floor space.

Each system has trade-offs in terms of speed, storage density, capital cost, and adaptability, which must be carefully assessed during selection.

How GTP Automation Work to Deliver the Right Item to a Picking Station

Here’s a step-by-step description of goods-to-person robotics in operation: 

1. Order Generation and Item Identification: The process begins with the generation of a customer order within the Warehouse Management System (WMS). Each order is broken down into specific stock-keeping units (SKUs), and the system identifies the storage locations of these items within the automated storage infrastructure (typically high-density shelving or totes managed by automated robots or shuttles). 
2. Task Assignment and Route Optimization: Once the required SKUs are identified, the system assigns tasks to automated mobile robots (AMRs), vertical lift modules (VLMs), crane or shuttle systems, depending on the facility’s design. Intelligent algorithms optimize retrieval routes to minimize travel time and ensure efficient load handling, often executing multiple retrievals simultaneously for batch picking or order consolidation.
3. Item Retrieval and Transportation: Robots, cranes, or shuttles navigate to the specific storage location and retrieve the tote, bin, carton, tray, or pallet containing the desired SKU. These units are then transported to the designated pick station or workstation. Systems use a combination of path-planning algorithms and real-time feedback to avoid congestion and maintain throughput.
4. Workstation Delivery and Operator Interaction: Upon arrival at the workstation, the system presents the unit to the operator or automatically identifies the correct pick location of the tote/tray. The operator is guided by visual prompts or instructions from the WMS (or WCS) to pick the correct item and scans the SKU for picking confirmation.
5. Inventory Return and System Reset: After the item is picked, the unit is returned to storage (if additional SKUs remain), is redirected to another workstation (if shared across multiple orders), or is routed to inbound to be replenished. The system updates inventory counts in real time and resets for the next retrieval cycle.
6. System Feedback and Continuous Optimization: Throughout the process, data is continuously gathered on performance metrics, including pick rates, order accuracy, system uptime, and inventory levels. This data feeds back into the GTP control software, enabling predictive maintenance, dynamic slotting, and continuous improvement in overall efficiency.

Benefits of GTP Automation

Goods-to-person automation transforms warehouse operations by streamlining order fulfillment and boosting productivity and accuracy. 

Let’s understand its benefits in more detail. 

Increased Picking Speed and Accuracy

GTP automation can increase picking rates by 300% or more compared to traditional methods. Manual pickers average 60 to 100 picks per hour, while GTP systems can drive these rates above 300.  

By presenting pickers with items automatically and eliminating the need for them to walk up to storage locations, GTP systems minimize manual searching and decision fatigue – both major sources of error in traditional warehouses. 

Many GTP stations also integrate light-directed picking systems, which guide workers visually to the exact item to pick. This intuitive system reduces pick errors dramatically, by more than 90% in most cases. 

Reduced Labor Costs and Dependency

As goods-to-person systems handle most of the walking and item-retrieval, smaller teams can handle higher volumes of picks. That makes it easier to operate efficiently even with limited staff.  

That means not having to onboard large numbers of temporary workers during seasonal peaks and allowing for more throughput with the current workforce.. In effect, GTP systems help warehouse operators scale by smoothing out labor demand. 

All of this results in lower overtime costs, better employee retention, and long-term labor cost savings. 

Optimized Space Utilization

Automated storage and retrieval systems use high-density layouts to minimize aisle space and pack inventory efficiently. Because goods are accessed robotically, they can be stored closer together without needing room for human access. 

GTP systems also leverage vertical lift modules and high-bay racking, which allow warehouses to utilize ceiling height and turn unused space into valuable storage. This is particularly beneficial in urban and high-rent areas where floor space is limited. 

Other ways to boost warehouse storage density include systems like shuttle-based AS/RS, mobile racking, and multi-deep storage – the practice of storing multiple handling units (pallets) in the same aisle, one behind the other. 

Improved Ergonomics and Worker Safety

Goods-to-person picking eliminates the need for workers to walk miles per shift, climb ladders, or reach awkwardly into tight spaces for items. 

Bringing items directly to waist-level pick stations greatly reduces physical strain and repetitive stress on the body.

GTP systems are designed with ergonomic principles in mind, like adjustable work surfaces, optimal reach zones, and anti-fatigue flooring. This helps create a safer, more comfortable, and more productive work environment. 

Less manual handling of goods also minimizes the risk of sprains and back injuries. Companies that implement GTP automation often report a measurable drop in injury rates, leading to fewer worker compensation claims and a safer, more sustainable work culture.  

Enhanced Order Fulfillment and Customer Satisfaction

GTP systems streamline the entire picking process to enable faster order processing and shorter delivery times. They make same-day and next-day deliveries possible, which are critical in today’s high-expectation markets. 

Technologies like automated item presentation, barcode scanning, and light-directed picking drastically reduce errors. Consistently accurate orders build consumer trust, reduce returns, and boost positive brand perceptions. 

GTP systems radically improve throughput by leveraging processes like parallel picking (multiple workers simultaneously picking different parts of the same order), intelligent order batching, and real-time prioritization of higher-value or urgent orders. 

All of these features combined help warehouses scale volume without scaling labor and maintain peak performance during high-demand periods. 

Conclusion

Goods-to-Person automation is not merely a technological upgrade, it’s a strategic enabler for supply chain agility, efficiency, and resilience. As e-commerce and consumer expectations continue to evolve, warehouses must look beyond traditional processes. GTP systems offer a proven path to higher throughput, better accuracy, and lower costs. By understanding the types, mechanisms, and benefits of GTP automation, organizations can confidently invest in the future of intelligent warehousing.

Stay Ahead of the Latest Trends in Warehouse Technology with Precision Warehouse Design 

Precision Warehouse Design offers advanced expertise in goods-to-person automation, from initial consulting and design to turn-key installation. Future-proof your warehouse operations by reaching out to us today.