When it comes to warehouse efficiency, every second counts. And a smooth picking and packing process sheds minutes from your fulfillment time.
The right warehouse picking and packing system balances inventory management technology, accurate barcode scanning, and communication between staff, which contribute to a fast and effective workflow. Customers get packages faster and come back for more.
Here’s a guide to best practices and actionable strategies for pick and pack management.
What is picking and packing?
Picking and packing are processes that take place in a warehouse after an order comes in and ahead of shipping the product to an end user.
First, you use a pick list to locate and retrieve products from their storage locations within the warehouse. Then, you pack those products, placing the items into boxes along with any documentation and packing materials. After that, the package is ready to ship to consumers.
The importance of warehouse picking and packing efficiency
Shopping online used to mean waiting days — or even weeks — for an order to arrive. But now, customers expect speed, especially with the growing popularity of same-day delivery. The faster you deliver, the more satisfied the customer..
Accommodating the demand for lightning-fast fulfillment and at-will shopping requires a streamlined picking and packing process. Having a smooth workflow helps your team complete orders with minimal errors so customers receive items on time. It also helps prevent product damage that reduces profitability and fuels customer churn. This improves your bottom line and leads to fewer returns and increased customer satisfaction.
The 4-step pick and pack process
Warehouse picking and packing consists of four steps: receiving, picking, packing, and shipping. Here’s how they fit into your fulfillment workflow.
1. Receiving
The process begins when you receive an order. Your warehouse management system (WMS) creates a packing slip for each one, giving workers all the information they need to pick and pack accordingly. This includes the number of items, where they are in the warehouse, and any other specifications.
2. Picking
The picking stage involves locating and retrieving products from their storage spots. Picking strategies vary depending on the warehouse’s size, the variety of items, and order volume.
3. Packing
The goods then go to a packing station, where a team carefully prepares everything for shipping.
Packing isn’t just about tossing items in a box. It involves selecting the right materials to protect items during transit, like dunnage — which includes packing peanuts, paper, and anything else that prevents the product from shifting and risking damage during shipping. The goal is to make the package as compact as possible without compromising safety or producing waste.
4. Shipping
The final step in the pick and pack process is shipping, where the team sorts and labels orders for dispatch. While keeping everything organized should be at the forefront, you need to work with reliable carriers that balance cost, speed, and reliability.
Make sure you also have a system for tracking packages and giving customers updates so they know when their orders will arrive. This limits strain on your customer support from curious buyers.
4 key warehouse picking and packing methods
Choose a picking and packing strategy that matches your order volume and product needs. Here are four methods to test in your warehouse to maximize efficiency.
1. Piece picking
The piece picking method involves collecting items for single orders as they come in. This approach is straightforward and effective for small operations with low order volumes, but can become inefficient as order volume grows.
Consider a small business owner who still manages stock in their garage. An order comes in, they walk to their garage shelf to retrieve the item, then pack it in the appropriate box. Each order requires a separate walk down the inventory shelves. But a larger business that gets multiple orders a minute needs a more efficient process because constantly walking back and forth takes too much time.
2. Batch picking
The batch picking method groups orders into small batches. During each picking run, the fulfillment team collects items for multiple orders in a single trip through the warehouse. This method reduces time spent moving between picks, improving efficiency for warehouses with high order volumes of similar items.
Let’s say you sell T-shirts. You just received five orders for the same shirt in five different sizes. Instead of picking these orders individually, you grab all five items in one trip since they’re next to each other on the shelves.
3. Zone picking
With zone picking, you divide the warehouse into different areas and assign pickers to specific zones. Each picker finds items from their zone. This method is particularly effective in large warehouses with diverse inventories because workers only focus on their section.
Divide the warehouse into as few or as many zones as necessary to promote efficiency. If your warehouse is exceptionally large, you can even designate each aisle as a separate zone.
4. Wave picking
Wave picking combines batch and zone picking. Workers organize orders into zones, and pickers retrieve all items within their zone for multiple orders during each run. It’s essentially zone picking, but in batches. You can optimize this method by scheduling waves based on delivery routes or shipping priorities.
The largest and most complex warehouses rely on wave picking because it offers the ideal combination of efficiency and accuracy. Workers can focus on their designated zones and complete picking runs in batches to avoid unnecessary travel time.
4 warehouse picking and packing best practices
Establishing best practices in your warehouse improves efficiency and accuracy. Here are some strategies to consider.
1. Plan your routes
Optimizing picking routes drastically reduces travel time, increasing the number of orders you can fulfill per hour. A successful WMS analyzes order data and creates efficient picking paths for you. The goal is to minimize redundancy and save time.
Imagine one of your fulfillment team members receives three orders. Without proper route planning, they’d take three trips to pick up items as the orders come in. But with solid planning, they’d only take one trip, walking past the items for orders two and three on their way to order one. You decrease the amount of backtracking, saving time and energy.
2. Choose an efficient storage method
Implement storage solutions that align with your inventory’s size, shape, and turnover rate. Store high-volume items in easily accessible locations to save time and make picking easier for staff.
Don’t forget to use vertical space. Extending shelves upward organizes items while maximizing your warehouse’s carrying capacity. Just make sure you implement safety requirements to help staff reach items easily.
3. Use barcodes to prevent errors
Barcodes are one of the best pick and pack solutions for reducing errors and boosting efficiency. Pickers scan items as they retrieve them, and the platform automatically updates your inventory log — guaranteeing point-by-point accuracy. You can also integrate scanning software with WMS technology to facilitate better route planning.
4. Adopt warehouse management tech to maximize efficiency
The right warehouse management technology can make or break your picking and packing process. It improves order fulfillment efficiency by tracking inventory, planning routes, and communicating information every minute.
When an order comes in, the WMS tells your team which items to pick, where they are, and in what order to pick them. Inventory software also manages stock across multiple locations so you can maintain accuracy and guard against stock outs.
The key is to find a platform that integrates with your existing technology suite. This way, your WMS acts as a single source of truth for managing stock, sales, and other business data while offering a holistic view of your operations.
Streamline your warehouse operations with Fishbowl
Harmonizing warehouse picking and packing, inventory management, and sales-order processing can lift your business to new heights. But you need an all-in-one warehouse operations solution like Fishbowl to achieve that level of synergy.
Fishbowl lets you optimize your picking and packing processes for peak accuracy at every step. The powerful platform even integrates with QuickBooks, bringing all your financial and stock data together under one roof.
Book a demo today to learn more about Fishbowl’s comprehensive inventory and warehouse management platform.