Stochastic bounds for order flow times in parts-to-picker warehouses with remotely located order-picking workstations

•We study order flow times in warehouses with order-picking workstations.•We deduce stochastic bounds for the order flow times.•We model an order-picking workstation as a polling system.•Order flow times correspond to cycle lengths in the polling system.•The bounds aid in setting targets for the throughput of the storage area.

This paper focuses on the mathematical analysis of order flow times in parts-to-picker warehouses with remotely located order-picking workstations. To this end, a polling system with a new type of arrival process and service discipline is introduced as a model for an order-picking workstation. Stochastic bounds are deduced for the cycle time, which corresponds to the order flow time. These bounds are shown to be adequate and aid in setting targets for the throughput of the storage area. The paper thus complements existing literature, which mainly focuses on optimizing the operations in the storage area.