EP2553636A1

EP2553636A1 - Order preparation device, associated method of use and corresponding computer program product

Info

Publication number: EP2553636A1
Application number: EP11710518A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-François GENTILE; Gwendal Buzulier
Original assignee: Sas Paikan
Current assignee: Sas Paikan
Priority date: 2010-03-31
Filing date: 2011-03-29
Publication date: 2013-02-06
Also published as: CN102906772A; FR2957177A1; WO2011120971A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an order preparation device. According to the invention, such a device defines an order preparation space and a prepared-orders packaging space at least partially distinct from said order preparation space and it comprises at least one location for depositing at least one article associated with at least one order to be prepared in said at least one location, each location furthermore comprising: a front face, termed the order preparation face, comprising an article deposition indicator and a device for inputting the article deposition; a rear face, termed the extraction face, distinct from the front face, comprising an order completeness indicator.

Description

Order preparation device, associated method of use and corresponding computer program product.

1 FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of order preparation.

The present invention relates more particularly to the preparation of orders comprising one or more items to be sent to a recipient. The invention finds particular application in the preparation of orders that have been passed from a shop called "online" or mail order (mail order).

Indeed, the Internet is a major business tool. Every day, tens of thousands of orders are processed by mail order stores. A large portion of these orders are placed over the Internet, using online stores.

The advantage for the user is to have, through an online store, a very important choice of articles. However, the marketing site (or logistician) responsible for preparing orders and shipping them must solve many problems.

2 SOLUTIONS OF THE PRIOR ART

The preparation of orders placed from an Internet site is a complex task. Indeed, it is necessary, for each of the orders, to provide an extraction of the stocks (in order to take the components of this order) and a preparation of the order which after checking of its contents, will be sent to the customer.

This type of method, mainly manual, can be implemented when the merchant site or the logistician processes only a small amount of orders simultaneously. When the number of orders increases, it becomes necessary to plan with more circumspection the preparation of orders. To do this, it has been known for many years, to achieve a massive order processing. This massification allows to collect, in a single pass, all the items necessary for the preparation of a plurality of commands. This massification, which can be carried out in one or more steps, is either automatic (for example using automated handling and storage systems, such as stacker cranes) or manual. The way in which this massification step is carried out again depends on the number of commands to be processed.

Once this massification stage has been completed, the traditional methods implement sorting steps, the last of which is to prepare the order which will then be packaged and shipped.

These different sorting stages mainly allow to divide the set of articles resulting from the massification by dividing this set into a set containing a reduced number of articles. For example, all items resulting from massification can include items from 2000 orders. Successive sorting and grouping steps make it possible to produce subsets, for example of 200 orders. These subsets are processed in different preparation positions.

An order picking station generally comprises a picking piece of furniture which is in the form of a kind of library comprising a plurality of niches (also called "boxes") in which the articles belonging to the various orders are deposited. after they have been scanned.

In other words, the final phase of order preparation consists first of all in allocating a set of orders to a given preparation piece of furniture (for example assigning 50 orders to a preparation piece of furniture which comprises 50 niches). In a second step, the preparer extracts one by one, from one or more baskets provided for this purpose, the items that constitute the orders and scans one by one these items. Once scanned, the preparer is informed of the niche in which the article is to be arranged. To be sure that the article is placed in the right niche, infrared sensors can be used in each of the niches to check the removal of the article. When all the articles are distributed in the niches and the preparer has received the indication that all the orders have been processed, he then takes care of the preparation of the parcels: he removes one by one the orders arranged in the niches of the furniture and prepares one by one the packages in view of the dispatch of the orders.

Once the sorting cabinet is empty, the preparator starts again with the following set of commands.

The following are the various order preparation methods of the prior art and a solidifying furniture as used in some methods of preparation of the prior art.

Computer Assisted Order Preparation (PCAO):

The following methods are particularly suitable for preparing orders manually. More particularly, the following methods are adapted when the number of orders to be prepared is relatively small.

This type of preparation is based on a computer system in which a light is illuminated at the sampling location. Thus, the operator is guided through the sampling zone by means of a display system with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) towards the items to be "picked".

There are two types of preparations:

- PICK TO LIGHT:

The operator prepares order after order for all of these items. There is one box per article and each box is equipped with a display. The operator takes in each box the displayed quantity of article for the current order.

- PUT TO LIGHT (Spell)

This method is a manual sorting assistance. The workstation has a number of boxes, momentarily assigned to a sales order. When the operator presents the barcode of an item, the system moves the item closer to a control and turns on the box corresponding to the order. The operator has only to place the article very quickly and without any risk of error.

Other methods:

"PICKAND PACK" and "PICK THEN PACK"

The "pick and pack" implies that the size of the customer package is already "pre-colisée". Knowing the number of items that must contain this package and knowing the dimensions of these items, one is able to define the volume of the container or the number of containers. These containers (labeled and identified) are sent to the preparation areas where the storekeepers will place the expected items. (We note that this option requires the investment of pre-packing software, which avoids the recovery of articles).

The "pick then pack" method assumes that the preparers pick up the items and place them on a carpet for example (or conveyor) allowing them to drive to a packing station where the operator gauges, visibly, the size of the parcel. The articles are then placed in the selected parcels (this option thus allows a control of the articles in quantity and quality).

PICK BY LINE

The principle consists, for a preparer, to collect, during the same movement in front of a storage address, all the articles of the same reference and corresponding to all the control lines of a same preparation wave. In this principle it is well understood that it lacks a phase (namely the final sort), more particularly called the PICK TO SORT.

Mobile furniture:

A mobile furniture allows you to prepare several orders at a time and to save time and distances of course. The furniture is used for massive orders and allows the operator to move through the stock of articles for taking from the stock the items necessary for the preparation of orders.

The mobile cabinet is equipped with the desired number of bins and LED terminals at each location. The operator obtains instructions from a destination terminal such as the location or quantity to be collected. The quantity to be dispatcher is indicated on a digital terminal.

A barcode reader allows the identification of goods to be redistributed. This makes it possible to reinforce the reliability of the samples and to follow the loadings.

This is the principle of "Pick ONCE - Put MULTIPLE" (take a single time - dispatcher on several).

Example of a method involving massification of a large quantity of articles:

This method comprises a method of successive sorting of articles to the commands comprising:

Step 1: The first phase of the process starts with a picking (global pickup) thus allowing to regroup the necessary articles for the wave of the day (it is the massification).

Step 2: The second phase consists of sorting the goods and popping them, while integrating the pieces arrived in just-in-time (equivalent to our distribution by bin).

The operator provides a hand shower beep the article (he scans). Through a diode display, he knows in which tray he must dispatcher the room.

If an error occurs, the computer displays the wrong assignment of the part within the tray.

Step 3: The third phase of the process is to dispatcher the different parts and assign them to their respective orders.

The preparer beeps the room and places it in a box. A box a command. The system provides optimum quality through infrared barrier removal control. If the item is misplaced, the computer immediately displays the error.

Step 4: The order is put in parcel and made available to its carrier with an adequate delivery note

This quite conventional technique of the prior art has several major disadvantages, which impede productivity. The first of these disadvantages lies in the many sorts required for the preparation of the sets of commands. In fact, the massive ordering of orders makes it possible, in most cases, to take from stocks enough items to be able to prepare and ship a large number of orders, which is generally considered advantageous. The problem is that the items coming from the massif can not be directly transferred to the order picking stations insofar as a post (associated with a sorting / preparation piece of furniture) can handle simultaneously only a reduced number of orders ( for example 50).

A second disadvantage of this technique of the prior art is that for a given sorting / preparation furniture, it is necessary to wait until the end of the preparation of all the controls (for example 50) before being able to start preparation of new orders. In other words, when one or more orders are completed in the sorting / preparation unit, it is not possible to prepare the packages related to these orders and begin the preparation of new orders in the niches thus released.

In other words, when you want to prepare for example thirty thousand orders simultaneously (which is common for merchants with a large customer base), it is necessary to have enough furniture to handle these orders. As a result, the methods of the prior art require having working surfaces dedicated to the preparation of very large orders. Such work surfaces are expensive to maintain. 3 OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

The invention particularly aims to overcome these disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a control preparation device and a method of using this device that does not require multiple steps of sorting and grouping the articles from the massification.

Another object of the invention is to implement a sorting furniture that automatically reallocate the niches for which the orders are prepared and thus to make a tense flow order preparation.

Additionally, another object of the invention is to reduce the number of furniture and therefore the area required for the preparation of orders.

4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention does not have these disadvantages of the prior art.

The invention relates in fact to a device for preparing orders. The invention also relates to a control preparation device. According to the invention, such a device defines a control preparation space and a control packaging space prepared at least partially separate from said control preparation space and this device comprises at least one location for the removal, by an operator located in said picking area, at least one article associated with at least one order to be prepared in said at least one location, said at least one location being also accessible to an operator in said control packing space.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said at least one location comprises, on a rear face visible by said operator located in said control packaging space, a control completion indicator. According to the invention, such a device comprises a set of control preparation locations. Each of these picking locations includes:

A front face, called control preparation face. This control preparation face comprises: a removal indicator and a device for capturing the removal. The removal indicator is used to indicate to the orderer that the item he has just scanned must be placed in this box. The device for capturing the removal (which is in the form of an optical or mechanical sensor) is used to validate the removal.

The rear face of the location, which is distinct from the front face, includes a control completion indicator.

This completeness indicator is used to indicate that an order is complete (that is, all items that make up the order have been placed in the location provided for that order).

The invention relates to a method for preparing orders. According to the invention, such a method implements an order preparation device as previously described, defining a control preparation space and a control packaging space prepared at least partially separate from said control preparation space. Still according to the invention, such a method comprising at least:

a step of removing, by a first operator located in said picking space, at least one article in at least one location of said picking device;

a step of detecting a completeness of at least one command in said at least one location, according to a previously known list of articles;

a step of displaying, on the rear face of said location, an indication of completeness of said at least one command, when said completeness is detected; an extraction step, subsequent to said display, by a second operator, of said at least one completed command of said at least one location.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to simultaneously process the preparation and packaging of orders without the operators in charge of these two operations interfering with each other.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said extraction step frees said at least one location for the removal, by said first operator located in said picking area, of at least one item associated with at least one item. new command to be prepared in said at least one released location.

According to this particular embodiment, said method comprises a step of reassigning said at least one location to a new command, upon the extraction of said completed command.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to immediately use the location that has just been released to ensure the preparation of a new order. It is therefore no longer necessary to wait until the end of the preparation and packaging of all the orders processed in the device to be able to start the preparation of new orders as is the case of the methods and devices of the prior art. .

According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or stored on a computer readable medium and / or executable by a microprocessor. According to the invention, such a program includes program code instructions for executing the order preparation method as described above.

5 LIST OF FIGURES

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of an embodiment. preferred, given as a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, among which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a picking cabinet according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial view of the first embodiment of the order picking cabinet according to the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a picking cabinet according to the invention;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 shows the displays positioned on the order picking cabinet according to the invention;

Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the method for preparing commands of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

6.1 Recall of the principle of invention

The invention proposes a new order preparation method which does not have the drawbacks of the methods of the prior art in which the preparation of the order is long and tedious and does not provide significant productivity gains.

The inventors have found that the methods of the prior art were not adapted to the preparation of very variable volumes of orders. Indeed, it is detrimental to have a large area dedicated to order preparation, especially when this surface is fully used only occasionally, for example during sales.

Conversely, it is also detrimental to have a surface dedicated to the order preparation too restricted when peak orders (for example during sales) occur.

The inventors have found that there is a need to modulate the order processing capabilities while maintaining a constant processing surface. Such modulation is not possible with the methods of the prior art, particularly with the usual successive massification and sorting method.

The general principle of the invention is based on the separation, during the preparation of orders, of the workspace into two distinct spaces, one allowing the preparation of the order and the other allowing the packing of orders prepared . These two distinct spaces are configured, according to the invention, so that when the operator has completed the preparation of the command, it can immediately (or in a very short time) be supported by an operator responsible for the packaging and preparation of the package. The location thus released by the command supported by the packaging operator allows to prepare without waiting for a new order. It is therefore no longer necessary to wait until the end of the preparation of a set of commands, as is the case with the methods of the prior art, to start the preparation of other commands, which allows a gain precious time.

The handling of the order by the operator in charge of the packaging may be either manual, at the initiative of the operator responsible for preparing the order which indicates to the operator in charge of the packaging is ready, automatically, by a management system as presented later.

The application of this principle makes it possible to define, according to the invention, a method for preparing orders, described with reference to FIG. 7, which is characterized by the fact that it implements a picking device ( DPC) defining an EPC control preparation space and a prepared control packaging space EEC at least partially separate from said EPC control preparation space, said method comprising at least:

a removal step (71), by a first operator 7A located in said EPC picking space, of at least one AR article in at least one location (E1, E2, ...) of said picking device;

a step of detecting (72) a completeness of at least one command in said at least one location (E1, E2, ...);

a step of transmitting (73) an indication of completeness of said at least one command to a second operator 7B located in said command packaging space EEC;

an extraction step (74), by said second operator 7B, of said at least one completed command from said at least one location (El, Ε2, ...) ·

The method is also characterized in that said extraction step frees said at least one location for the removal, by said first operator located in said picking space, of at least one item associated with at least one new order to prepare in said at least one location.

The invention also relates to a management system for the preparation of orders which comprises on the one hand a sub-system for managing the order picking, which subsystem is associated with a plurality of picking devices (such as adapted furniture at the implementation of the invention) and which further comprises a pretreatment subsystem (also called WMS). The WMS subsystem creates batches of customer order items

The invention also relates to the devices for the preparation and packaging of orders and separating the workspace into two distinct spaces, one allowing the preparation of the order and the other allowing the packing of orders prepared.

6.2 Description of a first embodiment of a device for

As already explained, one of the features of the invention is to reuse a niche to prepare a new order as soon as the previously prepared order in this niche was put in parcel. To do this, the invention proposes to have a dynamic control preparation device. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, this dynamic control preparation device is in the form of a table, comprising inclined planes 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D as described in FIG.

This order picking table comprises, according to the invention, an inclined plane used to prepare the orders (for example 3A) and an inclined plane used to package the orders (make a package per order) (for example 3B). The inclined planes are opposite, as shown in Figure 3.

The inclined plane for the preparation of orders (3 A, 3 C) defines a work surface for the preparation of EPC orders. As already explained, the preparer scans one by one the items that are present in the basket or the tray and, according to a location that is indicated to him, deposits the article in the cardboard or the C1 bollard that is appropriate. The inclined plane for the preparation of packages (for packaging) defines a work surface for the packaging of articles in the EEC package. This packaging work surface is, according to the invention, separate from the control preparation surface.

Referring still to Figure 3, when the preparer has completed the preparation of an order, it can according to the invention, without waiting, tilt the carton or the bib containing the items on the inclined plane used for the preparation of the parcels (eg 3B, 3D).

Thus, according to the invention, the released location can immediately be reused to prepare a new order, without waiting for the previous command has been packaged. This characteristic of the invention makes it possible to manage the preparation of a large number of commands simultaneously, this number being much greater than the number of command preparation locations available simultaneously on the device.

Indeed, it is understood that to the extent that it is possible to dynamically assign the order picking locations, the the number of commands processed simultaneously is much larger than the actual number of locations.

Thus, the invention makes it possible, for the same work surface, to process a larger number of orders and thus to reduce the costs of preparing orders.

According to a particular characteristic of the invention, in this embodiment, the inclined plane for the preparation of commands comprises a plurality of locations, defining the processing capacity of the device. Each location can advantageously be equipped with an indicator allowing the operator to be notified of the end of the preparation of an order. This indicator can be in the form of a diode display, as shown in relation to FIG. 4. When the control is prepared, the diode display lights up, thus allowing the operator to be informed. that it can tilt the cardboard or the banner on the inclined plane for the preparation of the parcels (with the packing). Once this operation has been completed, the operator can deposit a new carton or a new bib on the free slot and continue order picking.

6.3 Description of a Second Embodiment of a Dynamic Control Preparation Device According to the Invention In a second embodiment, the control preparation device according to the invention is in the form of a preparation piece of furniture classical as has been described in connection with the prior art. This piece of furniture however comprises a significant difference to implement the order preparation method of the invention. This difference lies in the fact that the piece of furniture comprises means for separating the working surface for the packaging of articles in the package of the working surface for the preparation of orders. According to one embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2, this piece of furniture M1 differs from the furniture of the prior art in that it is through. In other words, this piece of furniture does not include a background. The furniture niches, which are the preparation sites of control (El, E2, ...), thus allow an introduction and a deposit of the items constituting orders on the front of the furniture and a withdrawal of items when the order is complete back of the furniture.

According to a particular characteristic, the recesses further comprise, on the front face, an ID1 removal indicator enabling an operator to know the recess into which he has to deposit the article he has just scanned, as described in connection with the figure 4.

The recesses also comprise, on the front face, a device making it possible to verify the removal of the article VD1. More particularly, in place of an infrared detection system, this article VD1 verification device consists of a rod extending from the bottom to the top, up to about three quarters of the height. a niche, so that it is easy for the operator to touch this rod when removing the item in the niche. This rod is connected to an electrical contactor which is activated by a movement of the rod. The electric contactor informs the order picking system

6.4 Description of display systems of devices according to

the invention

As has already been explained, the order preparation devices according to the invention have been created as a "Put-By-Light" system, and serve to assemble customer orders and to distribute a batch of items, which were selected in a first step of a two-step preparation (massive). Items are placed in cartons in a sorting area (also called a niche or bin).

The site is constructed in such a way as to allow two operators to work on two different tasks simultaneously. The operator working at the front of the slot separates the items he / she is picking up from a batch of items provided (unsorted) in the cartons on the slot. The operator working at the back of the site unloads the boxes containing the complete orders and prepares them for shipping. Each slot has a display dial on the front and a display dial on the back. The device may further include a general display dial.

Display dials at the front

On each location, on the front face, display dials of the type

PTF3N-1 will be installed (ID1). These display dials have three digital indicator lights, a powerful multi-color LED indicator, and four multi-function keys, as shown in Figure 4.

Status report messages appear on a general PTF 1 2A (IDG) type display, comprising 12 alphanumeric indicator lights, a powerful multi-color LED indicator, and four multi-function keys as shown in FIG. General Indicator (IDG) helps to warn the operator in the event of an anomaly.

Dials at the back

At the back of the site, PTF4L type dials are installed

(ID2). These dials have a confirmation key and two indicator LEDs for completeness of command, as shown in connection with FIG. 6. When the operator presses the button, this indicates to the system that the location is released and can re-assign it to a new order.

6.5 Description of the IT management method for order picking.

Preparation process

Prerequisites for distribution

In the first stage of preparation, the items are collected in a separate room, which is not managed by the PBL-System. The WMS creates batches of items from customer orders. Items from these lots are seized and transported to the distribution bin.

Order item selection data is sent to the KBS-PBL-System before the items arrive at the workstation. The data contains information about the availability of items for the customer.

The WMS will not insert incomplete commands into the workstation. When the PBL receives an order, it receives all the item selection lines of the sales order.

Start of the preparation process

As soon as the order picker holds the items retrieved in the first preparation step and the WMS has sent the data corresponding to these items, the operator can then begin the distribution process.

The first step of dispensing articles to establish an order is the arrangement of a carton on a shelf in the bin. The cartons are placed in the on-demand slot, there is no separate step of preparing several cartons at a time. The implementation of cartons is done as and when the distribution.

In the first dispensing step, the order picker scans any of the items supplied. Following this scan, the PBL identifies the item and indicates the next course of action to the preparer. The PBL-System records each step of moving each item from the stock to the distribution bin. The corresponding data is stored in database tables.

Normal item selection

A1 .1 When the Order Picker has scanned a bar code, the PBL checks if the item is needed to complete a sales order that has already been assigned to a carton at any location in the location. During this distribution process all order picking data has been loaded, so no additional requests are made to the database at this stage.

Al .2 If a sales order is detected, the PBL activates the indicator on the dial of the carton location to which the order has been assigned. At the same time, quantity 1 is displayed on the LED, thus indicating to the that an article (the one he has in hand) is to be inserted in the box where the indicator shows the information.

The preparer must then place the item in the box and press the confirmation button on the dial.

Al .3 If an item is not identified in any order, the PBL will display an error message on an area of the chart.

New carton

A2.1 If an item is to be posted and no cardboard is found, the PBL searches for a sales order in the "ORDERPOS" database table, which contains the item and has not yet been completed.

A2.2 When a command is found, the PBL searches for a free slot in the bin.

A2.3 If it finds one, the PBL then loads the command data, activates the indicator on the dial in the corresponding free space and lets it flash. Also, in this case, the number 1 appears on the indicator to indicate, as before, that as soon as a new cardboard has been put in place, the scanned article must be deposited there.

The preparer then enters a new box and puts it in the free slot, places the scanned item and activates the confirmation on the dial or the indicator flashes.

Possible errors are:

That no order containing the item is detected

That there is no free slot available for the new carton.

A2.4 Errors are displayed in the error area of the dial.

The end result is that the new sales order is assigned to a carton and a location and the scanned item has been placed there.

A2.5 When a new cardboard is inserted into the slot during the item distribution stage, the carton location ie, the space allocated to the order, is then recorded in the database control table. Confirmation of a selection of articles

A3.1 After each article distribution, the field "QTY PICKED" in the table entitled "OPRDERPOS" in the database is incremented by one value.

A3.2 Next, the system checks whether the carton in which the article was inserted is finished. A card is considered finished when all the item selection lines of an order have been processed and are themselves finished. In this case, the state in the database changes to "Ready Picked" (instead of "Ready", which is assigned only at the time the carton was removed from the slot and prepared for shipment)

Realization of a cardboard

A4.1 As soon as all items of the current order have been added, the LED on the front dial of the slot changes color to indicate that the order in the corresponding carton is completed and that no additional items are required. to be added.

The WMS should track the status of each carton in the database. As soon as the last selection of a box is confirmed, it must print a delivery note, which contains the location of the cardboard in the locker.

Missing items

When / if the order picker realizes that a carton can not be completed due to lack of availability of items, he will then try to recover the missing item. However, if the item is still missing, it has the opportunity to interrupt the distribution process for this carton, by pressing the F function key for more than 2 seconds (key marked with an "F").

A5.1 Once the button is pressed, all item selection lines of this command are set to 'Ready Picked' and the LEDs indicating the finished carton light up.

The WMS can read this information on the interface tables of the database and print a rectified delivery note accordingly. Unloading process

The back of the site is equipped with display dials as well as the front.

A6.1 At the rear of the slot, the LED in one slot illuminates to indicate to the operator that the corresponding carton is ready to be unloaded and ready for shipment.

In the meantime, a printer printed a delivery slip. On each delivery note, the location of the cardboard in the locker. With the help of this information, the operator can then associate a delivery note with a carton. The operator affixes the delivery note to the relevant carton to prepare it for shipping.

A6.2 II confirms the unloading of the carton by activating the confirmation key on the dial corresponding to the back of the slot. When the unloading of a cardboard is confirmed thus, the two lights on the concerned location are extinguished and the space is then released for new orders preparations.

Claims

A control preparation device, characterized in that it defines a control preparation space and a control packaging space prepared at least partially separate from said control preparation space and comprising at least one location for the control preparation space. depositing at least one article associated with at least one order to be prepared in said at least one location, each location further comprising:

a front face, said control preparation face, comprising an article deposit indicator and a device for gripping the article;

a rear face, said extraction face, separate from the front face, comprising a control completeness indicator.

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said rear face further comprises a confirmation button unloading the location.

A method of preparing orders characterized in that it implements a picking device according to claim 1 and characterized in that said method comprising at least:

a step of detecting a completeness of at least one command in said at least one location, according to a previously known list of articles; a step of displaying, on the rear face of said location, an indication of completeness of said at least one command, when said completeness is detected;

an extraction step, subsequent to said display, by a second operator, of said at least one completed command of said at least one location.

Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said extracting step releases said at least one location for the removal, by said first operator located in said picking area, of at least one article associated with at least one new item. command to be prepared in said at least one released location.

Computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or stored on a computer readable medium and / or executable by a microprocessor, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for the execution of the preparation method control system according to at least one of claims 1 to 2 when executed on a computer.