Automotive manufacturer boosts picking efficiency with ‘Hot Movers’ in North America

Automotive manufacturer boosts picking efficiency with ‘Hot Movers’ in North America

14th October 2025 | 1 min read

The Challenge

A leading automotive manufacturer’s North America distribution centre identified that 200 parts, termed ‘Hot Movers,’ accounted for 45% of the daily picking volume. However, these parts were stored across multiple locations, creating inefficiencies and extending pick walk times. This made it difficult to process urgent retailer orders on time, particularly towards the end of the day when shipping cut-offs were approaching. Improving picking speed and accuracy became a key priority.

The Solution

To address this, Unipart, which operates the manufacturer’s North America distribution centre, collaborated with the customer to segregate the ‘Hot Movers’ into a condensed, dedicated picking zone. This reduced the distance pickers needed to travel, accelerating the process.

Small ‘Hot Movers’ were fitted with visual markers featuring large bold part numbers alongside either a photo or a physical replica attached to each location. These markers were designed to enhance accuracy by helping pickers quickly and correctly identify the parts, reducing mispicks.

For larger, heavier parts such as brake discs, locations were reorganised to allow better access. The picking process was structured so these bulky, heavy items were picked first, preventing them from being placed on top of more fragile components, thus reducing damage risk.

The Impact

The improvements led to a significant drop in mispicks, from 524 parts per million (PPM) in 2022 down to 139 PPM in 2024, cutting errors by 385 PPM and reducing retailer claims.

Labour productivity also increased by 10%, measured through lines picked per man hour (LPMH), reflecting faster, more efficient picking and better resource utilisation. Together, these changes enhanced service levels for the manufacturer’s retail network and streamlined the overall order fulfilment process, helping to meet urgent order demands with greater confidence.

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