A picking list is the document that tells the warehouse operator which product to take, how many, and from where. Picking is the most labour-intensive step in fulfilment: most of a warehouse's labour cost is spent walking between racks. How the list is built decides how much of that walking is wasted.
What is on a picking list?
Unlike a packing list, a picking list is an internal warehouse document; it never reaches the customer. So it carries location data rather than commercial data: product code and name, quantity to pick, aisle/rack/bin location, order reference and the picker. On a good list the lines are sorted by rack sequence, so the operator does not walk back and forth.
Do not confuse picking lists with packing lists
Because both are "lists" they get mixed up, but they belong to different steps and carry different information. The picking list stays in the warehouse, carries locations and is used BEFORE packing. The packing list travels with the shipment, carries carton and weight data and is produced AFTER packing.
Four picking methods
The right method depends on warehouse size, order count and lines per order. No single method suits every business; many warehouses switch method by season.
Four ways to cut picking errors
- Sort lines by rack sequence. The wrong order can double the walking distance.
- Do not place lookalike products next to each other on the list; it raises the chance of a mix-up.
- Scan every picked item. Visual checking is the weakest link on a tired shift.
- Mark short picks on the list; if packing does not learn about the shortage, the error moves downstream into the shipment.
Handing over from picking to shipping
As soon as picking ends, the information changes hands again: items go into cartons, cartons go onto the vehicle. If information is lost at that handover, the shipment goes out wrong no matter how well the picking was done. Giving items and packages an identity — a unique barcode per carton — prevents that loss.
To be clear: Smartifie Logistic does not produce in-warehouse picking lists. The product covers the chain from order to dispatch — shipment orders, loading orders, barcode scanning and barcoded carton labels. So whichever tool you build your picking list with, the next step — carton identity and loading accuracy — is handled here.
To build the document that travels with the shipment, see How to Prepare a Packing List. If you run these steps in a spreadsheet, Why Spreadsheets Stop Working for Shipment Tracking explains where it breaks down.