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Picking

Picking is the process of collecting a customer's ordered items from warehouse or store shelves, the step directly before packing and shipping.

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Definition‍

Picking (also called order picking or commissioning) is the process of removing goods from a warehouse or store shelf to assemble a specific customer order. A "picker" gathers every item belonging to one order; once picking is complete, the order moves directly into packaging.

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Why a well-designed picking process matters

  • Processing efficiency — how fast an order can move from "placed" to "ready to ship" depends heavily on how efficiently picking runs
  • Order completeness — a picking error (missing or wrong item) shows up later as a customer complaint, not as a picking-stage problem
  • Error avoidance — the fewer manual steps and the clearer the picker's path, the lower the risk of mistakes during assembly

Types of picking

Type How It Works
Multi-order / batch picking A picker assembles items from several different orders in parallel during one pass through the warehouse or store
Zone picking Each picker stays within a fixed zone; the order container is passed from zone to zone by another employee. This avoids long walking distances and lets pickers specialize in — and move faster through — their own zone

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Picking methods

Method Description
Pick by list The picker follows a printed or digital list of items to collect
Pick by voice The picker receives instructions through a headset, keeping hands free
Pick by light Light signals at the shelf indicate which item and quantity to pick
Pick by scan / MDE The picker scans items with a handheld device (mobile data entry) to confirm each pick

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Picking and packing

‍Once picking is complete, the order moves directly into packing — selecting the right materials and cushioning to get the product to the customer safely. Picking accuracy directly affects packing: an incomplete or incorrect pick means packing has to be redone before the order can ship.

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