Auto Batch or by-Order Picking Logic (Base on Time Studies) In Picking Systems?

In most systems, picking of items are either done in waves/batch, or by invoice. Generally, when orders are relatively little, picking my invoice makes the most sense. As orders increase, picking my wave/batch minimizes pick distance, but one has to provide for shorting space to eventually split a pick into specific orders.

Most inital, or even mature, Ecommerce implementations involve using current warehouse or storage area for picking, alongside picking for B2B, or other B2C transactions. With high variety of products generally on a Ecommerce retail front, the long tail of consumers buying a few of a wide variety of products mean sometimes picking by orders, even for large operations, more feasible. The lines in the orders can be sorted so that the picker does not need to backtrack, and fulfill as much orders as possible.

There is even opportunity to look at time study specifics in picking to customize a system to automatically decide if batch or by order picking is more cost effective.