--- title: Picking Performance (Picks per  Hour) – Definition, Calculation & Benchmarks description: Picking performance refers to the percentage of orders picked by a warehouse employee within a specific time period (usually per hour). --- This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 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The picking performance describes the number of items or order lines that an employee picks within a certain period of time (usually per hour). It is one of the most important productivity KPIs in warehouse management, as [order picking](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/order-picking) accounts for the largest share of operational costs in many warehouses.   ### How is Picking Performance calculated? Formula: Number of picks ÷ working time (in hours) Example: An employee picks 480 order lines in 8 hours. → Picking performance = 60 picks per hour   ### What is a good Value? Benchmarks depend heavily on the level of automation and warehouse structure: Manual warehouses: 60–120 picks/hour Partially automated: 120–200 picks/hour Automated: 200–350+ picks/hour 👉 Important: Comparisons are only meaningful within similar processes and layouts.   ### Why is Picking Performance so important? Order picking often accounts for over 50% of warehouse costs. Even small improvements therefore have a major impact on: - Labor costs - [Order Cycle Time](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/order-cycle-time) - Fulfillment scalability   ### Typical Causes of low Performance - Long walking distances in the warehouse - Unstructured storage locations - Repeated picking of the same item - Lack of system support - Unclear work instructions   ### How can Picking Performance be improved? 1. Route optimization Optimized picking routes significantly reduce travel time. 2. Batch or multi-order picking Pick multiple orders at the same time. 3. Use of picking technologies - Pick-by-Voice - Pick-by-Light - Mobile scanners 4. ABC warehouse structure Place fast-moving items closer to shipping. 5. Automation e.g. conveyor technology or autonomous systems   ### Typical Mistakes in Interpretation 👉 High picking performance does not automatically mean high quality. Example: If speed increases, the error rate may also rise. → Therefore always evaluate in relation to: - [Order accuracy](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/order-accuracy) - [Picking error rate](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/pick-error-rate)   ### Relation to other KPIs - Lead time → direct dependency - Order accuracy → quality vs. speed - Throughput → overall system performance ### Practical Example A fulfillment service provider optimizes its warehouse layout: - before: 75 picks/hour - after optimization: 110 picks/hour Result: - 30% higher productivity - lower staffing requirements at the same volume   ### ❓ FAQ – Frequently asked Questions about Picking Performance ### What has the greatest impact on picks per hour? Above all: - Warehouse layout - Travel times - Use of technology ### Should employees be compared directly? Only to a limited extent – differences in: - order structure - item size - routing can skew results. ### How often should the KPI be measured? Ideally **daily or in real time via the [Warehouse Management System (WMS)](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/warehouse-management-system-wms). ** ### Conclusion Picking performance is the key lever for efficiency in the warehouse. Companies that systematically optimize this KPI can significantly reduce costs while increasing delivery speed. 👉 However, the decisive factor is the balance between speed and quality. ##### Bitergo GmbH Saarlandstr. 117 44139 Dortmund Germany +49 231 878008-0 [wecare@bitergo.com](mailto:wecare@bitergo.com) ##### Company - [About us](https://bitergo.com/profile) - [Information Security](https://bitergo.com/information-security-iso-27001) - [People at Bitergo](https://bitergo.com/team) - [Career](https://bitergo.com/en/career) - [Contact](https://bitergo.com/contact) ##### Products - [Bitergo WMS](https://bitergo.com/bitergo-warehouse-management-system) - [Bitergo WMS Free](https://bitergo.com/bitergo-wms-free) - [Bitergo Warehouse Automation](https://bitergo.com/warehouse-automation-with-bitergo) ##### Resources - [Blog](https://bitergo.com/en/blog) - [WMS-Calculator](https://bitergo.com/cost-savings-calculator) - [References](https://bitergo.com/references) - [Media](https://bitergo.com/media) - [WMS Academy](https://bitergo.com/wms-academy) - [Glossary](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary)   ##### Support - [Support Services](https://bitergo.com/en/support) - [AI Support-Assistant](https://bitergo.com/support-ai-assistant) ##### [Prices](https://bitergo.com/prices)   [![ISO_27001_Horizontal](https://bitergo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ISO_27001_Horizontal.png?width=200&height=75&name=ISO_27001_Horizontal.png)](https://bitergo.com/information-security-iso-27001) ISO 27001-certified Information Management System for **Bitergo WMS** and **Bitergo Warehouse Automation**   © Bitergo GmbH [Legal information](https://bitergo.com/imprint) | [Privacy](https://bitergo.com/privacy) | Cookie-Settings [LinkedIn icon](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitergo-gmbh) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Bitergo", "url" : "https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/author/bitergo" }, "dateModified" : "2026-04-13T13:33:06.789Z", "datePublished" : "2026-04-13T09:35:33.000Z", "headline" : "Picking Performance (Picks per  Hour) – Definition, Calculation & Benchmarks", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/picking-performance", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://bitergo.com/hubfs/bitergo-logo-1.svg" }, "name" : "Bitergo GmbH" } } ```