Pick-to-light or handheld scanning: matching the pick face

Pick-to-light (PTL) uses lights at fixed storage locations to show where to pick and how many units. Handheld RF scanning sends the location, item and quantity to a mobile device, then confirms the product by barcode.

The choice depends on the pick face. PTL suits dense, repetitive, high-frequency pick faces where locations rarely move; RF scanning suits varied or mobile workflows, changing locations and bulky items, and needs less capital investment than a light system.

Follow one item through each pick method

PTL lights the required pick location and displays the quantity; the picker confirms by button or, in some configurations, by barcode scan. Handheld RF sends the location, item and quantity to a mobile device, then confirms the SKU with a barcode scan.

RF alerts the picker when the wrong SKU is scanned. It positively confirms each location or product and supports granular traceability, but the extra verification step may slow operators. A button press on a light confirms the location, not the product itself.

PTL is faster for high-frequency, small-item picks and fits fixed, dense pick faces. RF suits varied workflows and changing or mobile locations, and is more suitable for bulk pallet handling or irregularly sized items.

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, the Warehouse Management mobile app can be configured to process existing warehouse work, including sales-order picking, so an RF rollout can run on handheld devices without fixed hardware at each location.

Match hardware to the pick face

Lucas Systems notes that PTL is most often used for picking less-than-case quantities in high-density, high-velocity pick modules. Typical light zones are shelving or carton-flow modules holding fast-moving small items, where each order touches many nearby locations.

A PTL system has lighting terminals on every pick location, a barcode scanner to induct the order tote or carton, and software that controls the lights and talks to the WMS. Wireless terminals connect via WiFi but still need wiring for power unless the provider offers battery-powered units, so lights are tied to the layout.

Suppliers such as LUCA sell PTL as displays, controllers and software reporting pick confirmations back to the WMS or ERP. Warehouse PTL is quoted per light-directed location, with slot count, software scope and integration needs shaping the quote; re-slotting means moving terminals and their power.

Handheld RF hardware moves with the picker and can be added or removed as volume changes. Track n Trace Solutions offers warehouse RF scanners to rent, lease or buy Australia-wide, including for occasional peak periods, events or stocktakes.

PTL concentrates hardware in dense, stable pick faces, while mobile RF devices can move across dispersed or changing locations. Map each zone by pick-face density, how often locations change and its volume profile, then assign lights to the dense, stable zones and handhelds to pallet locations, bulky or irregular items, overflow and seasonal stock.