A Guide to Pick and Pack Fulfillment: Everything You Need to Know About Picking and Packing

As an ecommerce business, chances are you’ve probably come across the terms pick and pack. Among the many steps in the order fulfillment process, picking and packing are the most critical in getting products from a warehouse into your customers’ hands. If you’re just starting out in the industry, or maybe you’re an established enterprise looking to learn more, understanding pick and pack fulfillment is essential. So what exactly is pick and pack fulfillment? Phase V’s guide is going back to the basics to explain what it is, how it works, and why it’s so important for your business.

What is pick and pack fulfillment?

Pick and pack fulfillment is very straightforward—it’s the process that happens when an order is made where items are selected (“picked”) from inventory and then “packed” to be shipped to the customer. Seems simple, right? The idea is very simple, but it needs to be done correctly to ensure your customers are getting the right products quickly.

Think of it this way; You’ve just received an online order. You then need to locate each specific product in that order, pack it up securely, and ship it out to your customer. That’s pick and pack fulfillment. While in theory it sounds easy, doing it in-house can be complicated when you have many stock keeping units (SKUs) and variations of products. Outsourcing to a warehouse ensures you have a dedicated team of pickers and packers with efficient systems in place to do it right.

The pick and pack process

Though it only sounds like two easy steps, there’s a lot that goes into the pick and pack fulfillment process. To give you a better idea of how it works, let’s take it step-by-step:

1. Order is placed: Once a customer makes an order, the pick and pack process begins. You, or your fulfillment partner, get the order details which triggers the picking process.
2. Picking: You, or your warehouse team, locate and select the items from the order in your inventory. Depending on the operations of your business, this may be done manually or with technology like barcode scanners. If you’ve outsourced to a third-party logistics (3PL) company, the picking team will find the item in their organized system to ensure order accuracy.
3. Packing: When the items are picked, they move on to the packing step. This is where the products will be securely packaged using the appropriate packing materials, and any necessary documentation such as returns labels or inserts are included.
4. Shipping: Finally, the packed orders are handed off to the designated shipping carrier for delivery to the customer.

Different types of picking methods

Not all pick and pack processes are created equal. Depending on the size of your operations or the nature of your products, picking and packing can look very different. It’s important to choose the right method for your particular business needs to guarantee it’s as efficient as possible.

• Piece picking: This is the most basic form of picking. In this method, the picker retrieves individual items for each order. While it’s simple, it can be time-consuming when dealing with large volumes.
• Batch picking: In this method, the pickers will select items for multiple orders at once. It’s much more efficient than piece picking when dealing with large amounts of similar orders.
• Zone picking: Some opt to divide their warehouse or storage space into zones, with the pickers being responsible for different zones. This can be an efficient method for warehouses with a variety of products.
• Wave picking: The wave method combines batch picking and zone picking where pickers will work in waves to pick products for multiple orders across different zones. This option is frequently used in very high-volume warehouses.

Why pick and pack fulfillment is so important

We’re in an unprecedented era of ecommerce. With today’s ecommerce giants—like Amazon—who have gained so much popularity for their fast delivery options, other ecommerce merchants need to stay on top of their game. With constant advancements in the industry, customers have higher expectations than ever. They expect to get their correct orders as fast as possible, and if they can’t, they’ll just look somewhere else.

Pick and pack fulfillment is what makes accuracy and speed possible. The steps of pick and pack in order fulfillment helps make sure that each order is correct and gets to the customers door as possible. Therefore, achieving higher rates of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, which are key to a successful ecommerce venture.

How to choose a partner for pick and pack fulfillment

Outsourcing to a 3PL is the best way to ensure your pick and pack strategy is on point to compete with the big players. Here’s some things to consider about a potential partnership with a fulfillment provider.

• Cost-savings: Outsourcing will actually help you cut costs in the long run. That way, you don’t need to spend money on a storage facility, team members, and packing supplies. A 3PL has everything you need to succeed in your pick and pack fulfillment.
• Technology: 3PLs have access to advanced technology that guarantees accuracy and efficiency in the pick and pack processes. Phase V has a 99.95% accuracy rate with the help of our proprietary order management system (OMS).
• Expertise: At a 3PL like Phase V, they have a team of logistics experts who’ve been in the game for a long time. They have the knowledge and resources to ensure a smooth pick and pack process. Phase V also ensures each client has a dedicated account manager who is always available to answer any questions you have about pick and pack fulfillment, among other logistics inquiries.
• Scalability: Scaling your business yourself can be difficult, but 3PLs are able to scale up or down based on business goals or seasonal demand very easily. Over time your pick and pack fulfillment needs might change, which can be accommodated by your fulfillment provider.

The bottom line

At Phase V, we know that customers expect nothing less than perfection. That’s why we’ve perfected our pick and pack fulfillment process to ensure accuracy, speed, and cost-savings. With our state-of-the-art OMS and experience team, we’re ready to handle your needs, no matter the size of your business.

Stay ahead of the competition and choose Phase V as your provider for reliable, accurate, and efficient pick and pack fulfillment services that keep your customers happy and your business growing.