In a traditional warehouse, productivity is limited by how fast a person can walk. Pickers often cover 8–12 km per shift, spending more time moving than actually picking. As order volumes grow, this “walking cost” quietly turns into lost throughput, labour inefficiency, and delayed dispatches.
Goods-to-Person (GTP) picking flips this model on its head.
Instead of people going to inventory, inventory comes to people — faster, smarter, and with far less human fatigue.
What is Goods-to-Person Picking?
Goods-to-Person is a warehouse picking strategy where automated systems deliver the required inventory directly to a fixed picking station.
The picker stays in one place. The system handles movement, sequencing, and prioritisation.
Some of the many common technologies used in GTP systems include:
1. Conveyors
Used to transport totes, cartons, or trays from storage zones to picking or packing stations. Conveyors are ideal for high-volume, repetitive flows where speed and consistency matter.
Best suited for:
- FMCG and retail warehouses
- Distribution centres with standard carton sizes
2. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
Robots retrieve shelves, bins, or totes and bring them to pick stations. Once picked, the robot returns the inventory to storage or moves to the next task.
Best suited for:
- Dynamic warehouses with changing SKUs
- E-commerce and quick commerce operations
- Facilities needing scalability without major infrastructure changes
3. Carousels (Horizontal & Vertical)
Carousels rotate inventory to present the right SKU at the right time. They significantly reduce search and travel time.
Best suited for:
- Small to medium-sized items
- Spare parts, electronics, pharma, and apparel
4. Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs)
VLMs store trays vertically and automatically retrieve them when required. They maximise vertical space while keeping high picking accuracy.
Best suited for:
- Dense SKU environments
- Space-constrained warehouses
- High-value or sensitive inventory
When Does a Warehouse Need Goods-to-Person?
GTP is not a “nice-to-have” automation; it becomes essential when operational pressure crosses a certain point.
1. High Order Volumes
As daily order lines increase, walking-based picking simply doesn’t scale. GTP systems allow warehouses to process significantly more orders per hour without proportionally increasing headcount.
2. Labour Shortages & Rising Costs
Finding, training, and retaining skilled warehouse labour is increasingly difficult. GTP reduces dependence on highly skilled pickers and makes onboarding faster.
Demand is volatile
For products with fluctuating or unpredictable demand, order-based kitting prevents overproduction and aligns inventory directly with real orders.
High SKU combinations
When products can be bundled in many possible configurations, pre-kitting every combination becomes impractical. Order-based kitting offers greater flexibility.
Customisation is required
Customer-specific requirements, such as region-specific components or optional add-ons, are easier to manage when kits are assembled on demand.
Advantages:
Zero dead stock
Since kits are not assembled until needed, there is no risk of unsold or outdated kit inventory.
Better flexibility
Warehouses can quickly adapt to changes in demand, product structure, or customer requirements, making this approach ideal for dynamic kitting solutions.
Challenges:
The Role of WMS in Kitting Operations
A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is essential for executing both pre-kitting and order-based kitting efficiently within modern order fulfillment services.
A WMS:
- Defines kit Bills of Materials (BOMs)
- Validates real-time component availability
- Guides order picking and assembly workflows
- Ensures inventory accuracy across both kits and components
By integrating kitting logic into daily warehouse operations, WMS-powered order fulfillment solutions help reduce errors, improve speed, and deliver predictable outcomes—no matter which kitting strategy is used.