Definition of Pick and Pack
The definition of pick and pack is pretty straightforward. It is a method of fulfilling orders which involves picking items from inventory, packing them into boxes or bags, and shipping them to customers.
Pick and pack is one of the most important stages in the inventory management process. It is crucial to have an efficient pick and pack process to ensure that your customers receive their products on time, in good condition, and with no damage caused by improper packing techniques.
Pick and Pack Methods
There are many methods for picking and packing. If you want to implement one in your operations, you should make a decision depending on the size and complexity of your business, as well as the type of products you sell.
Here are some common pick and pack methods:
Standard Picking
This is a popular method for companies that have a small inventory or are only selling one product line. With standard picking, each product has its own location in your facilities. Employees simply look up an item’s location and check it off the list when they’ve found it.
This method is great for small businesses because it’s very simple. However, it can get complicated if there’s not enough space in storage areas or if employees have to walk around for a long time to locate items.
Group Picking
Group picking is similar to standard picking, except that multiple items are grouped together in one location. This helps employees find items easily because they don’t have to search through multiple locations to pick what they need.
Initially, this may seem like a good approach to picking and packing. Nevertheless, grouping items together can lead to confusion. If there are too many groups or if they aren’t clearly labeled with information about each group’s contents, it will be hard to find the items needed.
Pick and Pack Challenges
For the picking process to work flawlessly your storage facilities and inventory ought to be properly managed and organized. You need to know exactly your products’ numbers, specifications, and location in your warehouse. Otherwise, your employees will need to spend much time searching for the needed products, thus delaying deliveries.
Regarding the packing, a lack of information on the weight and fragility of a product can result in inadequate packaging that cannot resist handling during shipping. Customers may receive a damaged product as a result of this, which lowers customer satisfaction.
Digitize Pick and Pack
You could overcome those challenges by implementing a digital system that centralizes products’ information. Those systems can keep records regarding items’ characteristics like size, weight, and fragility.
You can also import information about their storage location, making the picking process much faster, while you can also find information about the packaging they need so as to be safely delivered.