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Right from Vendor Onboarding and Procurement, Receiving, Putaway, Picking, Packing, to managing returns and cancellations, warehouse operations are a collection of intricately handled tasks that require complete accuracy and effectiveness to produce profitable results and to scale up your services. 

Our 5 part blog series has been designed to equip you with all the necessary information and right methods to achieve the same, and the 4th topic in the series is that of Packing and Dispatch!

Packing Process in Warehouse Operations

Commencing with the process of Packing, your orders may not qualify for delivery or may even be a cause for returns when received by the consumer if your packing is not done in the right way. 

The process of packing is highly critical as it not only assures the protection of your goods but when done in the right way, gives your business the edge over all others. What you pack and how you pack it, is what your consumers receive making it the first point of impression. With packing, you get to:

• Provide safety to your products 
• Market your brand and business 
• Capture the attention of consumers 
• Give detailed insights about your services

The process of packing is based on a number of factors such as the size of the item to be packed, the type of the product, method of shipping etc., and for fragile items you need to be extra careful. 

Depending on these factors, the process of packing can be done in the following ways:

1. Manual packing – this is done for size and channel-based items where the warehouse staff picks up the item from its designated spot by mapping the SKU, and then hand packed. The method of manual packing is suitable for small businesses.
2. Automated packing – Mostly done for medium to large-sized businesses, automated packing is done based on the properties of each item and is done using a machine making it faster, more efficient and cost-effective.

Although the processes are different, the steps of packing an item remain pretty much the same. To ensure a smooth and effective packing process, you need to make sure the below steps and techniques are followed:

1. Right Box for Happy Unboxing

The saying ‘One size fits all’ does not go well when it comes to eCommerce and rightly so because of the wide range of products available in the market. So choosing a well-sized box that can fit your product with an appropriate layer of other packaging material should be your first focus. 

2. Choose the Right Packing Material

The right packing material will help you secure your products, ensure better deliveries and reduce any chances of returns due to damage. You can choose from a variety of options based on your product material, weight, dimensions and even provide the extra care fragile items may need such as bubble wrap, air cushions, foam., etc. 

3. Weigh the Final Packed Item

Once the product is packed and sealed, the entire item needs to be measured and weighed to note the final package information and that data needs to be put into an order management software to create packing slips and invoices.

4. Find the Perfect Courier Partners

With a good courier partner, you get the assurance of safe and timely deliveries. Before the delivery process starts, the warehouse staff or dedicated packers take prints of shipping labels and invoices, attach them both to the sealed packages to be sent out at visible places and ready the shipment for dispatch.

Moving on to the next steps of warehouse operations, Dispatch!

Dispatch Process in Warehouse Operations

Post the packing process is all done and you have finalized a reliable and efficient courier provider, the process of dispatch can be initiated. 

The most effective way of dispatching orders is to align the process of packing to the schedule of transportation. The packers need to work on the clock to make sure a package is all set to be loaded in the vehicle well before its departure to avoid any late or missed deliveries.

This can be easily achieved by having an automated warehouse management system by your side that keeps track of each order, the picking and packing process and gives regular updates for dispatch and shipping. 

As stated above, the shipping process begins once the right set of documents are printed and labelled on each shipment. These documents include:

• Order number
• Consignment number
• Weight and Dimensions
• Delivery address
• Transport details if necessary

While all these documents are generated for the use of courier providers, they also need to be updated within the ERP systems of your business for future reference.

Once all of this is done, the logistics partners integrated with your warehouse management software are informed via automated updation. For several orders to be dispatched together a manifest is also generated.

Once the logistics partner has picked up the consignments, they produce a proof of dispatch depending on the type of delivery : 

• First Mile where the logistics partner transports the product from your warehouse to a local logistics station.
• Line Haul where the logistics partner connects local logistics stations to the customers via several mediums
• Last Mile where the logistics partner delivers the order right at the doorsteps of the customer.

Related read –

• FMCG Industry challenges in India
• UniShip – Advanced Shipment Tracking and Notifications
• UniReco – Automated Reconciliation of Returns and Payments
• Key Challenges & Benefits of Marketplace Payment Reconciliation
• Benefits of Shipping Notifications
• E-commerce Apparel Industry: Trends, Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions
• How does Warehouse Management System Works?
• Logistics vs Supply Chain Management
• Prerequisites of Warehouse Management: Vendor Onboarding and Procurement.
• Simplifying Receiving and Putaway Operations of Warehouse: Prerequisites of Warehouse Management
• Enhance the Operations of the Warehouse with Order Picking: Process and Methods
• Warehouse Returns and Cancellations Management [Reasons, Problems and Solutions]

The post Boost the Efficiency of Warehouse Operations with Packing and Dispatch Process appeared first on unicommerce.com.

One of the biggest challenges faced by e-commerce businesses is the management of their warehouses. A mismanaged warehouse can slow down operations, reduce efficiency, and hurt overall productivity. It can even stop the whole process chain. A report published by McKinsey & Company in 2019 estimated that around £300 billion is spent on warehousing costs alone, without considering the cost of correcting errors.

Managing a warehouse can be tedious and redundant if done manually. There are many challenges that can arise and cause problems later on. Here are some to watch out for and ways to overcome them!

5 Warehouse Management Operational Challenges

Managing a warehouse can be full of challenges, but we’ve shortlisted five of the most common ones your business should be aware of:

Challenge 1: Poor Inventory Management

A warehouse may contain tons of SKUs and a variety of products. Right placement plays a vital role in not just making it easier to pick but having lesser room for errors. Bad placement or lacking a systemized approach to inventory management can make a business face the following situations:

• Difficulty in locating products when an order needs to be fulfilled. This can result in employees wasting time searching for the product and can lead to marketplace SLA breaches and, ultimately, delayed deliveries.
• Accepting orders without knowing the current stock levels, and later missing out on the deliverables causing delayed deliveries, loss of customer trust, and negative reviews, damaging the brand’s reputation.
• Denying orders on the assumption of lesser stock but later finding a few pieces left, leading to order loss and stock expiry.

Keeping a real-time record of the inventory is crucial to avoiding these problems and maintaining accuracy in fulfilling orders on time.

Challenge 2: Accidental Redundancy

One of the common challenges faced by larger warehouses is redundant operations. This refers to when the same operation is performed multiple times on the same item due to an improperly organized workflow. The operations in a warehouse are typically organized as workflows to streamline the process, but if these workflows are not systematically arranged, redundancies can occur.
These redundancies significantly shoot the labor costs and increase the order-to-ship time for a business. If the inefficiencies persist, it can result in more SLA breaches, where the promised delivery date is not met, which can ultimately lead to dissatisfied customers and a poor customer experience.

Challenge 3: Inefficient Space Utilization

Many warehouses are not being utilized to their full potential, with usage often only reaching 68% of capacity. This results in an inefficient use of space and a cluttered layout, which can make it difficult to store and manage inventory.
A messy and cluttered layout can also make it difficult for workers to find and access the needed products, leading to more time spent searching for items and potential delays in order fulfillment. To ensure an efficient and cost-effective warehouse operation, it’s important to make the most of the available space.

Challenge 4: No Preparation for Seasonal Demands

Staying attuned to market trends and customer demand is crucial for business like fashion, beauty and personal care, FMCG, particularly when it comes to product inventory. Some products may only have increased demand during a specific season, while others may be hot sellers year-round.
Proper inventory placement and management can help businesses keep up with demand and ensure that their most popular products are readily available. Staying informed about market trends and customer needs can help businesses keep their hot sellers in stock and within reach.

Challenge 5: Poor Damage Control

Damage is inevitable in a warehouse, though we can still take precautions to reduce it. When handling a large inventory and heavy-duty equipment, it’s important to take steps to minimize the risk of accidents such as slips, falls, breakage, and other incidents that can result in product loss. To help sail through, you must have all the safety measures taken in the warehouse and protect not just the products/inventory but keep your employees safe at the same time. By protecting both products and employees, businesses can help ensure a safe and efficient warehouse operation, minimize product loss, and maintain a positive working environment.

Sorting the Hassle: How to Overcome These Challenges

As poor inventory management is one of the significant challenges, the best way to overcome the challenge is to switch to inventory management software or overall warehouse management software. By using comprehensive warehouse management software, businesses can better manage their product stocks, streamline operations, and optimize inventory management.
Warehouse management is not an easy nut to crack; even well-established brands have been leveraging warehouse management systems to overcome the challenges on the way. For instance, Chumbak, a leading design-led home and lifestyle brand faced challenges in keeping up with rapidly increasing customer demands across online and offline channels.

The brand struggled to manage warehouse operations, leading to the following challenges:

• Unaligned inventory visibility across offline and online sales channels
• Difficulty in integrating their ERP system
• Delayed order processing and fulfillment
• Lack of full automation to manage warehouse operations for e-commerce
• Inaccurate business reports and analytics

Unicommerce provided the brand with omni-enabled solutions, including inventory management and order management, to synchronize their inventory across all offline stores and warehouses. This helped the brand improve customer experience by increasing the fulfillment rate and meeting service level agreements (SLA).

If you’re looking to streamline your warehouse operations and drive business profitability, consider implementing a warehouse management system. It can help you overcome common challenges and provide a more efficient, integrated solution for managing your inventory, orders, and overall warehouse operations.

Related read –

• What is a Warehouse Management System?
• E-commerce Apparel Industry – Trends, Challenges & Solutions
• Footwear Industry in India – Trends, Challenges & Solutions
• Healthcare Industry in India – Trends, Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions
• FMCG Industry in India: Trends, Challenges, Solutions

The post 5 Key Warehouse Management Operational Challenges & Solutions appeared first on unicommerce.com.

The post Unicommerce Recognized as Notable Vendor in Gartner’s 2022 Asia/Pacific Context: ‘Magic Quadrant for Warehouse Management Systems’ 3rd consecutive year! appeared first on unicommerce.com.

A good warehouse management system covers multiple aspects of your warehouse, typically beginning from managing GRN workflow to controlling inbound processes to maintaining quality checks during outbound processes. 

Now you might be thinking that if you have your individual OMS and ERP applications in place, then why do you need to deploy a WMS. Yes, you can manage your operations with simple OMS and ERP applications, but they often lack crucial operational functionalities, right from lacking the capability to accept or create ASN from a single system to possessing difficulties in managing inbound docks. And, if is not tightly integrated with a robust warehouse management system. And if you have multiple facility centers, then it’s imperative that you deploy a warehouse management system that can give you a centralized view of your operations from a single window. 

Still confused? In simple words, during the ever-changing business environment, your business is demanding a system that can receive goods, tracks inventory, maintain inventory storage, execute picking & packing, and more, leading up to significant profits. 

Let us walk you through the WMS in detail along with its benefits so that you can understand its significance in streamlining your e-commerce operations. 

Top 7 Benefits of Deploying a Centralized Warehouse Management System in 2023!

1. Manage Warehouse Space with Virtual Warehouse

Streamline your stock management in the warehouse space by planning and mapping out the placement of inventory virtually anywhere. For instance, if have a warehouse management system, then you will be able to get a virtual blueprint of your warehouse inventory, reflecting various sections as per the type and nature of the inventory. Right from analyzing the space and floor plan of the warehouse to determining the best possible use of warehouse resources in order to minimize duplication and unnecessary material movement, a WMS system can guide you through and through. Not to mention, with shelf management in place, you can also reduce the potential cost that may arise from time-consuming material placement. 

FAQ – Will you be able to manage all the sections of your warehouse?

Most sellers end up doing ad-hoc management of their warehouse, causing inventory errors, stock-outs, etc., which lead up to a lot of mismanagement. It is imperative that the WMS you choose allows you to define zones, bins, and locations so that your warehouse can be neatly organized. 

Your WMS solution should allow you to define zones based on product categories, product velocity (i.e. how fast or slow a particular product is selling), or any other such criteria which are important to your business.

Suggested Read: How does Warehouse Management System Works?

2. Ensure Full-Proof Inventory Tracking

Your warehouse doesn’t just house a hundred of inventory but consists of thousands of different stocks that vary in nature and type. And when you have to manage more than one warehouse at a time, then it becomes even difficult to keep track of each product. But with a e-commerce WMS in place, you can ensure systematic tracking inventory amid both inbound and outbound inventory processes. This way you can avoid any sort of inventory shrinkage in your warehouse.  Finally, the planned and systematic tracking leads to mitigating potential redundancies in processes while enabling accurate inventory allocation and planning. 

FAQ – Can it handle orders from multiple marketplaces?

You must be selling on 6-8 marketplaces all at the same time. Isn’t it so? Thus, it is important for any WMS solution to provide you with the ability to seamlessly track inbound and outbound inventory processes so you get 360-degree inventory visibility, which minimizes inventory duplication when you sell on more than one sales channel. 

3. Get Elaborate Inward and Outward Quality Checks

A warehouse management system with detailed quality control checks during both product inwarding and outwarding ensures that only the correct product of utmost quality gets delivered to the end consumers. This feature not only enables you to maintain products up to the standards but also enhances the product cycle of your consumer, maximizing customer stickiness in a long run. 

FAQ – Does it provide quality checks?

Due to the regular wear and tear in the warehouse, some stock may not always be in a sellable condition. For example, a stock may be damaged while lying in the warehouse, and the operator may discover the “bad” stock only at the time of the dispatch.

To avoid situations like this, it becomes important that the WMS you choose allows you the flexibility of doing quality testing at every key checkpoint (inbound, outbound, picking, etc.).

4. Improve Auditing and Security

Most of the warehouse management systems enable multiple employees of the company to use the software while feeding inventory information or entering transactions. This connects particular users to those particular transactions, giving them the responsibility and accountability for those transactions. This way, not only can you maintain a level of transparency in the warehouse landscape but also minimize the chance of theft or loss of goods. 

FAQ – Does it have an access control feature?

With data theft and stock pilferage a day-to-day reality for most sellers, it is important that the solution you choose provides the ability to configure secure access to the system.

The solution you choose should provide a definition of roles to the users and grant access to the users based on the roles assigned to them. The roles should also be flexible enough to map all the warehouse processes. For example, Unicommerce provides the flexibility to define up to 9 roles in its solution.

5. Manage Order Shipping Seamlessly

With a robust warehouse management system in place, you can also manage shipments of your orders by integrating them with your system. You can also plan to receive dock doors and outbound shipments docks with WMS. Moreover, the centralized system also gives you the ability to let your customers track the entire delivery process with ease. For instance, with a WMS, you can send the updates to your customers, letting them know the status of their order highlighting the location at which the order is. 

Additionally, with solutions providers like Unicommerce, you also get integrations so that you can seamlessly connect with leading shipping aggregators. This not only saves your time and cost but also gives you an even wider view of your shipments in real-time. 

FAQ – Does it help in tracking shipments across multiple delivery partners?

E-commerce sellers have to deal with various shipping providers (marketplace-provided shipping, self-shipping, etc.), which becomes quite troublesome.

Thus, it is important that the WMS you choose enables you to track shipments across various delivery partners. In addition, the system should allow you the adaptability of defining the priority of shipping providers or building custom rules. For example, fragile items should go through courier X only, or high-value items should go through courier Y only. All this is currently supported in Unicommerce.

6. Maintain Bills with Utmost Ease

A warehouse management system is not just limited to managing your inventory. If you have a stable system in place, you can also simplify the complex billing process. Bill management is one of the most crucial aspects of business and if not managed properly, you may suffer from huge losses. Most of the WMS solutions like Unicommerce come pre-integrated with third-party apps that can enhance your capabilities to manage bills on a single screen.

7. Minimize Operational Costs Pertaining from Returns Management

When the returns orders re-enter your warehouse it not only challenges your operational efficiency but also accommodates warehouse space. Not to mention they tend to depreciate quickly as compared to fresh stock. That’s when you start questioning the expertise of your warehouse system. When the returned products re-enter your supply chain, it challenges your operational efficiency. While a robust system can avoid potential returns, you can enable efficient and smooth order replacement, ensuring clearer visibility of stock movement and faster inventory turnaround.

FAQ – How easily can you manage returns in the WMS?

For any online seller, returns are a big pain area, as it adds directly to the cost, and every seller continues to grapple with this issue. If returns are managed properly, the profitability of any seller can easily improve by 10-15%, thus it is important that the solution deployed by you is able to handle such a critical process seamlessly. It is important that your WMS solution should be able to scan each item and identify the order against which the return is received. The solution should also be able to reconcile the returns for which the item itself is not received.

Effective warehouse management translates to having the right amount of the right product at the right location delivered just in time to satisfy customer needs at the minimum cost! Moreover, you can perform tasks including, handheld, FIFO, batching, cycle count, etc.

Schedule a FREE demo with Unicommerce WMS consultants.

Related Read:

• What makes Cycle Count the Backbone of Warehouse Operations?
• Role of Warehouse Management in the FMCG Industry in India
• Top 6 Multi-Warehouse Management Challenges & Solutions to Overcome in UAE & Saudi Arabia
• Simplifying Receiving and Putaway Operations of Warehouse: Prerequisites of Warehouse Management

Discover Unicommerce’s Success Story with Leading Brands –

• Mamaearth Attained 99.99% Order Fulfillment Rate
• Dhani Healthcare Streamlined Operations Across 166 Facilities
• Urban Company Achieved 8X Growth in Sales Volume
• Plum Goodness Streamlined Inventory Operations with 69% Growth Rate in Sales
• Marico Achieved 100% Growth in Sales

The post Why Should You Deploy A Warehouse Management System in 2023? Benefits and More appeared first on unicommerce.com.

Order picking refers to the process of taking inventory out of its designated warehouse location and starting off the delivery process. A good Warehouse Management System provides complete automation of the picking process to avoid any errors or issues. 

In the process of picking, a Picklist is provided to the warehouse staff or to automated equipment that scans a tote or bin to get the locations of the item. Once the shelf is located, the inventory is scanned, picked and then sent out for packing and delivery.

In cases when an item cannot be located at a given shelf, another SKU of the same item is scanned till the inventory is available on a given shelf.

As the process of picking is time taking, it is necessary to have a technologically advanced warehouse management system in place that can carry out multiple scans and checks to quickly locate goods in a warehouse and then help the staff collect it and move forward with other processes.

By deploying the right picking processes for your warehouse operations you can provide your business with the ease to enhance the overall customer experience.

Right picking process involves: provide efficiency and accuracy, better order fulfillment and processing, increase the overall revenue of business.

The right picking process:

• Provides higher efficiency and accuracy
• Allows better order fulfilment and processing
• Increases overall revenue of business
• Enables faster and smoother deliveries 
• Reduce manpower and stock management costs
• Saves time and efforts

To begin the process of picking, you need to first initiate serialization of products which helps you track each item in your warehouse for better and quicker picking process by giving them a unique code. Serialization is done using barcode systems that generate a combination of unique characters in 2D or 3D format that are then put as labels on each item and scanned for details at the time of picking processes. 

There are various picking processes you can use, depending on the fulfilment requirements of your eCommerce business.

1. Zone Picking 

For large warehouses that cater to multiple zones, the process of zone picking is recommended as it compiles large volumes of inventory for each particular zone with unique SKUs respective to them. 

By doing so, the warehouse staff or automated tools assigned to each zone can easily pick up products and initiate order processing. The process of zone picking allows you to:

• Improve efficiency of collecting goods
• Speeds up collection of multiple items
• Decreases move around time within the warehouse
• Allows multiple pickups in one go

A picking bin, tote or box may move around various zones until it has collected all the required SKUs from that particular zone.

2.Batch Picking

This method of picking is used to fulfil multiple orders of the same item but in various quantities. Batch picking allows warehouse staff or automated equipment to move around for longer distances, collecting Items having the same SKU but different demands. Batch picking can also be done for the same channels, same logistics provider, priority orders etc.

Ideal for eCommerce businesses, the process of batch picking enables you to:

• Increase order fulfilment rates
• Decrease travel time for picking
• Save on warehouse space 
• Organize inventory in a better way

Batch picking is recommended if you wish to make the most out of your small or big warehouse and to equip your staff to fulfil multiple customer orders at the same time.

Type of picking: Zone picking, batch picking, wave picking, cluster picking

3. Discrete Picking

The process of discrete picking involves collecting orders one at a time, providing complete staff assistance to a single item till the time the order processing is complete. Discrete picking is advised for small warehouses that get a lesser number of orders. With discrete picking, you get to:

• Allows higher response time for order fulfilment
• Reduces the possibility of wrongful deliveries
• Enables easier tracking of orders 
• Eliminates the need for multiple touchpoints

Discrete picking is a simple and easy process that allows your warehouse staff with the ease to perform with complete accuracy, increasing your chances of providing better customer service.

4. Wave Picking

Wave picking is quite similar to discrete picking, except for the fact that it allows scheduling. Each order to be picked up can be allotted a specific time slot to further simplify the entire process.

Wave picking works best for warehouses with heavy demands and different kinds of inventory, as it helps the picker to:

• Create separate order and group them based on priority
• Align the picking process with that of shipping and delivery time
• Manage warehouse operations more efficiently
• Reduce workload on staff and keep the picking process uninterrupted

With wave picking, you get to manage your manpower and achieve higher order fulfilment ultimately increasing your overall productivity.

5. Cluster Picking

To fulfil multiple orders at the same time, the process of cluster picking is done. The method requires the warehouse staff to collect various items at the same time while separating them into unique boxes or bins to avoid mix-ups.

With Cluster Picking, you get to:

• Reduce time to collect orders
• Prioritise stocks over another 
• Easy sorting of products 
• Select the fastest route to pick multiple items

Cluster picking enables the picker to do two things at a time which improves your time to pick, pack and deliver.

Checklist of Picking

Based on the size of your warehouse, availability of products, variety of items, demand, manpower and location of your facility, you can use any of these picking methods and by automating your picking processes you will be able to achieve higher supervision of your warehouse operations with greater ease to focus on strengthening your customer relations, strategizing to enhance your services and improving your productivity.

Unicommerce is a platform that empowers your business to accomplish all of the above and more! 

The fully automated and technologically advanced Warehouse Management System of Unicommerce helps you manage all your picking needs, select the best method that works for your facility and then simplify your warehouse operations.

Experience the true potential of your business with us today, click here to know more about our services or request a demo today!

Read our other relevant blogs for warehouse management to better understand the must-haves of warehouse operations in order to increase your business capabilities and achieve greater growth.

1. Prerequisites of Warehouse Management: Vendor Onboarding and Procurement.
2. Simplifying Receiving and Putaway Operations of Warehouse: Prerequisites of Warehouse Management
3. Boost the Efficiency of Warehouse Operations with Packing and Dispatch
4. Warehouse Returns and Cancellations Management [Reasons, Problems and Solutions]

The picking process is the next big step of warehouse operations and the first step towards providing a highly satisfying experience to the customers who have placed an order with your business.

Order picking refers to the process of taking inventory out of its designated warehouse location and starting off the delivery process. A good Warehouse Management System provides complete automation of the picking process to avoid any errors or issues. 

In the process of picking, a Picklist is provided to the warehouse staff or to automated equipment that scans a tote or bin to get the locations of the item. Once the shelf is located, the inventory is scanned, picked and then sent out for packing and delivery.

In cases when an item cannot be located at a given shelf, another SKU of the same item is scanned till the inventory is available on a given shelf.

As the process of picking is time taking, it is necessary to have a technologically advanced warehouse management system in place that can carry out multiple scans and checks to quickly locate goods in a warehouse and then help the staff collect it and move forward with other processes.

By deploying the right picking processes for your warehouse operations you can provide your business with the ease to enhance the overall customer experience.

Right picking process involves: provide efficiency and accuracy, better order fulfillment and processing, increase the overall revenue of business.

The right picking process:

• Provides higher efficiency and accuracy
• Allows better order fulfilment and processing
• Increases overall revenue of business
• Enables faster and smoother deliveries 
• Reduce manpower and stock management costs
• Saves time and efforts

To begin the process of picking, you need to first initiate serialization of products which helps you track each item in your warehouse for better and quicker picking process by giving them a unique code. Serialization is done using barcode systems that generate a combination of unique characters in 2D or 3D format that are then put as labels on each item and scanned for details at the time of picking processes. 

There are various picking processes you can use, depending on the fulfilment requirements of your eCommerce business.

1. Zone Picking 

For large warehouses that cater to multiple zones, the process of zone picking is recommended as it compiles large volumes of inventory for each particular zone with unique SKUs respective to them. 

By doing so, the warehouse staff or automated tools assigned to each zone can easily pick up products and initiate order processing. The process of zone picking allows you to:

• Improve efficiency of collecting goods
• Speeds up collection of multiple items
• Decreases move around time within the warehouse
• Allows multiple pickups in one go

A picking bin, tote or box may move around various zones until it has collected all the required SKUs from that particular zone.

2.Batch Picking

This method of picking is used to fulfil multiple orders of the same item but in various quantities. Batch picking allows warehouse staff or automated equipment to move around for longer distances, collecting Items having the same SKU but different demands. Batch picking can also be done for the same channels, same logistics provider, priority orders etc.

Ideal for eCommerce businesses, the process of batch picking enables you to:

• Increase order fulfilment rates
• Decrease travel time for picking
• Save on warehouse space 
• Organize inventory in a better way

Batch picking is recommended if you wish to make the most out of your small or big warehouse and to equip your staff to fulfil multiple customer orders at the same time.

Type of picking: Zone picking, batch picking, wave picking, cluster picking

3. Discrete Picking

The process of discrete picking involves collecting orders one at a time, providing complete staff assistance to a single item till the time the order processing is complete. Discrete picking is advised for small warehouses that get a lesser number of orders. With discrete picking, you get to:

• Allows higher response time for order fulfilment
• Reduces the possibility of wrongful deliveries
• Enables easier tracking of orders 
• Eliminates the need for multiple touchpoints

Discrete picking is a simple and easy process that allows your warehouse staff with the ease to perform with complete accuracy, increasing your chances of providing better customer service.

4. Wave Picking

Wave picking is quite similar to discrete picking, except for the fact that it allows scheduling. Each order to be picked up can be allotted a specific time slot to further simplify the entire process.

Wave picking works best for warehouses with heavy demands and different kinds of inventory, as it helps the picker to:

• Create separate order and group them based on priority
• Align the picking process with that of shipping and delivery time
• Manage warehouse operations more efficiently
• Reduce workload on staff and keep the picking process uninterrupted

With wave picking, you get to manage your manpower and achieve higher order fulfilment ultimately increasing your overall productivity.

5. Cluster Picking

To fulfil multiple orders at the same time, the process of cluster picking is done. The method requires the warehouse staff to collect various items at the same time while separating them into unique boxes or bins to avoid mix-ups.

With Cluster Picking, you get to:

• Reduce time to collect orders
• Prioritise stocks over another 
• Easy sorting of products 
• Select the fastest route to pick multiple items

Cluster picking enables the picker to do two things at a time which improves your time to pick, pack and deliver.

Checklist of Picking

Based on the size of your warehouse, availability of products, variety of items, demand, manpower and location of your facility, you can use any of these picking methods and by automating your picking processes you will be able to achieve higher supervision of your warehouse operations with greater ease to focus on strengthening your customer relations, strategizing to enhance your services and improving your productivity.

Unicommerce is a platform that empowers your business to accomplish all of the above and more! 

The fully automated and technologically advanced Warehouse Management System of Unicommerce helps you manage all your picking needs, select the best method that works for your facility and then simplify your warehouse operations.

Experience the true potential of your business with us today, click here to know more about our services or request a demo today!

Read our other relevant blogs for warehouse management to better understand the must-haves of warehouse operations in order to increase your business capabilities and achieve greater growth.

1. Prerequisites of Warehouse Management: Vendor Onboarding and Procurement.
2. Simplifying Receiving and Putaway Operations of Warehouse: Prerequisites of Warehouse Management
3. Boost the Efficiency of Warehouse Operations with Packing and Dispatch
4. Warehouse Returns and Cancellations Management [Reasons, Problems and Solutions]

The post Enhance the Operations of the Warehouse with Order Picking: Process and Methods appeared first on unicommerce.com.