Warehouse Pick & Pack Operations

Once Sales Orders are confirmed (PENDING), they must be picked from the warehouse shelves and packed into boxes. WMS Biz streamlines this process for maximum efficiency.

The Picking Process

  1. Open the Fulfillment > Pick & Pack dashboard.
  2. Task Assignment: Managers can assign individual orders or batch-select orders to assign them to specific pickers. Operatives can filter their view to "Assigned to Me" to see only their active queue.
  3. Pick Wave Generation: The system generates picking routes. It intelligently batches multiple orders together and sorts the required SKUs by their physical location in the warehouse (e.g., Aisle A before Aisle B) to minimize walking distance.
  4. Operative Pick Execution: The warehouse operative walks the route, scanning the Bin barcode and the Product barcode to confirm they picked the correct item.

Guided Case Picking Breakdown

If an item has a case packing metric defined (e.g. 20 items per case):

  • The picking interface automatically calculates and displays a case-level breakdown (e.g., Need: 4.5 cases (90 units)).
  • The pick progress bar displays case metrics (e.g., Picked: 2.25 / 4.5 cases (45 / 90 units)) so operatives count cartons rather than individual units, reducing errors.

Placeholder: Screenshot of the Picking Interface showing a sorted route

The Packing Process

Once the items are picked and brought to the packing bench:

  1. The packer scans the item barcode.
  2. The system verifies it belongs to the current order.
  3. Once all items for an order are scanned, the system automatically triggers an API call to the configured Courier (e.g., Royal Mail, DPD).
  4. The courier shipping label is instantly generated and printed.
  5. The order status updates to SHIPPED and a tracking email is dispatched to the customer.

Serial Selection & FEFO Alerts

To ensure inventory picking matches physical operations and prevents stock wastage:

Manual Serial Number Selection

When picking an item that has Serial Tracking enabled, operatives are not forced to accept a system-assigned serial number. Instead:

  • Under the bin detail view in the picking app, you can expand the bin location to view all available Serial Numbers currently in stock.
  • You can click on the checkbox corresponding to the exact serial number you have physically retrieved to pick it, or type/scan the serial number directly.
  • A built-in search filter allows you to quickly locate specific serial numbers from list inputs if there are many items in that bin.

FEFO (First Expired, First Out) Alerts

If a product has an Expiry Date configured:

  • The picking screen displays a highlighted warning banner: "FEFO Alert: Pick the earliest expiry date first to prevent stock expiration."
  • The system displays the Earliest Expiry Date currently in stock next to the alert.
  • As stock is picked and reduced, this display dynamically updates to reflect the next oldest expiry date in the warehouse, keeping your team informed of shelf-life status.

Mobile Camera Scanning Support

For operatives running WMS Biz on smartphones or tablets, you can utilize the device's built-in camera instead of a dedicated physical scanner:

  • Ensure the Integrated Smartphone Camera method is selected under system settings.
  • Click the Scan Camera trigger button (look for the camera icon) next to any barcode input or search field.
  • A live video scanner modal will overlay. Center the target barcode or QR code within the framing guide and laser line to automatically scan and register the item.
  • Camera scanning is fully integrated with Guided Picking, PO Receiving, Inventory Modals, and Stocktake sheets.