In the fast-paced world of warehousing and logistics, picking and packing processes can make or break your order fulfilment.
Not only is it crucial to pick the right products from the warehouse shelves, but they also need to be packed into suitable boxes, envelopes, or containers with the appropriate shipping label attached.
When it comes to fulfilling orders, meeting customer demands, and maintaining operations efficiently, there are four pick and pack services commonly used by businesses UK-wide.
Want to know what they are?
Then keep reading as we share all.
Single-order picking
Best for: Smaller businesses that generate fewer orders.
As its name implies, single-order picking involves picking and packing one order at a time.
The picker takes the packing slip of an order and retrieves all the listed items from the shelves. They’re then taken to a packing station where they’ll be parcelled up and prepared for shipping.
Single-order picking offers a higher degree of accuracy and can reduce the risk of mistakes – ensuring customers receive the correct items.
Batch picking
Best for: Medium to large businesses with higher order volumes.
Batch picking is a pick and pack service where multiple orders are grouped together for convenience.
Instead of making multiple trips around the warehouse, warehouse staff pick items that are in the same location. As such, orders can be shipped faster, ensuring the satisfaction of customers.
Zone picking
Best for: Large warehouses with distinct product zones.
Zone picking involves dividing the warehouse into zones and assigning pickers to specific areas.
Each picker will gather items from their designated zone and then pass them on to the picker in the next zone or the packing team.
Zone picking requires a lot of organisation but, if done well, it can effectively boost productivity. Often, integrating a warehouse management system (WMS) reduces the risk of potential bottlenecks and simplifies the process.
Wave picking
Best for: Large warehouses with a variety of items and high order volumes.
Wave picking is a hybrid pick and pack service that combines aspects of batch and zone picking.
Warehouse workers have their allocated zones where they’ll group orders into “waves” based on their stock keeping units (SKUs), shipping deadlines, or order size.
This pick and pack strategy offers flexibility and can improve workflow, traceability, and shipping accuracy, eliminating errors.
Enhance your warehouse operations with John K. Philips
If you’re keen to optimise the efficiency and accuracy of your order fulfilment process, talk to our team today.
Located in Warrington, our pick and pack warehouse is just a stone’s throw from the M62 and M6. Here, we offer a full pick and pack service for small and medium-sized consignments, as well as large pallets and multiple orders.
We use state-of-the-art computerised systems and barcode scanners to ensure every order is picked and packed accurately and shipped to the right address on time.
Plus, we use eco-friendly packaging and utilise the most efficient delivery routes – keeping costs and delays to a minimum while reducing our environmental footprint and increasing customer satisfaction.
Contact us to discuss your pick and pack warehousing needs in more detail or to get started and reap the benefits of our pick and pack fulfilment services.