Literature Review on Current Approaches to Ergonomic Order Allocation in Order Picking

In the logistics sector, there is a serious lack of skilled operational staff. As a result of an ageing population and the increasing number of work-related physical musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and mental illnesses, ergonomic resource planning and control in order picking is becoming increasingly important. Nevertheless, approaches to order allocation that distribute orders to employees based on capacity utilisation without considering workload or even subjective stress are still popular in research and industry. Within the framework of a literature review it is examined which approaches of order and workforce allocation considering ergonomic aspects do exist and how they are distinguished as well as which ergonomic criteria are taken into account. To compare the researched papers a content-based analysis is conducted applying previously defined comparison criteria that focus on the order picking context, considered ergonomic criteria, their combined assessment and databased validation. The findings provide an overview of current approaches to ergonomic order allocation in order picking. Additionally, the results are presented transparently in a comparison matrix.