A method for operating a picking system for picking goods (2a, 2b), comprising the steps transporting the goods (2a, 2b) from a goods acceptance zone to a storage zone (B1..B7) and storing the goods in this storage zone (B1..B7) by a storage conveying system, wherein the storage zone (B1..B7) has a plurality of storage areas for storing the goods (2a, 2b), acquiring a picking order and determining ordered goods which are required for the picking order, by an order processing computer, and retrieving the ordered goods from the storage zone (B1..B7) and transporting the ordered goods from the storage zone (B1..B7) to a goods transfer zone (D1, D2) by a retrieval conveying system, wherein the transport of the goods (2a, 2b) is executed by the storage conveying system and/or the transport of the ordered goods is executed by the retrieval conveying system at least in part by a plurality of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) driving on a driving surface, wherein driving movements of the autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) in driving surface segments (E1..E8), which subdivide the driving surface, are each executed for the most part by a closed group of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h), and wherein the driving movement in the driving surface segments (E1..E8) are coordinated by a control, characterized in that autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) which are not required in one group are made available in the course of an exchange of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) to another group in which there is a bottleneck of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h), wherein an exchange of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) between two different driving surface segments (E1..E8) concerns a maximum of 10% of the journeys executed on the driving surface, and wherein the exchange of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) is executed via connecting paths between the driving surface segments (E1..E8). transporting the goods (2a, 2b) from a goods acceptance zone to a storage zone (B1..B7) and storing the goods in this storage zone (B1..B7) by a storage conveying system, wherein the storage zone (B1..B7) has a plurality of storage areas for storing the goods (2a, 2b), acquiring a picking order and determining ordered goods which are required for the picking order, by an order processing computer, and retrieving the ordered goods from the storage zone (B1..B7) and transporting the ordered goods from the storage zone (B1..B7) to a goods transfer zone (D1, D2) by a retrieval conveying system, wherein the transport of the goods (2a, 2b) is executed by the storage conveying system and/or the transport of the ordered goods is executed by the retrieval conveying system at least in part by a plurality of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) driving on a driving surface, wherein driving movements of the autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) in driving surface segments (E1..E8), which subdivide the driving surface, are each executed for the most part by a closed group of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h), and wherein the driving movement in the driving surface segments (E1..E8) are coordinated by a control, characterized in that autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) which are not required in one group are made available in the course of an exchange of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) to another group in which there is a bottleneck of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h), wherein an exchange of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) between two different driving surface segments (E1..E8) concerns a maximum of 10% of the journeys executed on the driving surface, and wherein the exchange of autonomous conveying vehicles (5a..5l, 6a..6h) is executed via connecting paths between the driving surface segments (E1..E8).