CPIM Practice Exam

Wave picking is primarily used to minimize which of the following?

1. Order discrepancies

2. Shipping costs

3. Waiting time for delivered material

4. Travel distance between picking locations

The correct answer is: Waiting time for delivered material

Wave picking is a fulfillment method designed to enhance efficiency in order processing and is particularly focused on reducing travel distances within the warehouse. By grouping orders that require picking in close proximity, wave picking helps minimize the amount of time and effort a picker spends moving between different picking locations. When orders are staged for picking in waves, it leads to less handling and fewer trips across the warehouse, allowing multiple orders to be picked in a single pass. This results in a significant reduction in the overall time spent on picking activities, which directly affects the speed at which orders can be processed and out the door to customers. The other options, while potentially relevant in a broader logistics context, do not directly reflect the primary objective of wave picking. Specifically, order discrepancies relate more to accuracy in the picking process, shipping costs concern the financial aspect of logistics, and waiting time pertains to delivery processes post-picking. Thus, the essence of wave picking primarily revolves around minimizing travel distance between picking locations, enhancing overall operational efficiency.