Distribution warehouse and method for arranging different articles in an order-oriented manner by means of a reduced buffer

A distribution system comprising a long-term warehouse, a short-term warehouse, a conveyor, and a control, wherein the conveyor connects the long-term warehouse in a conveying manner to the short-term warehouse, and wherein the control is adapted to execute the following steps:

• a) defining an analysis quantity, which comprises a quantity of several orders, wherein each of the orders of the analysis quantity comprises at least one order line, wherein each of the order lines respectively specifies an ordered article with regard to the respective article type and with regard to a respectively ordered number of pieces;
• b) transferring stored articles in an article-oriented manner from the long-term warehouse to the short-term warehouse comprising the steps of:
• i) selecting an arbitrary one of the article types contained in the analysis quantity;
• ii) analyzing each of the orders of the analysis quantity in dependence on the selected article type;
• iii) determining total requirements of the selected article type;
• iv) transferring the total requirements of the selected article type from the long-term warehouse to the short-term warehouse;
• and v) repeating the steps i) to iv) for another one of the article types contained in the analysis quantity, which has not yet been selected, until each one of the article types contained in the analysis quantity is selected, analyzed and transferred;
• c) determining at least one complete order, wherein a complete order is one of the orders of the analysis quantity the associated articles of which are all already located in the short-term warehouse;
• d) discharging a subset of the transferred articles from the short-term warehouse, wherein the subset comprises at least each of the ordered articles of the at least one complete order;
• and e) repeating the steps c) and d) until each of the orders of the analysis quantity is completed.

Computer program adapted to execute a method comprising the steps of:

• a) defining an analysis quantity, which comprises a quantity of several orders, wherein each of the orders of the analysis quantity comprises at least one order line, wherein each of the order lines respectively specifies an ordered article with regard to the respective article type and with regard to a respectively ordered number of pieces;
• b) transferring stored articles in an article-oriented manner from the long-term warehouse to the short-term warehouse comprising the steps of:
• i) selecting an arbitrary one of the article types contained in the analysis quantity;
• ii) analyzing each of the orders of the analysis quantity in dependence on the selected article type;
• iii) determining total requirements of the selected article type;
• iv) transferring the total requirements of the selected article type from the long-term warehouse to the short-term warehouse;
• and v) repeating the steps i) to iv) for another one of the article types contained in the analysis quantity, which has not yet been selected, until each one of the article types contained in the analysis quantity is selected, analyzed and transferred;
• c) determining at least one complete order, wherein a complete order is one of the orders of the analysis quantity the associated articles of which are all already located in the short-term warehouse;
• d) discharging a subset of the transferred articles from the short-term warehouse, wherein the subset comprises at least each of the ordered articles of the at least one complete order;
• and e) repeating the steps c) and d) until each of the orders of the analysis quantity is completed.