Wear and tear refers to the gradual reduction in the substance, value or quality of an item due to regular use. In logistics, wear and tear plays a central role, whereby it is important to understand that the wear and tear does not necessarily have to correspond to the removal unit. This creates scope for versatile and optimized processes.

One example of this is shortened two-stage picking. In this scenario, an outer packaging unit is removed, while picked sales units are then placed in customer-specific picking containers. The wear and tear can therefore vary at different levels and does not necessarily have to correspond to the unit that was taken directly from the warehouse.

In the logistics sector, wear and tear has a direct impact on stock levels and the service life of products. Precise recording of wear and tear enables companies to manage their stocks efficiently and procure replacement parts or new goods in good time. The optimization of picking processes plays a crucial role in reducing wear and tear to a minimum and increasing the efficiency of the entire supply chain.