Order picking carts are an essential part of e-commerce and manufacturing. They are used by various facilities world-wide. In this guide, we’ll be giving you some important things you should know about order picking carts. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get right to it.
Table of Contents
What Is An Order Picking Cart?
These warehouse order picking carts are used by various entities to transfer items from place to place. These movable pieces of equipment help improve and speed up the operations of the company. Most carts are used for picking and restocking inventory, since they have the capacity to carry a large quantity of items. But do bear in mind that different carts are designed for different applications.
Different Types Of Carts
At this point, you need to keep in mind that there are different types of carts. Each type has different capacities. Here are some of them:
Platform Cart
This type is used for moving heavier items. It’s made of steel, resin, wood, or other tough materials. Platform carts have different weight limits. However, they should be able to hold about 300kg of weight.
Forklift
This one is used for lifting incredibly heavy stuff. Forklifts can carry anything between 3000Ib and 7000Ib. However, not just anyone can use them. You have to hire a trained operator who knows how to control the forklift. In addition to this, forklifts are a lot more expensive than any other type of cart. Click here to learn more about forklifts.
Stock Selection Cart
This type has a simple structure. It’s one of the most common types you find around. They are a lot lighter than heavy-duty carts. As a result, they are used for carrying light items like small boxes. However, you should keep in mind that not all stock selection carts are the same size.
Where Are These Pieces of Equipment Used?
Logistics Warehouses
These pieces of equipment are used in logistics warehouses to move and arrange items to be delivered. This increases the amount of goods that can be carried at a time.
E-commerce Warehouses
These pieces of equipment are also used in e-commerce warehouses when selecting items for order fulfillment, or restocking inventory.
Manufacturers
Manufacturers use carts for repetitive tasks. They are used for things like restocking manufacturing materials, arranging parts, and moving large items.
Benefits Of Using Them
Good order picking carts give workers the ability to transfer large quantities of items at the same time. This also reduces the amount of physical fatigue the workers have to go through when carrying inventory and improves overall speed and efficiency.
Downsides Of Using Them
Unsurprisingly, these pieces of equipment come with their own set of disadvantages. Despite being able to carry large quantities of items, you still have to push the cart. It also doesn’t help you when picking items; this means there is still a chance of human error.
Depending on what is being carried and your method of picking items, they could end up slowing you down. These disadvantages may not seem like big deals to you. However, they could end up costing you a lot in the long run.
Things To Keep In Mind
Here are some important things you should take into consideration when picking a picking cart (pun intended).
How Sturdy Is It?
As you probably already know, these pieces of equipment have different levels of sturdiness. You can’t use one made of plastic to lift something like a heavy crate. If you are going to be working with heavy-duty stuff, ensure that the cart you choose is strong and durable enough to hold the weight.
Is it Suitable For Your Inventory?
If, for instance, you have a warehouse with different types of inventory, you won’t use the same type of cart for all them. Light boxes can be put in picking carts, while heavier items like crates and pallets can be moved by forklift. Ensure that you carefully look at your type of inventory to determine what kind will be needed.
What Kind System Do You Have?
For maximum efficiency, you need to check your inventory system. If it is poorly organized, it could seriously slow down the rate at which you transfer items. Visit https://6river.com/features-to-look-for-when-buying-a-quality-warehouse-order-picking-cart/ to learn more.
Conclusion
Warehouse order picking carts can greatly improve the efficiency of your sales and production. However, you need to remember that not all of them can carry the same weight. Also ensure that the cart you pick is suitable for your own operation.
