Operations guide · Outbound
Packing and Pack Stations
Packing means packaging picked items per order and making them ready to ship. If an error is not caught here, the customer receives the wrong item; if checks here are excessive, the cut-off is missed. The right model depends on the order profile.
Packing models
- Pick and pack: picking and packing in the same task; fast for low-line e-commerce.
- Pick then pack: pick first, then pack at a station; safer for quality and many lines.
- Put-to-wall / sortation + pack: sorting after batch picking, then packing.
Picking methods: WMS picking methods.
Verification steps
- Scan the order / tote / case ID
- Verify items line by line or scan-all
- Quantity, lot/serial (if required)
- Packaging type, void fill, label / carrier barcode
- Weighing (optional) and closing the case
Pack station design
A station brings together a screen, barcode scanner, printer, scale and packaging materials. The bottleneck is usually materials (box stock) or the printer, not the software.
- One operator, or two (one packs, one labels)?
- Rules for partial packs / split orders
- For a missing line: lock the station, or re-pick?
Which one, when?
| Profile | Candidate | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| High-volume single-item orders | Pick and pack | Wrong-item risk |
| Many lines / regulation | Pack station | Time and capacity |
| Batch + shared SKUs | Sort + pack | Sortation accuracy |
KPIs
Time per pack, wrong pack rate, weight deviations, label reprints, missed cut-offs.