Cost-effective warehouse pick bins
As a warehouse manager, head of fulfilment, or the person responsible for fast and accurate order picking at your business, you’ll know the importance of using the right picking bins.
Picking bins are essentially open-fronted boxes used for storing and organising product inventory. They are commonplace eCommerce, warehousing, and fulfilment applications, allowing picking staff to quickly and easily retrieve customer orders. Popular options include Correx® picking bins, stacking containers, and cardboard K bins.
At GWP Correx®, we design, manufacture and supply a range of standard-size and bespoke picking solutions. Our custom picking bins can maximise space at your premises, be perfectly sized for your products, and ultimately provide a more cost-effective long-term option. Get a fast, free and no-obligation quote today.
More info on picking bins
Fast and accurate order picking can significantly impact your business’s success.
Order picking bins and containers can improve productivity, minimise fulfilment times and help eliminate picking errors. You can get orders picked, packed and shipped in less time, leading to improved service and happier customers (who expect ever-shorter lead times, particularly with online orders).
Similarly, using warehouse pick bins and pick boxes can also help minimise costly errors. Improving staff accuracy can reduce wasted time and help to minimise customer returns.
Picking containers also help to organise your inventory, improving the efficiency of stock-taking and manual replenishment. Plastic shelf bins also protect stock from dust, moisture and other debris. Plastic bins also contain spillages within the container, preventing damage to adjacent stock).
These benefits also apply to manufacturing businesses, however. Plastic picking bins help to improve productivity by enabling staff to get stored components and parts to your production line more quickly and efficiently.
Warehouse storage options
Regardless of the style or design of picking container you decide on, you can usually choose from several different material and customisation options.
These options affect not only the performance and longevity of your chosen solution but also the upfront costs.
However, it is essential to consider the “lifetime costs” of your picking boxes and bins. A solution that costs twice as much initially, but lasts four times as long, is the more cost-effective option in the long run.
Picking bin FAQs
What are picking bins?
Picking bins, pick bins, picking containers, or even stacking boxes are generic terms given to storage containers used in warehouses and fulfilment centres. They keep contents safe and allow for easy “picking” of inventory to fulfil customer orders. Picking bins are exceptionally popular with eCommerce businesses and 3PL fulfilment companies.
What are Lin Bins?
Lin bins or linbins is a brand name for moulded plastic shelf bins. They are available in ten sizes and five colours. These bins are a good option if a very cheap solution is required. GWP allow you to source a range of Linbin alternatives and custom-sized Correx® picking bins with equivalent performance.
Why are some containers called K Bins?
As with Lin Bins, K Bins is a brand name for a range of shelf bins. K Bins, however, are manufactured from corrugated cardboard material and are available in a range of stock sizes. You can source all of the standard-sized cardboard picking bins from GWP Correx®, as well as custom sizes tailored to your specific requirements.
Are Correx® picking bins a good option?
Correx® picking bins are one of the more versatile options for shelf or stacking bins. They can offer similar strength to moulded plastic containers and complete size flexibility. They are also considerably more robust than corrugated cardboard pick bins yet can be comparable price-wise. However, if you are unsure of their suitability for your specific application, a member of the team at GWP can assist.
Why do some businesses use cardboard picking bins?
Cardboard picking bins are the lowest-cost option for order picking. The competitive price points make them quite versatile if you need to change inventory – and hence the bin sizes – relatively often. They offer excellent scope for printing and branding too. However, they are arguably not as cost-effective as plastic picking bins in the mid to long term due to their shorter lifespan.
Is it possible to customise picking bins?
You can choose to customise most picking bins in several ways. Options include external printing, labelling, adding internal dividers and inserts, and whether they have stacking features or even louvres for wall hanging. Correx® picking bins take this further by offering complete control over the size, shape, style and functionality.
What is the difference between a shelf bin and a parts bin?
In practice, there is no difference between a shelf bin and a parts bin. Both are used on shelves or racking to store, protect and organise your inventory. The significant difference between varying types of picking bins is whether you use them on racking and shelving units or whether they are free-standing and stackable.
What are Euro stacking pick bins?
Stacking pick bins are free-standing containers that, as the name suggests, you can stack upon each other. These are particularly useful for creating additional storage space during busy times or where no racking or shelving is available. The “Euro” element of the name means that they conform to a range of standard stock sizes (e.g. 600 x 400mm, 300 x 400mm etc.). Stackable shelf bins are also available.
Is it possible to make a pick-face wall in a warehouse?
A pick face wall is essentially a group of storage bins used in conjunction with one another to create a bank or wall of picking locations. Making a pick wall can involve adding parts bins to existing racking locations or stacking picking containers alongside each other to create your pick face wall.
Buy custom picking bins
With so many companies offering stock ranges of picking bins for sale, how do you decide where to purchase yours from? Well, GWP Correx® is different from the vast majority of these companies.
GWP aims to understand the difficulties and challenges you face from the outset and devise a solution tailored to your requirements. This process may mean designing and creating a completely bespoke stacking pick bin from Correx® or modifying a specific shelf bin with dividers and print.
Ultimately, GWP allows you to have your cardboard or plastic pick bins tailored to your exact requirements (rather than making do with the closest stock option) by a team of expert designers. Whether you need especially large picking bins, stackable picking bins or even picking totes, you can get the solution most suited to your business.
As such, GWP can help minimise your costs through improved space efficiency, faster picking speeds, less material usage and a range of other strategies. And your picking bins are manufactured in the UK, guaranteeing the highest quality and reducing delivery and lead times.
GWP are confident your business can benefit from this approach, so please get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
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Handling and storage
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