Most fulfillment operations use some form of packing area, a separate section to which picked orders are delivered, to be packed and prepared for dispatch.
Completing this activity as efficiently as possible comes down to the expertise and experience of the packing staff. However, their efficiency can be supported with secure manual practices, or a suitable software system.
When a picked order is delivered to a packing table it will usually need to be identified to determine the next steps. This will mean attaching paperwork or using a warehouse management system to provide instructions to the packer. With a software system, the order details can be accessed either by scanning a barcode on the attached paperwork, or by entering a reference number from the tote (or similar) in which the order is contained.
This provides the packer with access to the order packing and shipment details. Wherever possible the system should have default settings to minimize the input required to complete the pack actions and generate shipping labels, as required.
Another option to make the process faster is to combine the picking and packing functions together using the “cluster picking” method discussed earlier. Frequently also referred to as “pick and pack”, orders can be picked directly into their shipping carton. By using a “packing list” document or scanning a barcode, the order can be readily identified to allow pre-shipping actions to be performed.