Pick and pack is the process of selecting an order's items from storage and packing them for despatch. It has four steps: generate the pick list, collect the items, verify against the order, and pack with the documentation. The verify step is the one most often skipped when busy, and it is the one that prevents mis-shipments.
In more detail
The physical work is not difficult, which is why it gets treated as unskilled and given to whoever is free. The errors it produces are not difficulty errors, they are attention errors, and they cluster in exactly the conditions where speed is prioritised.
Variant confusion is the dominant failure. The right product in the wrong size or colour passes a casual glance because the carton says the right thing, and it is discovered by the customer rather than by you.
Almost all of the useful improvement is in layout and verification rather than in working faster. Separating similar variants, and confirming the item against the order before it goes in the box, removes most of the recurring cost.
Where people get it wrong
- Skipping verification under time pressure, which is when errors are most likely.
- Storing similar variants adjacent to each other, which generates mis-picks indefinitely.
- Measuring speed without measuring accuracy. A fast picker producing returns is expensive.
- Not recording what was mis-picked. The pattern usually points at two specific products stored next to each other.
Common questions
What are the steps in pick and pack?
Generate the pick list, collect the items from their locations, verify what was collected against the order, and pack with any documentation and packaging the order requires.
What causes most picking errors?
Variant confusion, usually caused by similar items stored next to each other. The right product in the wrong size or colour passes a casual check and is found by the customer.
How do I reduce mis-picks?
Separate similar variants physically, verify against the order before packing, and record what was mis-picked. The pattern almost always points at a specific pair of products in adjacent locations.