This work deals with the problem of finding the route that minimizes the total distance traveled by individuals working in the picking process in a warehouse. This problem is practical and common to several companies impacting their operational costs, and it is relevant for reducing miss-picking. Despite its importance, this issue has been little explored in the scientific literature in Portuguese, and thus many companies still rely on their picking personnel to subjectively determine the best routes to be followed. We propose a solution algorithm based on dynamic programming, which was implemented in spreadsheet environment. It is flexible and generic thus allowing its use in any warehouse with two traverse corridors, independent of the localization policy or separation strategy adopted. Furthermore, due to its easy implementation and utilization, this algorithm represents an efficient low cost routing alternative for small and average size companies.
Logistics; Routing; Warehousing; Picking
