Order Picking Time Estimator

Understanding order picking time

Order picking is usually the most labor-intensive activity inside a warehouse. Because it is highly sensitive to order count, line count, and travel distance, a small change in daily volume can have a big impact on staffing. This estimator turns those demand drivers into time requirements so supervisors can build shifts, plan overtime, or compare alternative picking strategies.

The calculation separates two sources of labor time: line picking time and per-order walking time. Pick rate measures the number of lines a worker can pick in one hour under normal conditions. Multiplying daily orders by lines per order gives total lines per day, and dividing by pick rate yields line picking hours. Walk time per order captures the travel required to start and complete each order, such as moving between zones, printing labels, or staging completed totes. Because this component scales with order count rather than line count, it can be a major driver in e-commerce operations where orders are small but numerous.

Real operations also include non-productive time: meetings, safety checks, equipment changes, battery swaps, and legally required breaks. The break factor inflates total picking hours to capture those unavoidable losses. A 10% break factor means you plan for 10% more hours than the theoretical picking time, giving you a more realistic estimate of labor requirements.

The FTE requirement divides total pick hours by shift length to show the number of full-time equivalents needed for that day. This is a planning measure; it does not account for staggered shifts, skill variation, or temporary labor. If your operation uses multiple shifts, you can run the estimator per shift or adjust the shift hours to match your labor plan. For zone picking or batch picking, adjust the pick rate and walk time to reflect the operational method.

Use this estimator for daily labor planning, budgeting, and scenario testing. It is not a substitute for engineered labor standards or time studies, but it provides a fast, transparent estimate for tactical decisions. All calculations run locally in your browser, keeping order volume data private.

Formula

Total lines: Orders × Lines per order

Pick hours: Total lines ÷ Pick rate

Total hours: (Pick hours + Orders × Walk time) × (1 + Break %)

FTE required: Total hours ÷ Shift hours

Example calculation

If you process 520 orders per day with 5 lines each, total lines are 520 × 5 = 2,600. At a pick rate of 120 lines per hour, line picking time is 2,600 ÷ 120 = 21.67 hours. Walk time is 520 × 1.5 minutes = 780 minutes, or 13 hours. Total time before breaks is 34.67 hours. With a 10% break factor, total time becomes 34.67 × 1.10 = 38.14 hours. On an 8-hour shift, you need 38.14 ÷ 8 = 4.77 FTE.

FAQs

Should I include pack-out time?

This estimator focuses on picking. If pack-out is a separate labor pool, add those hours separately.

What if my pick rate varies by zone?

Use a weighted average or run the estimator per zone and sum the hours.

How do I select walk time per order?

Use time studies or historic data from your WMS to capture average travel and handling time.

Does this account for congestion?

Not directly. Congestion typically reduces pick rate or increases walk time, so adjust those inputs.

Is this calculator private?

Yes. All calculations run locally in your browser.

How it works

This estimator combines line picking time, walk time, and break factor to produce total hours and FTEs. All computation is client-side for privacy.

Disclaimer

Picking time varies by layout, product mix, and equipment. Validate staffing estimates with your WMS data and labor standards where possible.