Most warehouse time goes into picking, and much of that is walking between shelves. The right picking method reduces both walking distance and error rate.
1. Single-order picking
A picker picks one order from start to finish, then moves to the next.
- Best for: fewer orders with many lines; B2B shipments.
- Watch out: the same item is visited many times a day; picking in location order reduces walking.
2. Batch picking
Common items across several orders are picked in one round and then split into orders.
- Best for: many orders with few lines; e-commerce.
- Watch out: the splitting step carries error risk; scan-based checks at packing are essential.
3. Zone picking
The warehouse is split into zones, each picker handles only their zone, and orders are completed in a consolidation area.
- Best for: large warehouses and different storage conditions (cold rooms, high racks).
- Watch out: coordinating zones requires dispatch orders and live status tracking.
Rules that prevent errors in any method
- Mandatory location scan: the picker confirms the right shelf by scanning it.
- Mandatory item scan: instant warning when the wrong item is scanned.
- Single-user lock: an order is picked by one person at a time, so nothing is picked twice.
- Expiry check: expired lots are kept out of picking.
- Pick in the order unit: prevents mixing up cartons and units.
With Nitrogen PDA
The picking screen is sorted by location priority and each rule above can be switched on or off by parameter. The dispatch order panel groups orders into batch or vehicle-based orders, and the packing screen can combine several orders into one package.
