RFID Pick to Light Solution in Warehouse Management: Smart, Accurate, and Efficient Order Picking for Modern Enterprises

1. Warehouse Management – From “Back-End Logistics” to a Business-Critical Function

In the past, warehouses were often viewed as supporting departments whose primary role was to store goods and release them when needed. However, in today’s modern business environment, warehouses are no longer simply places to “keep inventory.” They have become operational centers that directly impact revenue, costs, and customer experience.

Today, businesses face increasing pressure from multiple directions:

• Rapid growth in daily order volumes

• Omnichannel sales: physical stores, websites, e-commerce marketplaces

• Demands for fast and 100% accurate delivery

• Zero tolerance for errors from customers

• Rising labor costs in warehouse operations

• Difficulty in recruiting and retaining warehouse staff, with high turnover rates

In this context, any delay or error in warehouse operations can seriously disrupt the entire downstream chain, affecting sales performance, customer satisfaction, and brand reputation.

2. Order Picking – The Biggest Bottleneck in Warehouse Operations

Among all warehouse activities, order picking is the process that:

• Consumes 50–70% of total warehouse operating time

• Requires the highest amount of labor

• Is most prone to human error

In many warehouses today, workers still have to:

• Read long picking lists

• Search for item locations manually

• Memorize SKUs, part numbers, and specifications

• Rely heavily on personal experience

When warehouse operations are small, these issues may not be immediately apparent. However, as:

• The number of SKUs increases

• Daily order volumes grow

• New employees frequently join and leave

👉 Picking errors increase exponentially.

Common consequences include:

• Picking the wrong items

• Picking insufficient or excess quantities

• High return rates

• Customer complaints

• Loss of brand credibility

👉 Therefore, optimizing the picking process is the key to optimizing the entire warehouse operation.

3. What Is RFID Pick to Light?

If you have never heard of RFID or Pick to Light before, here is the simplest way to understand it:

RFID Pick to Light is a smart picking solution that uses light indicators to guide warehouse workers, ensuring they pick the right items, at the right location, in the right quantity.

A practical example

Imagine a warehouse with:

• Thousands of items

• Hundreds of storage racks

• Hundreds of orders per day

Instead of workers:

• Carrying printed lists

• Searching for locations

• Relying on memory

With RFID Pick to Light:

• LED lights illuminate at the exact storage locations

• Displays show the required picking quantity

• Workers simply follow the lights and pick the items

👉 No memorization. No searching. No guesswork.

4. What Is RFID and Why Is It the “Critical Missing Piece”?

What is RFID?

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology that enables systems to:

• Identify items without direct scanning

• Read multiple items simultaneously

• Operate quickly, automatically, and accurately

Why combine RFID with Pick to Light?

Traditional Pick to Light systems only indicate where to pick, but risks still remain:

• Workers may pick the wrong SKU if items look similar

• Incorrect confirmation by pressing the wrong button

• The system cannot be fully certain that the correct item was picked

👉 RFID acts as an intelligent verification layer, providing:

• Automatic confirmation of correct items

• Immediate detection of wrong SKUs

• Real-time inventory updates

RFID Pick to Light = Visual guidance + Automated verification

5. Pick to Light Operating Process 

Overview

👉 This is a Pick to Light workflow with barcode/RFID control, designed to ensure correct component picking for a specific model, followed by transfer to the assembly stage.

1️⃣ Order / Model Initialization

🔹 The process begins when:

• A production order is issued

• Or a specific customer order/model is created

🔹 On the system (PC / MES / WMS):

• The target model is selected

• The system determines:

  • Required components

  • Quantity per component

  • Rack, bin, and storage locations

👉 This is known as “Picking for a specific model.”

2️⃣ Order Label Printing & Scanning

🔹 The system generates an Order Label, which may include:

• Model information

• Engine / product code

• Batch / lot number

• Process step details

🔹 The operator:

• Scans the barcode or RFID on the Order Label

• Using a barcode scanner

👉 This scan activates the Pick to Light system.

3️⃣ Control PC Processing & Command Transmission

🔹 After scanning:

• The Control PC reads the order data

• Performs mapping between required components and storage locations

🔹 The Control PC sends commands to:

• The Controller

• Which then distributes signals to the Junction Boxes

👉 This is the central logic and coordination step.

4️⃣ Controller & Junction Box Signal Distribution

Component roles

🔹 Controller

• Receives commands from the Control PC

• Coordinates the entire Pick to Light system

🔹 Junction Boxes (#1 → #N)

• Each manages:

  • One rack group

  • Or multiple adjacent racks

They help:

• Scale the system

• Simplify wiring

• Improve maintenance efficiency

👉 Junction Boxes function as zone-based control hubs.

5️⃣ Pick to Light Indicators Illuminate

🔹 When commands are issued:

• Pick to Light indicators at required locations illuminate

• Each indicator displays:

  • Required quantity

  • Or status (ON / OFF)

🔹 Workers simply:

• Follow the lights

• Go to the correct rack

• Pick the displayed quantity

👉 No memorization. No searching. No manual list reading.

6️⃣ Confirmation via Barcode Scanner / Button

A key feature in the diagram is:

🔸 “Each Barcode Scanner as Indicator”

This means:

• Each picking position or process step can use a barcode scanner as a confirmation mechanism

• Or a combination of:

  • Pick to Light confirmation buttons

  • Component barcode scanning

🔹 After picking:

• The worker either:

  • Presses the confirmation button

  • Or scans the component barcode

👉 The system confirms completion and turns off the light.

7️⃣ Mapping & Error-Proofing

🔹 The “Indicators and parts of the barcode mapping” function plays a critical role.

The system compares:

• Scanned component barcode

• Against the valid component list for the selected model

👉 Results:

• Correct component → accepted

• Incorrect component → warning via light, sound, or screen

🎯 This implements a Poka-Yoke (error-proofing) mechanism, dramatically reducing picking errors.

8️⃣ Picking Completion → Transfer to Assembly

🔹 When:

• All Pick to Light indicators are turned off

• All positions are confirmed

👉 The system confirms:

• “Picking completed for this model”

🔹 Components are:

• Grouped by model

• Transferred to the Assembly area

👉 Ensuring:

• Correct components

• Correct quantities

• Correct sequence

6. RFID Pick to Light Solution Architecture Provided by Beetech

Rather than selling standalone hardware, Beetech delivers a complete, integrated solution, including:

RFID Tags

• Attached to bins, boxes, pallets, or products

• Enable precise SKU identification

Pick to Light Indicators

• Installed directly on warehouse racks

• Include:

  • LED indicators

  • Quantity displays

  • Confirmation buttons

RFID Readers

• Identify items without manual scanning

• Detect incorrect picks immediately

Central Management Software

• Integrated with ERP, WMS, OMS

• Coordinates orders

• Provides real-time performance reporting

7. Practical Benefits of Implementing RFID Pick to Light

Faster Picking Speed

• 2–3× faster than traditional methods

• Higher daily order throughput

Exceptional Accuracy (>99%)

• Near elimination of picking errors

• Reduced returns and complaints

Reduced Dependence on Labor Skills

• New workers can operate immediately

• No need to memorize warehouse layouts

Transparent Inventory Data

• Real-time stock visibility

• Reduced loss and discrepancies

Long-Term Cost Optimization

• Lower labor costs

• Reduced error-related costs

• Typical ROI within 12–24 months

8. Which Warehouse Models Benefit Most from RFID Pick to Light?

This solution is especially effective for:

• E-commerce & fulfillment warehouses

• Distribution & logistics centers

• Manufacturing material warehouses

• Large-scale retail warehouses

• Warehouses with many SKUs and high order volumes

👉 The more complex the warehouse, the greater the benefits.

9. Why Choose Beetech?

Beetech is not just a technology vendor, but a smart warehouse solution partner, offering:

• Accurate assessment of real operational challenges

• Scalable solution design

• Certified RFID & Pick to Light hardware

• Flexible software integration

• Long-term operational support and expansion

10. Conclusion

RFID Pick to Light is not merely a technology upgrade, but a strategic step toward efficient, accurate, and sustainable warehouse operations.

With extensive implementation experience, Beetech delivers an RFID Pick to Light solution that is practical, easy to understand, and truly effective, enabling enterprises to prepare for long-term growth with confidence.

📧 Email: info@beetech.com.vn
🌐 Website: https://beetech.com.vn