Picking Operations

Picking operations retrieve items from storage locations to fulfill customer orders. This guide covers pick waves, pick lists, and picking strategies for efficient order fulfillment.

Overview

Picking operations enable you to:

• Create and manage pick waves
• Generate optimized pick lists
• Execute various picking strategies
• Track pick progress and accuracy
• Handle exceptions and shorts
• Measure picking performance

Accessing Picking

Navigate to Warehouse → Picking to access picking features.

Understanding Picking

Picking Methods

Method	Description	Best For
Discrete	One order at a time	Low volume, high accuracy
Batch	Multiple orders together	Similar items, efficiency
Zone	Pick by warehouse zone	Large warehouses
Wave	Grouped by criteria	High volume, scheduled
Cluster	Multiple orders on cart	E-commerce, small items

Pick Strategies

Strategy	Logic	Use Case
FIFO	First In, First Out	Perishables, dated items
FEFO	First Expired, First Out	Expiring products
LIFO	Last In, First Out	Non-dated, efficiency
Closest	Nearest location	Speed priority
Specific	Designated location	Reserved stock

Pick Statuses

Status	Description
Pending	Awaiting pick
Released	Ready to pick
In Progress	Currently picking
Picked	Pick complete
Short	Insufficient stock
Cancelled	Pick cancelled

Creating Pick Waves

Wave Configuration

1. Go to Warehouse → Picking → Waves
2. Click New Wave
3. Configure wave:

Wave Criteria

• Wave Name - Identifier
• Warehouse - Source location
• Order Type - Sales/Transfer/etc.
• Ship Date - Target ship date
• Carrier - Shipping carrier
• Priority - Processing priority

Selection Rules

• Date Range - Order dates
• Customer Group - Specific customers
• Product Category - Item types
• Order Size - Min/max lines

4. Preview included orders
5. Create wave

Auto-Wave Creation

Schedule automatic waves:

1. Go to Settings → Warehouse → Wave Rules
2. Create rule:
   • Trigger time (e.g., every 2 hours)
   • Selection criteria
   • Maximum orders per wave
   • Auto-release option
3. Enable rule

How-To Guides

How to Create Pick Waves

Manual Wave Creation

1. Navigate to Warehouse → Picking → Waves
2. Click New Wave
3. Set wave parameters:

Parameter	Description
Ship Date	Orders shipping by date
Carrier	Group by carrier
Priority	Urgent orders first
Zone	Specific warehouse zone

4. Click Find Orders
5. Review and select orders
6. Click Create Wave

Wave Types

Priority Wave:

• Rush orders
• VIP customers
• Same-day shipping

Scheduled Wave:

• Regular intervals
• Carrier cutoff times
• Batch processing

Ad-hoc Wave:

• Manual creation
• Special orders
• Exceptions

How to Generate Pick Lists

Pick List Generation

1. Open pick wave
2. Click Generate Pick List
3. System creates picks:
   • Groups by location
   • Optimizes path
   • Assigns to pickers

Pick List Contents

Each pick list includes:

• Pick ID and wave reference
• Item details (SKU, description)
• Location (zone, aisle, bin)
• Quantity to pick
• Order reference
• Pick sequence

Pick List Options

Option	Description
Sort by Location	Optimal path
Sort by Order	Order-centric
Group by Zone	Zone picking
Single Order	Discrete picks

How to Optimize Pick Routes

Path Optimization

System calculates optimal route:

Start → Location 1 → Location 2 → ... → End
Minimizes:
- Total travel distance
- Backtracking
- Cross-aisle movement

Pick Strategies

S-Pattern (Serpentine):

→ → → → → ↓
          ↓
← ← ← ← ← ↓
↓
→ → → → → →

Return Pattern:

→ → → ← ← ←
     ↓
→ → → ← ← ←

Skip Aisle:

• Only enter aisles with picks
• Reduces empty travel

How to Handle Partial Picks

Short Picks

When location has insufficient stock:

1. Picker encounters shortage
2. Scan actual quantity
3. System records short
4. Options:
   • Skip and continue
   • Backorder remainder
   • Find alternate location
   • Cancel line

Short Resolution

1. Go to Warehouse → Picking → Shorts
2. Review short picks
3. For each short:
   • Investigate cause
   • Find alternate stock
   • Reallocate or backorder
4. Update pick status

How to Manage Backorders

Backorder Creation

When stock unavailable:

1. Short pick recorded
2. System creates backorder
3. Backorder links to PO/receipt
4. Auto-allocates when received

Backorder Processing

1. Go to Warehouse → Picking → Backorders
2. Review pending backorders
3. When stock available:
   • Allocate to backorder
   • Generate pick
   • Fulfill original order

How to Track Pick Progress

Real-Time Monitoring

Dashboard shows:

• Active pickers
• Picks in progress
• Completion rate
• Exceptions

Pick Tracking

For each pick:

• Start time
• Current location
• Items picked
• Items remaining
• Estimated completion

Performance Metrics

Metric	Calculation
Pick Rate	Lines per hour
Units per Hour	Units picked / time
Accuracy	Correct / total picks
Travel Time	Movement vs picking

Advanced Features

Directed Picking

System guides picker:

1. Display next location
2. Confirm arrival (scan bin)
3. Show pick quantity
4. Confirm pick (scan item)
5. Direct to next location

Voice Picking

Hands-free operation:

• Voice commands
• Verbal confirmations
• Check digits
• Error alerts

Pick-to-Light

Visual guidance:

• Light indicates location
• Display shows quantity
• Button confirms pick
• Fast, accurate

Cubing and Cartonization

Pre-determine boxes:

• Analyze pick contents
• Calculate box sizes
• Print carton labels
• Guide packing

Best Practices

📋 Wave Planning

• Group similar orders
• Consider carrier cutoffs
• Balance workloads
• Monitor backlogs

🛒 Pick Execution

• Follow pick sequence
• Verify locations
• Handle exceptions promptly
• Maintain accuracy

📊 Performance

• Track picker metrics
• Identify bottlenecks
• Continuous improvement
• Regular training

🔧 Maintenance

• Keep locations accurate
• Regular slotting review
• Equipment upkeep
• Zone optimization

Configuration

Picking Settings

Navigate to Settings → Warehouse → Picking:

• Pick Strategy - FIFO/FEFO/etc.
• Path Optimization - Enable/configure
• Batch Size - Max picks per list
• Short Handling - Auto-backorder/skip

Wave Settings

• Auto-Wave - Enable/schedule
• Wave Criteria - Default filters
• Release Mode - Auto/manual
• Priority Rules - Ordering logic

Allocation Settings

• Allocation Method - Hard/soft reserve
• Allocation Timing - Wave/release
• Over-Allocation - Allow/prevent

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Wave not creating picks

• Check inventory available
• Verify allocation settings
• Review wave criteria
• Check order status

Pick location incorrect

• Audit location inventory
• Check recent movements
• Review allocation
• Verify bin accuracy

Picker cannot find item

• Confirm location correct
• Check for recent moves
• Verify item identity
• Physical bin audit

Pick rate too low

• Review pick path
• Check equipment
• Analyze travel time
• Consider re-slotting

Next Steps

Learn about Packing Operations to complete order fulfillment after picking.